The Avonian: Fall 2022

from the EDITOR

Honoring Tradition. Inspiring Excellence. In this issue of The Avonian, I wanted to explore all the ways in which Avon Old Farms School makes our branding tagline come true every day, despite whatever challenges lie in our path. Just as our students and alumni aspire and persevere, the school’s administration endeavors to hold true to what makes us uniquely Avon and also ensure that we remain a competitive, strong school for boys.

Is it our community? Is it our athletics? Is it our dedicated faculty and staff? Is it this beautiful place we call home? In truth, I think it’s a little bit of each plus whatever magic Mrs. Riddle worked here back in the 1920s. For each person, a special experience may come to mind—or a person or a place. For many, the Quad played a key role in the Avon experience, and for this edition, I aimed to explore ways Mrs. Riddle created a space that fosters community growth across generations. Though the Quadrangle has changed in many ways over the years, its grace continues to capture the hearts of Avonians.

As I pieced together this issue, grouping all the content into one of two categories—honoring tradition or inspiring excellence—was extremely easy. I believe that to be a testament to the work we do, keeping our mission top-of-mind: Avon Old Farms develops boys into men of strong moral character and convictions who learn together in an inclusive, time-honored community defined by academic, athletic, and creative excellence. I hope you enjoy reading about all the ways Avon honors tradition and inspires excellence.

Aspirando et perseverando, JACQUELINE KELLER, EDITOR kellerj@avonoldfarms.com (860) 404-4381

Established 1927

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Jim Detora P’12

ASSOCIATE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Robert J. Whitty ’87, P’16 EDITOR Jacqueline Keller

The Avonian is published for the alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends of Avon Old Farms School. It is distributed to approximately 7,000 readers. All rights reserved.

AVON OLD FARMS SCHOOL 500 Old Farms Road Avon, CT 06001 www.avonoldfarms.com (860) 404-4100

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Members of the administration and faculty can be emailed by using the following formula: last name + first initial @avonoldfarms. com. The directory on the school website also includes email links.

Avon Old Farms School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, disabilities, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Greetings!

Afresh start—or so it felt—as the boys arrived on campus this fall eager to embrace the new school year free from restrictions. In many ways, I feel the same excite ment I did my first year as head of school when the next bright chapter of Avon Old Farms was upon us. We are now able to turn the page with optimism and enthusiasm and look ahead to incredible opportunities for our Avonians and Mrs. Riddle’s campus.

One such Avonian, whose philanthropic vision and passion for learning can be felt throughout our campus, is the late Gilman Ordway ’44. In this issue, we celebrate the life and legacy of Gilman—for whom the Ordway Art Gallery and the Ordway Science and Technology Center were named after Gil and his wife, Marge, were the lead donors. In 2010, Gilman Ordway was recognized with the Avon Old Farms Distinguished Alumnus Award. The Ordway family roots at Avon extend to his grandson Gilman Callsen ’04 and Ordway’s daughter Kitty Ordway (Gilman Callsen’s mother) who joined the Board of Directors in 2002.

In this issue we highlight Marie Delnicki P’81, ’87, a beloved staff member with an impressive 46-year career at Avon. Over the last decade, Marie served as registrar helping countless students with the admissions process and easing anxiety as they took the SAT and ACT with her calming presence. Aside from her work on campus, Marie is also the proud parent of two Avonians, Mark ’81 and Eric ’87. Marie’s dedication and love of Avon is evident in the many cherished relationships she’s built over the years, and we celebrate all of her accomplishments across our campus.

The fall has been exciting with our varsity football team beginning the season on new turf with new stadium lighting for evening football games. Our Visiting Author Program brought astronaut and author Mike Massimino to campus in late September to discuss his book, Spaceman, to the delight of our students and faculty. His tales of space and firsthand accounts left all of us in awe. And the renovation of Diogenes Dorm has been an exciting unveiling and one that you will read more about further in this issue.

I hope you and your loved ones have a chance to reconnect with family and friends over the Thanksgiving holiday. We have much to be thankful for this year.

JIM DETORA P’12 Head of School

Aspirando et perseverando,

village green

As long as you continue to try, there’s always that chance. The chances of you achieving that dream are only at zero percent if you stop trying.

— MIKE MASSIMINO

BY ADAM HUSHIN

The Visiting Author Program at Avon Old Farms provides a tremendous opportunity for students to meet literary giants who are geniuses in their craft. It is rare that the visiting author is also an embodiment of the school’s motto: aspirando et perseverando—to aspire and to persevere. However, that was exactly the case with this year’s visiting author, Columbia University professor and retired NASA astronaut Mike Massimino.

English teacher and Dean of Faculty Dr. Trevor Stern says Massimino’s incredible story of overcom ing numerous setbacks to achieve a seemingly impossible childhood dream of going to space is one worth sharing with the school community. “Mike Massimino’s story absolutely means to aspire and persevere,” Dr. Stern says.

In Massimino’s book, Spaceman: An Astronaut’s Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe, he details his journey to becoming a NASA astro naut, from watching the Apollo 11 moon landing on TV at the age of 7 to looking down at Earth while floating outside the space shuttle. In September, he recounted his journey in front of a packed Brown Auditorium.

Throughout his journey, Massimino needed multiple tries to complete his PhD program, was repeatedly denied entry to and even medically disqualified from the astronaut program, and was initially told he was too big to spacewalk. Through out his presentation, he emphasized the importance of perseverance to overcome such obstacles.

“As long as you continue to try, there’s always that chance,” Massimino said. “The chances of you achieving that dream are only at zero percent if you stop trying.”

VISITING AUTHOR: Mike Massimino

Another important value at AOF, and one that Massimino says was critical to his success as an astronaut, is brotherhood.

“Teamwork was really important, and I can already tell how important it is here,” Massimino said.

He told the audience that above all else, NASA looks to recruit team players because if someone needs help, it’s important to have reliable teammates to fall back on.

“Just like I had my fellow astro nauts up in the shuttle and mission control on the ground to help me, you have friends and teachers here to help. Be mission control for others, and remember that you can always reach out if you need to.”

Following a standing ovation from the Avonians in attendance, students broke into groups for more intimate discussions with Massimino, in which they had a chance to ask more ques-

tions. These questions ranged from details about his work on the Hubble Space Telescope and how he dealt with reorienting himself back on Earth to whether he believes in aliens and if he thinks humans will make it to Mars.

He answered several questions about his time in space that translate to life at Avon, including dealing with homesickness.

“Going to space … was an extraor dinary opportunity, like what you have here, and you just have to remember that.”

He also offered advice on applying to college, something multiple students asked about after learning he had been denied entrance to programs several times himself.

“I knew I couldn’t control the outcome, but I could control the effort. If you follow your dream, even if you don’t make it, good things still happen along the way.”

After signing more than 100 copies of Spaceman for excited students and equally excited, if not more so, faculty, Massimino toured the school’s engineering lab, where a group of students showed off the projects they’re currently working on.

Peter Siana ’23 exhibited a past Advanced Independent Project of his, which happened to be a carbon fiber model rocket. Siana says he was personally very excited about Massimino’s visit because aerospace and engineering are fields he envi sions himself pursuing as a career.

“The space industry is something I’m very interested in, so I’ve been trying to meet and talk with different people in the field. Obviously, speaking with someone who’s been to space—that’s the pinnacle,” Peter says.

Just like I had my fellow astronauts up in the shuttle and mission control on the ground to help me, you have friends and teachers here to help. Be mission control for others, and remember that you can always reach out if you need to — MIKE MASSIMINO

After talking with Massimino, Peter’s plan to pursue a field such as mechanical engineering in college was reinforced.

“I’ve been looking at different schools recently, the ones with really good engineering programs, so this has been a great experience.”

Massimino’s visit proved to be a great experience for faculty and staff as well, including Science Depart ment Chairperson Peter Rice ’76, who delivered Massimino’s introduction to the rest of the community and spent much of the day picking his brain for stories and details about space and working at NASA.

“Since I was a young boy, I have been fascinated by space travel and the lives of astronauts,” Rice says.

“Dr. Massimino's story is living proof that dreams can come true if one focuses on that dream, takes counsel from those who know best, perseveres through setbacks, and never gives up.”

The spaceman’s visit eventually came to an end Friday afternoon, much to the dismay of Massimino, who said he was very impressed by what he saw.

“I wish I could’ve come here as a student,” Massimino said. “For one, it’s just so beautiful. A lot of college campuses are going to be a letdown after this.”

The students themselves left an impression as well.

“All the boys are so polite and seemed very interested. They asked some great questions.”

Above all else, however, Massimino couldn’t get enough of the Winged Beaver. “The beaver is often described as a natural engineer, but this one flies,” Massimino said with raised eyebrows. Being an engineer who had spent a good chunk of his career flying, he couldn’t contain his excitement.

“Oh, man, I love that mascot!”

The entire visit, as is the case with the Visiting Author Program as a whole, would not have been possible without support from the Parents of Avon.

“We in no way would be able to run this program without the Parents of Avon’s generosity,” Dr. Stern says. “This is a really unique opportunity we have here.”

Remembering GILMAN ORDWAY ’44

BY SCHOOL HISTORIAN ART CUSTER P’04, ’05, ’10

In the last issue of the student newspaper of the Founder’s Era, the “Man in the Quadrangle” feature asked this question: What has Avon done for you? Gilman Ordway ’44 answered: “When I first came to Avon five long years ago, I had much to learn. I needed to learn how to get along with people, to do things for myself without complain ing, to apply myself to my studies. All these things Avon has given me, and I am very grateful for them.”

If the name Ordway sounds familiar, it should. It has appeared on at least one campus landmark since the mid-1980s, when the Ordway Art Gallery opened. The Ordway Science and Technology Center opened in 2002. The more observant among us will also have noticed Ordway’s name and picture associated with collec tions of letters by famous scientists and U.S. presidents that adorn the

When I first came to Avon five long years ago, I had much to learn. I needed to learn how to get along with people, to do things for myself without complaining, to apply myself to my studies. All these things Avon has given me, and I am very grateful for them.

— GILMAN ORDWAY

halls of the Science Center and Jamerson, respectively.

During his years at school, Ordway was a prolific author, so much so that when Mrs. Riddle wrote to “Gilly” in December 1945 (his second year at Yale), she asked about his writing.

This was pre-Hippocrene, and creative writing pieces appeared in the student newspaper, often under the heading “Literary Lapses”—frequently more than one appeared in the same issue. For example, in February 1941, he published both “Misfortune That Led to Antiquity” about a wayward pilot who discovers “the lost city of the Sahara” but cannot prove it and “The Strange Case of Mr. Fisher,” a macabre piece about an unlikely coincidence that costs, perhaps mercifully, the unfortunate Mr. Fisher his life. The April 1942 “Beaver’s Log,” a rundown of campus goings-on, included “That eminent playwright, Mr. Ordway, presents the Shadow Mystery-Comedy, ’The Man With Entrails 30 Feet Long.’” The 1944 yearbook includes a lengthy tale called “The Contents of a Pocket” and a Men of Avon parody called “Men of Bacchus,” which begins “Bring the

beer keg—drink to glory!” Of course, Ordway did more than write stories (and scandalous lyrics) while at Avon. He was a member of the Bar Associa tion and sat as a judge in his senior year. (He followed up fully in this regard when he earned his law degree from the University of Colorado.) The “Beaver’s Log” mentioned a couple of other moments in Ordway’s Avon experience: It reported that “Jovial Gil Ordway was arguing so vigorously, while walking across the bridge at the Island, that he changed his course two points and—into the muck” in April 1941. Two years later, after a mid-April snowstorm, the "Log" observed “The only one not taken unawares was Gil Ordway, who still wore his ’goo-lashes’ from last winter.” Make what you will of this note from June 1941: “Ordway’s skunk and William’s snake finally arrived from Florida.” The June 1944 Avonian, along with publishing the quotation above, noted that Ordway was among

the top vote getters in the senior poll’s “Most Intellectual” category.

The idea of using the water tower as an art gallery originated with Ordway. He had visited campus and noted that with the exception of the water tower, all of Mrs. Riddle’s buildings were being put to good use. He suggested it be transformed into a gallery for student and nonstudent art. When the gallery opened in 1984, Ordway spoke to the students about his memories of the water tower in the 1940s. The brick cylinder had been built to disguise a traditional steel water tower, which Mrs. Riddle

considered unsightly. It was possible in those days to climb a ladder up the inside wall to the top of the tower. Normally, students were forbidden to do that, but during World War II, civil defense authorities grew concerned about the potential for enemy airplanes over the Eastern Seaboard, so students took turns spending the day atop the water tower keeping an eye out for Nazi planes. No one ever saw the Luftwaffe buzzing the Farmington Valley, but the boys did spot some wildfires that presumably were attended to very quickly because of their early detection. The Ordway Art Gallery has since moved

to its current location in the Brown Student Center, but the water tower continues to be put to good use as an engineering/robotics/computer programming space.

Among the first things displayed in the Ordway Gallery was Ordway’s own collection of letters written by U.S. presidents from George Washington

through Gerald Ford. The letters run the gamut from official White House correspondence to personal notes to friends and acquaintances written before or after the president’s term. Though almost all eighteenth and nineteenth century letters were handwritten, all but two of the twentieth century letters were typed.

Those two letters mention the school specifically. The letter from Franklin Roosevelt is to his friend Mrs. Riddle, and the letter from Gerald Ford is to Mr. Ordway himself. In addition to the collection of presidential letters, Ordway gave the school a similar collection of letters written by noteworthy scientists: that collection now graces the halls of the Ordway Science and Technology Center.

The Ordway Science and Technology Center opened its doors September 11, 2002, and was formally dedicated that October. Ordway’s support—he and his wife, Marge, were the lead donors—reflected his continuing interest in science and the environ ment and his steadfast support of the sciences at Avon Old Farms. He supported the Ordway Science Wing of the Aron Academic Center in 1981 and long supported the school’s environmental studies program.

I’m grateful to Dad for introducing my family to the school. It shaped my son Gilman’s life in such a positive way, and I got a great deal of satisfaction from serving 18 years on the board. AOF will always be family, and that’s certainly a legacy that my father left me.

— KITTY ORDWAY P’04

In 2010, Gilman Ordway was recognized with the Avon Old Farms Distinguished Alumnus Award. The citation mentioned his generosity to Avon, of course, but it also noted his deep interest and engagement in the environment. This included serving on the boards of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Jackson Hole Land Trust, Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Wilderness Society, Nature Conser vancy, World Wildlife Fund, and American Farmland Trust. He also

received the Avon Adams Medal, given to parents and grandparents for exceptional support of the school.

The Ordway family deepened its connection to Avon Old Farms when Ordway’s grandson Gilman Callsen enrolled in the Class of 2004. Ordway’s daughter Kitty Ordway (Gilman Callsen’s mother) joined the Board of Directors in 2002. She and her husband, James Sadler, supported, among other things, the Steinway piano in the Brown Auditorium and the design and construction of faculty housing known as the “new” Coop.

“I’m grateful to Dad for introducing my family to the school. It shaped my son Gilman’s life in such a positive way, and I got a great deal of satisfac tion from serving 18 years on the board,” comments Ordway. “AOF will always be family, and that’s certainly a legacy that my father left me.”

To recap, a thoughtful student and prodigious creative writer who knew to hang on to his winter “goo-lashes” until the middle of April and who somehow contrived to have a skunk delivered from Florida went on to become an alum who supported continued growth of the arts and the sciences at Avon and who put a special emphasis on the environment. In retrospect, that plotline seems much less surprising than those of Gilman Ordway’s “literary lapses.”

You Can Either Be a Leader or a Follower

From the first time I met Francis, I was impressed. His respectful southern personality complements what I immediately saw as maturity beyond his years.

— BRIAN DOYLE

In late summer 2020, Francis Hagood sat with his family and heard the news that his school, James Island Charter High School, in Charleston, S.C., wouldn’t return to in-person learning until late October at the very earliest. He loved his school and the friends he had made there, but in addition to going to remote learning in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the school also cut several programs, including his beloved arts classes. Facing such dramatic changes, his parents posed a question: Do you want to pursue boarding school?

A month later, Francis arrived at Avon Old Farms School, and his jaw dropped. During his search for a new school, he had taken on the

challenge of compiling research and making a matrix of pros and cons of a dozen or so school options. Ultimately, he inquired at only one school: AOF. The New England school offered him the chance to play with an elite lacrosse team while pursuing his passion for soccer in the fall. He could enroll in AP Art and even take advantage of the Advanced Independent Project Program if he so desired. He spoke with Associate Director of Admission Matt Kowalchick ’99 on the phone once, was accepted, and set foot on campus for the first time on move-in day. What had looked good on paper felt 100 percent right in person.

“Walking into the field house on that first day—buzzing with new students signing in; visiting each table to get their rooming assign ments and practice basics; being greeted warmly by teachers, coaches, advisors, and staff—it was amazing. It was a real ’what did I just get myself into’ moment, in a good way.”

Francis moved into Elephant III Dormitory and quickly began life at Avon Old Farms. This was his third time starting over in a brand-new environment, so he knew he had to be outgoing and open to meeting new people. “In the sixth grade, I lived in Granada, Spain, while my mother completed a sabbatical year—if I could move to a new country where I didn’t speak the language and learn to love it, I knew Avon would be easy by comparison.”

During the first weeks on campus, Francis experienced something new and exciting: the entire sophomore class gathered outside the Adams Theater for a meeting run by two students: class

representatives Tommy Baldini and Stratton Pratt. At that moment, something his father said often came to mind: you can either be a leader or a follower. Francis knew those guys were leaders, and he wanted to stand with them, making an impact in the magnificent place that is Avon Old Farms.

“During that first semester at Avon, I must have expressed some interest, and Mr. Doyle encouraged me to run for Student Council. I could already see that the Council was made up of dedicated brothers who really wanted to improve life at Avon for the student body. I knew I could do that too, but I felt that I just hadn’t been there long enough, so I waited until the spring term elections.”

At James Island, underclassmen were not allowed to join student leadership, so seeing his classmates so involved was inspiring. Along those lines, he began to formulate a campaign platform built on a pitch for stronger boarding student representation on the Council, which was populated mostly by day students. In the spring, after a winter season filled with rec basketball, he finally ran for class leadership and was elected by his peers as a sopho more class representative.

“From the first time I met Francis, I was impressed,” comments Brian Doyle, dean of students. “His respectful southern personality complements what I immediately saw as maturity beyond his years. When I walked into his room his first year, I remember Francis studying from an upperclass man textbook, and I remarked on how tidy he and his roommate kept their room. Francis said that he spent a good amount of time each day organizing his room, which is not

always commonplace for high school boys. We have great kids at Avon— kids who care about the school and who look after their brothers. Francis always struck me as having an awareness about himself and his peers … someone who does his best in all that he does but who also takes the time to appreciate the talents of his classmates. I guess you can say that I was immediately impressed with Francis and, over time, my respect for him only increased. We are lucky to have him!”

Francis quickly came to see the impact the Student Council has on the Old Farms community and was excited by the prospect of becoming the leader of it all by the time he was a senior. But he had seen how the competition of becoming warden could harm friendships. He was also humble and didn’t want to get ahead of himself. With 12 guys running for four spots, he viewed it as “I just need to get back on the Council,” so when he ran one more time for a senior

Between being fluent in Spanish, passionate about art, enthusiastic about sports, and deeply engaged in dorm life, building relationships on small connections is something I’ve gotten really good at.

— FRANCIS HAGOOD ’23

position, he didn’t say anything about becoming the warden. “What if your whole speech is about running for warden, and you don’t even get elected to the Council?” he says. “I never want to take anything for granted.”

In the spring of his junior year, his peers reelected Francis as a class representative. Then, once he knew he was in contention to become the next warden of the school, he sat down with his classmates. “Tommy Baldini and I talked a lot about

running for warden, and we swore that no matter the outcome, we’d remain focused on being servants to the school. We both understood that it’s a commitment, and it’s worth it to know that you’re making Avon a better place. Speaking for others who trust in your abilities to make the right decisions is really cool, but ultimately it’s a selfless job. We knew that we were in it for the right reasons and promised to not let a title get between us.”

In the end, Francis was elected warden. He believes one characteris tic that will make him a strong leader is, as his older brother puts it, being a floater. “That just means having a foot in all areas and being open to communicating with all kinds of people on campus. I have friends who are involved in school plays, and so though I’ve never really been a part of theater, my involvement in art and the Socratics Club allowed me to build friendships with guys who are. Between being fluent in Spanish,

passionate about art, enthusiastic about sports, and deeply engaged in dorm life, building relationships on small connections is something I’ve gotten really good at.”

This fall, Francis and the rest of the Student Council hit the ground running with several initiatives: they wanted to help promote greater understanding of the new peer counselor group on campus and also wanted to bring back the Westy Monday hockey game. The Council is also working with Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ahmad Cantrell to ensure that special guests with a deeper understanding of issues at play are brought in on Discipline Committee meetings. “Sometimes there are cultural differences at play that the Council doesn’t fully understand and having someone present who can add key perspec tives to the conversation will be a great asset to the Student Council.”

In addition to his role of warden, Francis is also looking ahead to some

of the major senior-year decisions: where to go to college, what to study, what passions to pursue. “I’d like to be able to play college lacrosse, and the idea of product design is appealing to me. I’m not sure at this point where those two interests may intersect, but I don’t want to compro mise on my academics to play lacrosse. Avon has a lot of people to help me, so I’m eager to see where the college process takes me.”

He entered this year excited to put in his third year in Elephant III, where he serves as head monitor, and play soccer one more time. He’s looking forward to his senior spring lacrosse season working with the wise Dr. Skip Flanagan, saying he’s really excited to learn from him. Overall, Francis says he’s really looking forward to his senior year at Avon. “I think it’s gonna be a great year. The guys on the Student Council are exceptional—I have deep confidence in every representative and his ability to take care of what’s on his plate. We’re gonna get a lot done.”

From the dorm room to the classroom and everywhere in between, Kowalchick says it best when summarizing Francis’s character: “He’s a good boy.” He’s a good Avonian.

FRANCIS WEARS HIS FATHER’S OLD HILL SCHOOL JACKET, FEATURING SOME SPECIAL WORK BY HIS MOTHER THAT ALLOWS HIS FATHER’S OLD PATCH TO STILL BE SEEN … IF YOU KNOW HOW TO LOOK.

Avon Celebrates

MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

This fall, Mandarin teacher Richard Feng and International Student Coordinator Christel Rooney organized a special celebration on campus recognizing the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋 节), also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture, second only to Chinese New Year. It’s a time for families to gather together, similar to the idea of an American Thanksgiving. It’s popular in many Asian countries, including China, Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia.

This fall, parents who dropped their sons off for the beginning of the school year remained in town to join the celebration. One Chinese student’s mom brought mooncakes, a Chinese bakery product eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The mooncake is not just a food: it’s a tradition. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, people eat mooncakes with their families or present mooncakes to relatives or friends to express love and best wishes.

Another mom prepared home made dumplings for students and faculty to enjoy. Mr. Feng also

decorated for the occasion, writing “Happy Mid-Autumn Festival” in Mandarin on a banner hung from a tree on the Village Green and adding paper origami cranes as well. “Students came to enjoy the mooncakes and talked with me about the tradition, culture, and history,” Feng explains. “Some students even learned some Chinese characters by reading the characters on the mooncakes.”

Mr. Feng also provided background on the mooncakes, often guessing at

which flavors were inside: lotus and egg, red bean, and more. “Students enjoy the event because of the food but also the culture,” Feng continues. “Asian students like it because the celebration makes them feel at home. They chat with friends, eat, and take pictures. Everyone has fun, and those who haven’t participated in the festival before get to try something new. I hope we can keep this event as a new campus tradition and celebrate every year.”

This past summer, Josh Hunter ’23 took a major step in pursuing what could be a career interest: completing the Norwich Architecture Summer Design Academy at Norwich University. Along with roughly 15 other high schoolers, Josh spent one week immersed in design thinking and architectural composition. He gained a broader view of the field, developed skills and portfolio materials, and learned much about portfolio-building processes. Now a senior at Avon, the search is on for where he will continue his growth.

“I don’t think I’ll ultimately end up at Norwich University for my college career, but I’m not worried. I am working with my college counselors to find the right fit for me, in the right program where I can capitalize on my passions and talents.” As of late, he has focused those talents on architecture, but that wasn’t always the case. Josh has enjoyed art classes his whole life but started taking a more serious interest by the seventh grade. As he explains it, when the projects became more serious, he did too.

Exploring the Arts at Avon

As a first-year sophomore living in Elephant Dorm, Josh decided to continue exploring his interest in art and enrolled in Drawing I and Drawing II. Drawing offers a wide variety of drawing experiences with emphasis on art structure and technique. Over the course of his sophomore year, he completed projects in contour, gesture, value, enlargement, perspective, design, and figure.

“In our drawing courses, students develop their observational and accuracy skills as they progress

through the semester with a variety of assignments, including still life, fantasy, self-portrait, perspective, and landscape. In the second semester, students are challenged to complete more complex applications to demonstrate their line, value, basic color theory, pattern, and proportion to succeed as they begin designing and composing more personal images,” explains Greg Calibey, Drawing I and II instructor. “Josh excelled in drawing and quickly proved to be a candidate for AP Art for the following year. He displayed strong basic skills and a

fast learning curve and produced top-level work all year.”

As a junior, Josh embarked on a two-year commitment to AP 2D Design. Last winter, Josh’s artwork was submitted to and accepted for the UMass-Dartmouth Emerging Young Artists Exhibit. His accepted work, Myself in a Mirror, is a selfportrait done in colored pencil on black paper. Last year, he also submitted a piece titled Seven Deadly Sins to the Hippocrene, Avon’s studentpublished literary magazine. But his current favorite is a different work,

titled Family. “The piece is a compila tion of photographs taken on a recent family vacation to California. It was something I wanted to do to memori alize what a special trip it was and all of the good times we had together.”

During the underclassmen awards ceremony last spring, Josh received the AP Art Book Award in recognition of his outstanding work. This coming May, he will need to submit a portfolio of 15 to 20 images demonstrating a fundamental competence in various visual strategies and methods, completing a process-driven, personal investigation on a theme. 2D Design portfolios include a mix of digital art, photography, graphic design, mixed media, drawing, illustration, etc. Conceptual images investigate the animal world, fantastical drawing,

self-portraiture, narratives, objects and symbolism, and more.

In addition to AP Art, Josh is also considering taking on an Advanced Independent Project (AIP) in architecture to add to his college portfolio. Josh explains that he enjoys the process of seeing design come to life through architecture. “Going from an idea on paper to the place in which you’ll fit your life’s possessions is an incredible experience. My previ ous school had a program similar to Avon’s Intersession during which students went on a variety of day trips. One was to an old house, and that experience really sparked something in me.”

Despite attending a school revered for its Old-English architecture, Josh admits he enjoys designing more

modern-style spaces, and he’d like to explore that work further. During his time at Norwich, he constructed a model home out of cardboard, toothpicks, and some glue designed for the needs of an artist. “The camp taught me that not only is it OK to make mistakes, but it is actually a good thing to make mistakes because the more you make, the more ideas you are putting on the table and the more ideas you have will make it easier for you to create your final product.”

More Than an Artist: A Scholar and a Friend

Sticking with the architecture theme, we asked what Josh’s favorite space on Avon’s campus is. After a pause, he explained that he enjoys the Hawk’s Nest, a hub of life at Avon.

“It’s really the place in our community where friends can hang out together. A lot goes on at the Hawk’s Nest, and there’s always someone in there: from breakfast to late-night snacks, if I’m looking to fill some spare time, that’s where I’ll go.”

For those who know Josh, that reply isn’t a surprise, as he is such a friendly and community-oriented Avonian. “My first impression of Josh was of a very serious, intense student, and, in fact, he is a top scholar at AOF. However, that demeanor quickly shifts into a huge smile and a laugh, as there isn’t a person on campus with a nicer disposition than Josh,” says Calibey.

In addition to pursuing the arts and playing on Avon’s soccer and basketball teams, Josh is also heavily involved in community service on campus: he’s a monitor in Jennings Dormitory, is a member of Special Olympics, and participates in several clubs: the Political Action Club, Networking Club, Helping Hands Club, and more. “So many people have helped me along the way, especially at Avon, that I feel it’s my duty to pass it on.”

In the classroom, he enjoys math and physics, so it seems a career in architecture is a nice melding of several passions. This semester he has a challenging course load: English 4 Honors, AP World History, AP Calculus BC, AP Biology, Manda rin Chinese 3, and AP Studio Art. In September, he and three other Avon Old Farms students were recognized by the College Board for outstanding scores on their PSATs the previous year, scoring in the top 10 percent of test takers nationwide.

In the end, Visual Arts Chairperson Cristina Pinton says it best: “Josh is an underdog. … He is very quiet but seems to really enjoy art and likely

has a career in design or architecture. … I’ll be very excited to see where his passions take him.”

athletics

CROSS COUNTRY TAKES THE LEAD

On Saturday, October 1, the cross country team took first place in a meet with Berkshire School and Hotchkiss School. This was the first time since the fall of 1992 that our cross country team beat Hotchkiss!

JARED FLAKS ’23

A Leader on the Court

Jared Flaks ’23 embraces the full Avon Old Farms experience. He is a member of the Network Club, an admissions ambassador, a big brother, a day student monitor, and a regular participant in com munity service opportunities. Everyone who knows Jared, however, knows he has one passion that takes precedence over all others—basketball.

That was evident when he made the varsity team as a freshman. He recalls the reasoning former Head Coach Tim Roller gave for selecting him for the team. “I know you love basketball more than anyone in this gym,” Roller said.

In fact, members of the Flaks family have been basketball fanatics for generations. His grandfather is a long-time basketball coach in Connecticut, and his dad was a star player for his high school before going on to play briefly in college.

“It runs in the family,” Jared says. He explains that he grew up being coached by his dad, who instilled in him the importance of work ethic both on and off the court. “The most important thing he taught me is how basketball affects other parts of your life. In any aspect of life—right now it’s basketball— you have to apply a serious work ethic.”

Growing up with this mindset, it’s no wonder Jared fits in so well at AOF, where all aspects of life on campus contribute to the development of young men. Surprisingly, Jared wasn’t always destined for Avon. His older brother attended Westminster School, and Jared always thought he would probably go there. After a visit to Avon, he knew that wouldn’t be the case.

“I loved it here,” Jared says. “I just knew it was the right place for me.” What stands out

to him most is the sense of community that makes him feel at home. “I like how close everyone is. I feel like I really know everyone. I have everything I need here.”

When Jared says he has everything he needs at Avon, this obviously includes the basketball court and other athletic facilities that have allowed him to improve his skills over the years. It also includes the dining facilities that allow him to fuel up for each game and the common areas where he can study and interact with friends.

What some people may not know is that Jared is also referring to the photography studio, supplies, and instruction that have allowed him to discover another personal passion. He was in an AOF photography class when he first picked up a camera.

“It’s a passion I discovered here at Avon,” he shares. “I had no idea until my junior year; I just took a class, and now I’ve developed a love for it.”

In just the past few years, Jared has become an avid photographer, resulting in recognition and rewards for his work. His pieces have been featured in multiple local art shows, and in the fall of 2021, a photo of his placed first out of more than 1,500 submissions in a photo contest sponsored by Walsworth Yearbooks.

The photo featured teammate and friend Nate Walters ’22 posing in the Winged Beavers’ crimson jersey and shorts, basketball in hand. It was taken in the school studio for a photography class taught by Semaj Campbell. That photo is now used all over the Walsworth Yearbooks website and various publications.

Jared says he has found taking photos of his brothers as they experience Avon alongside him rewarding. “It’s another way I can do my part. I love having action shots taken of me, so I like to be able to get some for others.”

For Jared, playing his part for the better ment of others is something ingrained in him as part of life at Avon Old Farms. That is why he continues to serve as a big brother and gets involved in community service opportunities.

“I just think it’s important for me to help my community—and not just the Avon Old Farms community—the larger area. If everyone does their part, it will be a better place.”

Looking ahead to his fifth and final year at AOF, Jared is hoping to be the “engine” of the varsity basketball team and act as a coach out on the floor. He also says he thinks this could be the team’s best year since he’s been a part of it.

“We’re going to have a good balance of new guys coming in ready to work and an already-established culture.”

According to Matt Mihalich, varsity basketball head coach, Jared has already been one of the leaders on the team. “He has a lot of natural leadership qualities. He leads by example: he’s often the first one to jump

I just think it’s important for me to help my community—and not just the Avon Old Farms community—the larger area. If everyone does their part, it will be a better place.

— JARED FLAKS ’23

into a drill; he’s not afraid to make mistakes and learn from them. That’s an example you want others to follow,” Coach Mihalich says.

He also shared that the example Jared sets is especially important for the younger players and is a crucial component in building a winning team. “When they see that someone who’s been around for a long time has bought in, they do the same, and the best teams are all on the same page,” Mihalich says.

He added that Jared has the potential to be a coach himself one day. “He finishes a lot of my sentences. He’s able to echo a lot of

the teaching points we’ve been working on for the last four years.”

There was even a point last season, Mihalich says, when Jared’s high basketball IQ and leadership qualities combined to pull out a win in the closing seconds of a game against Choate.

“We took a timeout with about 10 seconds left. In my head, I was thinking of so many other things—should we make a sub, what play do we run—and then I heard Jared telling me, ’Coach, we have to foul.’ He was right. We did, and we ended up winning the game by three,” Mihalich says.

A few of Jared’s other traits that his coaches admire are his self-awareness and selflessness. He knows his strengths and weaknesses on the court and is willing to put the team ahead of himself. “He does get really excited about other people’s success,” Coach Mihalich says.

It’s those traits, along with some great play on the court, that likely led his team mates to appoint him a team captain.

Last season, Jared led the team in assists, assist-to-turnover ratio, and was a top rebounder as well. Despite such a good individual season last year, he says he plans to take Coach Mihalich’s advice to remain “humble and hungry.”

“To me it means to never be satisfied, to keep pushing yourself. That includes on the court and for everything else in life.”

Carl Stensland: TEACHER,

Iremember being 15 years old when one of my soccer club teammates and good friends, Colin Bradley ’09, told me he was attending Avon Old Farms. “Isn’t that an all-boys school?”

I wondered aloud to him. My teenage self couldn’t fathom going to school without girls. I remember walking away from that conversation thinking, “Why would anyone want to go there?”

I grew up in Storrs, Conn., and played for Oakwood Soccer Club in Glastonbury. Several other teammates attended AOF, some for four years, others for two or three. I remember the bond those guys had with each other, and it was no surprise to me when this group of young men went on to capture not one but two New England Championships.

Fast forward roughly 10 years: I am a few years out of college and looking for a career. I was piecing together work as a math and science tutor at E.O. Smith, an assistant soccer coach at my college alma mater, and coach of a youth club soccer team in the area. Best of all, I was living at home with my parents … safe to say, this lifestyle was not sustainable.

After bouncing around some ideas, such as going to graduate school for teaching or becoming a full-time college soccer assistant coach, a friend suggested that I look into prep schools. The way he saw it, I could do everything I enjoyed—teach, coach, mentor—and do it all in one place. So I applied to a few different schools and was fortunate enough to receive an offer from Mercersburg Academy as a science and math teacher and varsity soccer head coach.

After four successful years in Pennsylvania, I started searching for a way to return to Connecticut, where I could be closer to friends and family. After posting my résumé on a few recruiting websites, I was quickly contacted by Roger Cantello, Avon’s dean of faculty at the time. As luck would have it, he wanted to hire a science and math teacher and a varsity head soccer coach.

When I stepped on campus for my interview, I was a bit nervous, especially at the thought of teaching a science class in front of administra tors and fellow teachers. However, this initial nerve-racking moment

COACH, MENTOR

turned into an affirming experience. I remember it felt more like coaching a team than it did teaching a class. It felt like the boys were in it together, striving toward a common goal, pushing one another to be better. As they filed out of the classroom, each one gave me a fist bump, a “thank you,” or a “great job!” I remember thinking this is different … this must be why people come to Avon.

Through my first two years at the school, I have felt this same type of community and brotherhood at countless similar moments. From a soccer perspective, the team perse vered through a canceled 2020 soccer season and navigated through an injury-riddled 2021 season to the quarter-finals of the NEPSAC Class A soccer tournament. As we begin our 2022 season campaign, I feel fortunate to be able to lead these talented, hard-working young men. Fifteen some years ago, I couldn’t imagine being at Avon; now, like many other Avonians, I can’t imagine my life without it.

Theodate Pope Riddle’s Quadrangle

Where Avonians Find a Semblance of Permanence

In 1914, Theodate Pope Riddle proclaimed in a letter to friend Harris Whittemore that she had “thought of founding a school for boys and knew in my heart that it was absolutely the appropriate memorial” to her late father, Alfred Pope. She formulated a plan in her head: a self-sufficient village in the woods in which the wards of the school would live, work, and learn. At the heart of her vision was the concept of a quadrangle.

Much like the ones she had admired at Oxford and Cambridge during her yearlong European grand tour in 1888–89, Mrs. Riddle chose to design a “cloistered quadrangle so that everything could be united under one roof to achieve a greater sense of community,” wrote Sharon Dunlap Smith in Theodate Pope Riddle: Her Life and Architecture. Nearly 100 years after students first breathed life into those classrooms and dormitories, this year’s warden, Francis Hagood ’23, wrote in his all-school opening letter, “The Brotherhood is a culture that the Avon Old Farms community has refined over the course of almost a century. It stands true for and represents the past, present, and future bonds that Avonians share.” The Avonian wanted to explore how and why the Pope Quadrangle remains the centerpiece of the Avon Brotherhood.

THE VISION AND BUILDING OF THE AVON QUAD

When Mrs. Riddle envisioned her Quad, she noted in her June 1889 travel journals that she especially liked the use of a sandstone that crumbled with age, giving the buildings a “picturesque look.” That, paired with irregularly placed trees and, as described by Clarence Derrick, “dormers plunking out perverse rhythms through the red slate roofs above, the eaves dropping almost to the ground,” made for a unique experience. More than that, the close-knit village setting builds community. Originally, Pelican was for freshmen, Eagle for sophomores, Diogenes for juniors, and Elephant for seniors.

Living in a Quad dormitory has become a sort of rite of passage. “Today, while we have three additional dorms on campus, we place every freshman boarding student in the Quad with a roommate because we know how important that community is to building ties on campus,” explains Assistant Director of Admission turned Advancement Officer Mickoy Nichol ’14, who lived in Elephant III for two of his years on campus as a student. “Between the humanities being taught on the ground floor and the teachers making their homes in the faculty residences in the corners, the Quadrangle truly is the nucleus of campus.”

Number 1 building was what we call Diogenes, Pelican was number 2, and so on. This would, of course, explain the numbering of the Quad classrooms: all the rooms in Dio, for example, begin with 1. — CALVERT MAGRUDER ’46

Nichol continues to explain that the Quad promotes the organic growth of relation ships among students. “Every grade—from freshmen to PGs—is represented in the Quad, and role-model relationships naturally form … new and younger students look to those in the dorm who have gone before them and follow in their footsteps. That builds the Brotherhood that is the core of Avon Old Farms.”

Despite the notable statues perched atop the peaks of each of the Quadrangle’s buildings, Calvert Magruder ’46—along with everyone else from the era—refers to the quad buildings by number rather than name.

TIMELINE OF QUAD LIFE THROUGH THE YEARS:

1927–40: Chapel was held in a Dio classroom.

1932: The infirmary moved from Diogenes to Elephant II.

PELICAN for compassion

EAGLE for bravery

ELEPHANT for nobility and longevity

DIO for a search of truth and honesty

A PLACE FOR BOYS TO LIVE AND LEARN

The sentiment that the Quad provides a home-like experience was shared by Yale architecture and design student Nadia Niggli, who wrote in her senior thesis: “Theodate’s encouragement of a sense of community consequently can be seen as an effort to create a kind of surrogate family … Pope’s design for the school’s configuration is conducive to residential interaction between students and faculty and thus to a family environment of supervision. In addition to being in contact in the classroom, students and faculty live together, subtly separated from each other to establish hierarchy but still remain in close proximity … with faculty living nearby, a student would feel protected, monitored, and parented.”

School Historian Art Custer commented on the “monitored” part of this in his school blog back in 2013 with this anecdote: “On one occasion, my wife woke me up in the middle of a late spring night to report odd noises emanating from the Quad. A senior prank, perhaps? When we looked out the window, we saw some seniors somehow hoisting a canoe up into one of the big trees near Eagle. I started to get dressed, pondering exactly what I might say to a group of seniors bent on some sort of canoe-tree mischief, when a second look out the window revealed the canoe being lowered back to the ground. What had caused the pranksters to change course? Headmaster George Trautman was standing just inside Eagle Archway staring intently at the proceedings. If he said anything, I did not hear it, but the boys were quickly about the business of undoing their handiwork and slinking off to bed. When I asked George later on how he had known what was going on—had he heard noises from the Quad?—he said he was not sure; he woke up and somehow knew that going for a walk was a good idea.”

However, Mrs. Riddle’s Quadrangle was not designed with only order and discipline in mind. Alumnus Spencer Young Grey ’45 once wrote his recollections of Mr. Thayer

1945: During its occupancy, the Army installed a sprinkler system in the Quad.

1964:

Eagle Dorm was returned to use as a dorm; United Aircraft had rented the space after the war years.

(nickname “Pop”) as “a warm and friendly person who always welcomed us in his house on the Quad, and his wife always provided cookies.”

Kevin Driscoll ’72 still thinks back to his time as a student at Avon every time he walks into Eagle Dormitory—even after living on the Avon campus for close to 50 years. He recalls developing eternal bonds of friendship in the Quad, and outside he was always dreaming up a new game—roof ball, day-boy football.

Under former Headmaster George Trautman, faculty presence in dorms increased. He demanded that for the first two weeks of the 1969 school year, faculty be in the dorms every night to help students form study habits. Driscoll recalls Trautman’s strict rules and high expectations—and still thought himself one of the luckiest kids in the world to have the opportunity to study at Avon. “The lifestyle at Avon was exactly what young boys needed—for me, for my son, and for today’s boys—I still see it working wonders,” he says. During his early years working at Avon, Driscoll introduced and encouraged vertical housing, a residen

tial life initiative promoting camaraderie between older students and underclassmen.

He also implemented the addition of enrichment hour, a daily teacher-student interaction period after dinner, which often takes place in the Quad.

2004:

The Business Office moved from Eagle #32 across the archway to the common area.

A HUB OF COMMUNITY EXPERIENCES

In 1927, when Avon Old Farms School opened, 48 students enrolled. During the Founder’s Era, all students were required to gather in the Quad to do midmorning calisthenics, yet the Elephant common room was used after lunch and dinner exclusively as a "smoking" and club room by fifth and sixth formers who had their parents’ permission to smoke.

In 2022, as sophomore Owen Callaghan explains, the Quad is the center of Avon, and it’s where all major events begin. “When we hold a pep rally before a big game, everyone gathers in the Quad … before commence ment at the end of the year, everyone lines up on the Quad’s flagstone walkways. During Reunion Weekend, returning alumni process through the Quad. It’s the perfect backdrop for major school memories, and it’s fitting that I always picture the biggest happenings on campus starting there.” Callaghan grew up on campus. He was born in 2007 and explains he always knew the Quad was a special place as he walked by on his way to the bus stop. “I couldn’t wait to become a student and experience it firsthand.”

Over the years, various offices related to the student experience moved into the Quadrangle. In the early years, both the chapel and the infirmary resided in the

As part of our effort to restore time-worn areas to their original beauty, we restored the walkways in the Pope Quadrangle to the original bluestone. The new walkways were built using the latest construction technologies to provide for adequate drainage, have the least environmental impact, and allow for effective snow removal. They are functional as well as aesthetically pleasing.

2010: The bluestone walkways were restored.

2012, 2013, and 2014:

Quad classrooms were renovated.

THE AVONIAN , FALL 2010

Quad. In 2015, the Bigelow Learning Center was incorporated into Diogenes. Most recently, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion moved into the office space next to the Eagle 31 classroom.

“Community is essential to the human experience. By having the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Quad, we have a space dedicated to embracing our spirit, character, and commitment to healthy social relationships,” comments DEI Director Ahmad Cantrell. “The Office of DEI will continue to provide opportunities to engage and learn from each other. We are deeply tied to the progress and journey that allows our students to be global citizens in our ever-changing, fast-paced world.”

2015:

2016:

The Bigelow Learning Center opened in Diogenes.

Human Resources Office moved in.

A PLACE FOR FAMILIES

In addition to being a home-away-from-home for thousands of boarding students, the Quad has served as a home for several of Avon’s most notable characters. From current Head of School Jim Detora and many of the current core administrators (Kevin Driscoll ’72; John Bourgault ’80; Brian Doyle, Art Custer, Mike Symes ’81; Rob Whitty ’87; Rob Dowling ’91; and Graham Callaghan ’95) to legends including the Consuegras, Mendells, and Leavitts, several notable Avon names called the Quad home for years.

Seth Mendell ’52 started his life as an Avonian in the Quad: he lived in Diogenes Dorm on the third floor—looking out toward the entrance to the school, his room was the first double to the left—as a postgrad student. The structure of the place had provoked the recommendation of Avon, and it fit with Mendell’s nature as a craftsman. “As soon as my father and I visited campus that August of 1951, I said, ’Ah yes. This is the beginning

2019–2022: Windows in the Quad were replaced.

of my journey.’” He returned in 1959 as faculty after serving in the Army and finishing his college degree at Dartmouth. After his second tour of duty, he and his wife, Alice, moved into Pelican. That apartment was the home that welcomed their daughters, Phyllis and Margaret, when they were first brought home from the hospital. He built the split-level patio out back for this family and studied and taught in the Pelican 20 classroom—a classroom he kept until 1990.

“The Quad was a unique place to raise a family. … It’s like a neighborhood, except that your neighbors are hundreds of teenage boys,” Mendell says. “But we always had a babysitter nearby should we need one, and to this day, I don’t believe Avon’s hosted a reunion that my girls haven’t attended. This place is as much a part of them as it is of me.” He also explained that Avon was a place for

2020: COVID-19 necessitated the installation of an air exchange system.

all kinds of Avonians to build enduring friendships. His daughter Phylis and Andy Consuegra remain lifelong friends after being taken home to Avon Old Farms as infants.

Alumnus and current Director of Information Technology Peter Deckers ’90 lived in the Quad for at least a decade with his family and jokes that it was the world’s largest playpen. “We just told the kids not to go through the archways,” also commenting that it was a rule their youngest, Graham ’20, often broke.

“As a historian with a long connection to AOF, I have seen this sort of ’permanence’ many times, sons and grandsons of alumni becoming friends just as their fathers and grandfathers were, etc. I suspect that by permanence, TPR meant the architecture and the character of the place, but I think the people aspect is important as well,” shares Art Custer.

2021: The Office of Diversity was added to Eagle.

2022: Diogenes was restored.

NECESSARY IMPROVEMENTS

In 1944, Avon Old Farms School was forced to close after years of difficulties. Mrs. Riddle—an ardent patriot—immediately proposed transforming the property into a refuge for blind veterans to Franklin Roosevelt, a personal friend. The Old Farms Convalescent Hospital gained national prominence, in large part due to its magnifi cent architecture.

During the war years, the Army made necessary improvements to the Quad. An extensive sprinkler system was installed throughout the dormitories and other buildings on campus. Doors were cut into apartments from each floor in the dormito ries to give each hall two possible exits in case of fire. In a December 15, 1945, letter to Gil Ordway, then studying at Yale, Mrs. Riddle wrote, “The Army is doing all kinds of unbelievable things here. They have installed a sprinkler system, as a protection against fire, at a cost of $100,000.”

In 1947, to raise money to reopen the school, rooms in the Quadrangle were rented out as apartments to locals.

From 2019–22, the school took on the major expense of replacing all dormitory windows in the Quad. Avon also invested in preserving a major part of Avon’s infrastruc ture: Mrs. Riddle’s tunnels, which run underground and connect all her original buildings, including the Quadrangle. She was enterprising enough to install these tunnels long before underground wiring was a mainstream practice. Nearly 100 years old, the tunnels needed improved drainage to prevent water damage. Director of Facilities Glenn Wilcox says the tunnel repairs have been a four-year project that no one will ever see up close. “It will all be completed, and nobody will know any work was done because it’s all underground,” Wilcox says.

Military trainees living on campus during WW II published a news paper called The Quadrangle Review.

Upon completing the window replace ments and the tunnel repairs, full upgrades of the dormitory buildings began this summer with Diogenes Dormitory. The dorm rooms, bathrooms, and first-floor classrooms all received upgrades, and a full roof replacement was completed.

“It was time for a significant upgrade,” Wilcox says. “The dorms still have that Old Farms feel but give the boys more space in their rooms.” In the process, Mrs. Riddle’s original skylight, which had been sealed in the 1960s, was uncovered. The original wood was taken out, replaned, and reinstalled. Diogenes was completed before students returned to campus in the fall. Renovations of the three other dormitories are planned during the next few years.

MAINTAINING MRS. RIDDLE’S VISION

In many ways, Avon Old Farms School is not so different than at its founding nearly 100 years ago. As Head of School Jim Detora said to the faculty during opening days meetings in August, Avon has always been and always will be all about what’s best for the boys. In what is now named the Theodate Pope Quadrangle, life has remained relatively unchanged for nearly a century. Though the dorm structure and offices may have been updated with the ages, the Pope Quadrangle remains and will forever be the heart of Avon Old Farms School—a symbol of honoring tradition and a sense of permanence.

It was time for a significant upgrade. The dorms still have that Old Farms feel but give the boys more space in their rooms.

— GLENN WILCOX

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

MARIE DELNICKI P'81, '87

The history of Avon Old Farms School is extensive, dating back almost 100 years. It is a tale of an indestructible school for boys through periods of war and peace, recessions and depressions, economic and cultural prosperity, and vast technological advance ments. The fully committed faculty and staff play an integral part in shaping the history of the school, and few faculty members have played more of a part in the AOF story than Marie Delnicki P’81, ’87.

George Trautman hired Marie in the summer of 1976 to work in the Deans Office alongside Henry Pennell and Skip Flanagan. Her first day also happened to be the first day of Skip’s lacrosse camp, and her first

task was important—get candy for the players.

She recalls this as the perfect introduction to life at the school, where community and collabora tion are paramount.

“I hadn’t expected to help out with a sports camp. It was a funny start, but the ’pitching in, all hands on deck’ attitude remains the same,” Delnicki says.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Marie moved to Connecticut shortly after marrying her husband, Tony. They agreed it was a better place to raise their three children; as it turned out, the AOF campus became a second home to all of them.

“We never lived on campus, but some days, it felt like I did,” she says.

Marie’s and Tony’s two sons, Marc ’81 and Eric ’87, attended school here, and she called it “… a pleasure to witness their growth in this environment in every way.” Their daughter, Robin, was married on campus and worked as a leader in the Development Office for several years.

What made Marie remain at Avon for so long? “Avon is a very special place, not only for its indistinguishable beauty of the architecture and grounds but also for the warmth and embracing nature of the individuals who make up the community. Being associated with a school that has done so much for so many feels good. I have built my life around the relationships

Marie is one of those truly special people who make a powerfully positive difference in a situation, in a group of people, and especially in a school.

PETER EVANS

made with a diverse group of intelligent and loyal colleagues and friends,” Delnicki says.

Throughout the course of her Avon career, Marie worked closely with countless dedicated faculty and diligent students. She is quick to express praise for dozens of current and former colleagues, who she says are “much more impressive” than she is.

During her time in the Deans Office she worked with many

prominent figures in the school’s history, including George Trautman, Ken Larocque, Jim Detora, John Haile, Peter Evans, Arthur Custer, Sue Nentwig, Jonathan Crocker, and more—all of whom have nothing but praise for Marie.

“Marie Delnicki has selflessly served Avon Old Farms since the 1970s and became an important figure in the history of the Winged Beavers. Her mothering nature has eased the anxiety of generations of

students by guiding them through the college admission process, and her warm and engaging personality has made her a favorite with faculty and staff for decades. Marie has a huge heart, and she epitomizes the spirit of community that permeates campus,” Ken LaRocque says.

“Marie is one of those truly special people who make a powerfully positive difference in a situation, in a group of people, and especially in a school. Having worked with

—

Marie in the Deans Office for a number of years, I can honestly say there was never a dull moment. While steadfastly getting things done, Marie’s uplifting spirit marked by an unwavering sense of humor made work fun,” Peter Evans says.

“I was so fortunate that shortly after I started working as Dean of Students, Marie signed on,” says Skip Flanagan. “She was, and still is, wonderful, organized, effervescent, very professional, and helped make all of our efforts rewarding and successful. She’s been leading at

Current school Provost Robert Dowling Jr. ’91 first met Marie when he was an 11th-grade new student assigned to support the Deans Office as his school job. He says he instantly connected with her and recognized that she routinely went above and beyond in service to students and colleagues.

“I was immediately impressed with how dedicated she was to her duties, which were many, and included managing the details related to college counseling and the Dean of Students programs here at school. Perhaps more important than the respect that I had for her as a professional, I was taken by her ability to be both warm and tough at the same time. That can be a rare combination but comes naturally to

Marie. She was obviously selfless when it came to supporting the school mission and the people involved,” Dowling says.

He recalls as a student being impressed with how involved she was, how “nothing seemed to happen on campus without her.” After graduating from college and returning to AOF as a member of the faculty, this point was only reinforced for Dowling.

“Marie is extremely gifted with people and in managing programs,” Dowling says. “While working with Marie, I always have confidence that things are going to be done correctly and that we will have fun.”

In addition to guiding generations of students through life at AOF and beyond, Marie was instrumental in many important developments at the school.

In the past, Avonians were bused to different schools across the state

Avon by example for decades and has always handled multiple responsibil ities really well.”

— SKIP FLANAGAN

to take national standardized tests, such as the SAT and ACT. Marie and her colleagues understood the importance of establishing the school as a national test center and with the approval of the administration, they made it happen.

Marie has also been vital in the success of the Toys for Tots campaign, a project inspired and acted on by Ken Larocque in the early 1980s. During this annual effort, thousands of toys are donated to children who might otherwise go without gifts during the holiday season. From the early years of the program’s inception until now, the Student Council–led fundraising efforts of many have financed the purchase and donation of thousands of toys.

“She has had a role in the academic program, college counseling, the residential program, and so much more,” Dowling says. “For example, when it comes to things such as standardized testing, Toys for Tots, and graduation—all of that goes through Marie. She capably manages all of those responsibilities with class, confidence, and composure.”

Over the last 47-plus years, much has changed on campus. The dirt roads were paved, computers replaced typewriters, and entire academic buildings and dormitories were introduced. Marie remained steadfast through all of it.

“There are too many changes to list, but I think the real story is the constant. The boys, the families, and our traditions. Growth is important but so is coming back to what is familiar. It has always grounded me,” Delnicki says. “The school has grown, but the traditions remain the same, and that to me is everything.”

She was, and still is, wonderful, organized, effervescent, very professional, and helped make all of our efforts rewarding and successful.

OLD

FARMS

30 UNDER 30

CLASS OF 2017

NATHAN BERGIN

UNDERGRAD: Georgetown University, Walsh School of Foreign Service

AREA OF STUDY: Science, technology & international affairs

CURRENT PROFESSION: Analyst, Deloitte Consulting

AVON’S INFLUENCE

We are very proud of our young alumni who are accomplishing their dreams and making a difference in the world at an early age. This fall, instead of picking just one alumnus to highlight, we’re celebrating these young people doing the Avon name proud by publishing an Avon 30 Under 30 alumni list. From filmmakers to military leaders … from completing PhDs to founding their own companies, young Avonians are making their mark on our world.

Nathan works with government organizations to develop and execute strategies, manage techno logical changes, and solve tough problems. He leads a team research ing emerging technologies to understand future impacts—from shifting industries to shaping the human experience. He is also on the core team of Start-Up Deloitte, a hackathon and internal incubator for junior practitioners to develop products that address market opportunities with an entrepreneurial mindset.

He studied under the late former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, was on the student board of the Georgetown Institute for Politics and Public Service, and was vice-president of Blue & Gray, the campus tour guides. He was also a United Nations Academic Impact Program Millennium Fellow through work as a project manager for a pro bono consulting group, where he led a team partnering with a health care provider in northern Iraq. Before Deloitte, he interned at In-Q-Tel, the venture capital arm of the U.S. intelligence community.

“I was fortunate to have tremendous teachers at Avon who pushed me to improve and were incredibly supportive. Faculty including Art Custer, Samantha Jensen, and Kate Barzun helped me progress and set me up for success at Georgetown. I’m grateful for their guidance, the way they challenged me to develop, and the high standard to which they held me.”

CLASS OF 2014 NICK BIRNIE

UNDERGRAD: University of Delaware; Cleveland Institute of Art AREA OF STUDY: Painting, drawing & printmaking

CURRENT PROFESSION: Painting apprentice, Colossal Media

Nick is learning the craft of mural painting mostly in New York and Los Angeles with multiple walls around the country. Clients include Gucci, Nike, Chanel, Patagonia, Vans, and many more.

“Some days I am 90 feet in the air painting a 50-foot space; on others, I am on the ground working on smaller walls. As an apprentice, I am learning the techniques and processes we use and am responsible for passing down the information to the people who come after me.”

Nick says murals have always excited him because the way they reflect and build off the character of the community is very powerful. “Nothing has come close to the feeling I got completing a basketball court mural for a school in Cleveland, Ohio.

After hours and hours of planning, seeing it in use by students at the school made painting in the heat wave and writing multiple grant proposals all very worth it.”

AVON’S

INFLUENCE

“I didn’t know I had any real interest in drawing or painting until my arts elective at Avon. Quickly the studio building became a go-to spot for me. The two years I spent at Avon turned ’I like to doodle … this could be fun’ into a career.”

CLASS OF 2016

KELVIN BOATENG

UNDERGRAD: Vanderbilt University

AREA OF STUDY: Music: voice performance & history

ADVANCED DEGREE DETAILS: Master of science, marketing, Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate School of Management

CURRENT PROFESSION: Associate product marketing manager, Google

Kelvin currently works on growth, partnerships, and go-to-market strategy for Flutter, Google’s UI toolkit to build apps for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase. Some of Kelvin’s responsi bilities include managing core promotional relationships with some of Flutter’s biggest customers, such as BMW and ByteDance; finding creative ways to bring Flutter initiatives to a global developer audience; and managing Flutter’s advertising strategy and growth campaigns. His work in the first quarter of 2022 won him the Market ing Impact Award, bestowed quarterly

on a member of Google’s platforms and ecosystems marketing team for going above and beyond to drive innovative and impactful work.

Kelvin is also a learning and development lead for the APMM program, Google’s early career marketing rotational program, an intern mentor, and a mentor in Avon’s A5 Program.

In addition to his work at Google, Kelvin is a classically trained operatic baritone with years of performance and recording experience both domestically and internationally and across several genres. He is currently a member of the Choir of Men and Boys at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, California.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“Avon taught me how to grow thick skin and how to lead with action versus words and helped instill structure and discipline that I still use every day.”

CLASS OF 2014

LUIS V. CONSUEGRA

UNDERGRAD: Franklin and Marshall College

AREA OF STUDY: English literature & theater

CURRENT PROFESSION: New business innovation and development, WEBB Banks

Following his college graduation, Luis went backpacking through Southeast Asia, eventually moving to Vietnam where he lived for two years with fellow Avon alumnus Ben Spanbock ’14.

Today, Luis is creating and identifying new route-to-market opportunities and developing

in-market relationships for WEBB Banks’ growing portfolio of products in the Caribbean, Central and South America, and global travel retail.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“Avon helped tremendously in developing my communication and relationship building skills, which have been integral in my early career. Once you’ve lived day in and day out in a diverse community of 400-plus strong students and faculty all challenging you to be your best, building a relationship with anyone else becomes second nature.”

CLASS OF 2018

RYAN CUSICK

UNDERGRAD: Wake Forest University

AREA OF STUDY: Economics

CURRENT PROFESSION: Professional baseball player, Oakland Athletics; first round pick, Atlanta Braves, 2021

Ryan is currently in his first full professional season, playing for the Oakland Athletics’ Double A affiliate, the Midland Rockhounds in Midland, Texas.

“I am playing in Double A this year to improve my pitch arsenal in hopes of making a 2023 MLB debut.”

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“My time at Avon Old Farms was a turning point for me on the field, in the classroom, and as a person. On the field, I learned things won’t always come easy. We played the best competition that the Northeast had to offer, and the highs and lows of the season taught me the perseverance

I would need to be successful in the future. I learned what interested me off the field, which led me to become an economics major at Wake Forest. Most important, I learned the importance of community. I have yet to come across another community with as many selfless people as Avon Old Farms. I was welcomed with open arms by coaches, teachers, and other students who had a shared passion to challenge each other to become better versions of themselves every day. These lifelong brothers and mentors truly left a lasting impact on how I live my life and allowed me to get to where I am and where I am going.”

CLASS OF 2018

JOSEPH DINICOLA

UNDERGRAD: Clarkson University

AREA OF STUDY: Computer science

CURRENT PROFESSION: Red team penetration tester, Neuvik Solutions

Joseph performs various offensive tests on client web applications and APIs to determine potential vulnerabilities and generates documentation for the results, configures AWS policies to be implemented, and develops methods to expedite set-up time for pentesting engagements. In addition, he completes various other tasks to ensure cyber resilience for clients. He also performs various offensive tests on clients’ applications, networks, and computer systems.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“I connected with Ryan Leirvik, CEO at Neuvik Solutions, during a cyber

security seminar Avon Old Farms hosted. After the meeting concluded, I introduced myself to Ryan, and we proceeded to exchange information. After a few discussions and interviews, I was extended an offer to intern at Neuvik Solutions.”

CLASS OF 2012

PORTER DOWLING

UNDERGRAD: Bates College

AREA OF STUDY: Political science

ADVANCED DEGREE DETAILS: MBA, Vanderbilt University

Prior to business school, Porter was a property and casualty commercial underwriter for Chubb Limited, where he worked with different middle market companies focused on primary metal manufacturers and distributors in southern Connecticut and western Massachusetts. He was nominated by the Connecticut YIP Association as a panel member at the 2021 Connecticut Next Gen Career Academy last November. After business school, Porter intends to transition into corporate strategic marketing while remaining in the P&C insurance industry.

Outside of work, Porter has been involved in a variety of medical and youth education foundations. He served on the BOD for Hartford Youth Scholars from 2019–22 and as a committee member for Connecticut Children’s Connect until moving to Nashville this summer. He intends to continue his involvement in the nonprofit segment as a Vanderbilt Board fellow where he can consult with local foundations.

AVON’S

INFLUENCE

“How much I have been able to lean on my fellow Avonians when in need of professional advice and personal support has been invaluable. For me, it has come full circle over time. I wholeheartedly support the claim that there’s always an Avonian nearby.

… While in London earlier this summer, I was able to reconnect with Mario Cabal ’12 for the first time in 10 years, which was awesome.”

CLASS OF 2012 CONNOR DOYLE

UNDERGRAD: Brandeis University

AREA OF STUDY: Business & economics

CURRENT PROFESSION: Executive sales recruiter, Brownstone Sales and Marketing Group

The Brownstone Group is a boutique search firm that helps clients source, recruit, interview, and hire individuals. As a recruiter, Connor partners with clients in a range of industries, including financial services, cyber security, legal technology, and software/SaaS. He typically focuses on customer facing roles, including any pre- and post-sales positions. Connor works closely with his clients to identify their hiring needs and consults on market status or trends as they relate to hiring.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“My time at Avon helped in many ways. While a student at Avon, you learn how to organize your days to make sure you are staying up to date with all of your schoolwork and extracurricular activities. These organizational skills have been

extremely helpful in the professional world to make sure I successfully complete all my tasks and work seamlessly with my clients.”

CLASS OF 2019

JOHN ESCHERT

UNDERGRAD: Middlebury College

AREA OF STUDY: Biochemistry

John is a research fellow at Hartford Hospital in the Anesthesia

Clinical Research Office. He has worked on studies covering topics such as health equity, conflicts of interest, cardiac anesthesia, ophthal mic surgery, and cardiac surgery. These studies aim to improve a patient’s hospital experience as well as the health care sector as a whole.

“I’ve garnered one manuscript publication and three poster presen tation publications so far. This summer, I also transitioned to working as a patient care volunteer in addition to my research endeavors.”

In addition to his premedical studies, John is minoring in art history. He recently completed a study abroad term at the University of Oxford, taking seminars and learning from various professionals in the British cultural and heritage sector.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“I credit the Avon Brotherhood for my current position at Hartford Hospital. In November 2020, I connected with Tamas Takata ’15 on LinkedIn because I saw he was working as the clinical research coordinator for Hartford Hospital’s Anesthesiology Department. I reached out to inquire about work opportunities within his research team. We discovered many similari ties and shared interests: we were

both day students at Avon, and we both rowed crew at NESCAC colleges. Tamas agreed to ask his boss if I could be the first undergraduate student to work on the research team and offered to serve as my supervisor.”

CLASS OF 2011

MICHAEL FLYNN

UNDERGRAD: Trinity College

AREA OF STUDY: Economics

CURRENT PROFESSION: Sales executive, Spring Health

Michael currently works as a sales executive at Spring Health, a mental health care organization that provides employees and their family members with best-in-class mental health care. He works with HR and benefits leaders at organizations of all sizes and industries to bring Spring Health to their employees.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“The structure and discipline Avon provided me at an early age has helped me thrive in all aspects of life after Avon—college, athletics, and, most important, my career.”

CLASS OF 2020

PO LAM FUNG

UNDERGRAD: Middlebury College

AREA OF STUDY: Child develop mental psychology & positive psychology

Po Lam researches methods parents and teachers can implement to motivate and inspire self-confi dence in children. He also developed a positive psychology curriculum

about the importance of identifying thinking traps and how to combat them during a gap semester.

“I implemented these lessons in debate schools, one of the most stressful environments for children, and hosted small seminars to spread awareness. I hope to become a child psychologist and, eventually, open a center devoted to teaching children and parents positive psychology techniques and resilience skills to help people develop a healthy mindset.”

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“Avon encouraged me to chase opportunities I once thought unachievable. Major Bourgault was one such person: whether it was taking me to a 10K race when I had never run over a mile or entrusting his dorm to me as his head monitor, he never stopped mak ing me believe I was capable of more. Whenever I felt hopeless, Dr. Malchoff and my brothers were there to rouse me with words of encouragement. Their support gave me the courage to seek out medical internships and pursue a career that I believed was out of my reach. I hope I can inspire the same confidence that Avon instilled in me in others and watch them thrive in their families, schools, and future careers.”

CLASS OF 2015

MATTHEW HAHN

UNDERGRAD: United States Air Force Academy

AREA OF STUDY: Economics

CURRENT PROFESSION: United States Air Force pilot

First Lieutenant Matthew Hahn is currently stationed at Joint Base McGuireDix-Lakehurst,

flying the C17A Globemaster III, which provides rapid global mobility throughout the world. He has operated on five continents and 15 countries over the past six months. He says the most rewarding part of the job is traveling the globe and helping those in need.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“Avon afforded me the opportunity to work among various groups of people accomplishing different tasks. On any given day, I would work on a project with classmates from around the world, and a few hours later, I was on the lacrosse field competing for a Founders League Championship. Today, I work with new people every time I fly. I am fortunate that Avon exposed me to this type of environment early on so I can draw from my past experiences to accomplish the mission.

“The term brotherhood is almost a cliché at Avon, but it holds a power ful connection once you’ve walked through Alumni Gate. Brotherhood extends to life beyond the Quad, but at Avon I learned how to care for everyone and learn their stories. In my profession, brotherhood holds a deep meaning as well. Those roots took shape at Avon and allowed me to be the man I am today.”

CLASS OF 2010

PATRICK HAMPTON

UNDERGRAD: Johns Hopkins University

AREA OF STUDY: Public health & Africana studies

ADVANCED DEGREE DETAILS: Certificate in international public health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University

CURRENT PROFESSION: Director of online fundraising, Native American Rights Fund

At the Native American Rights Fund, Patrick raises money to support the legal team. The Fund takes on cases expected to reach the Supreme Court with the goal of setting precedents in law that advance rights for Native Americans. As a consensus builder, the Native American Rights Fund works with religious, civil rights, and other Native American organizations to shape laws that will help ensure the civil and religious rights of all Native Americans. NARF attorneys—many of whom are tribal citizens—use their understanding of Indian legal issues to assist tribes in negotiating with individuals, companies, and government agencies.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“Service to others was a regular theme at Avon. We were encouraged to attend charity events, raise funds for disaster relief, and support each other as a community. Headmaster LaRocque was an exceptional leader in this space: he regularly champi oned ways in which students could have a positive impact in our communities. I took this spirit with me to Johns Hopkins University, where I found applicable ways to invest my time and energy in projects and academic pursuits that I felt could have a positive impact in the world. Ultimately, this led to a career in the nonprofit space. This call to service is directly connected to my time at Avon Old Farms.”

CLASS OF 2018 KEVIN HUVELDT

UNDERGRAD: Northeastern University

AREA OF STUDY: Accounting & finance

ADVANCED DEGREE DETAILS: Master’s in accounting, Northeastern CURRENT PROFESSION: Public auditor, KPMG Boston

Kevin currently lives in Boston and works for KPMG in the audit department.

KPMG is one of the Big 4 public accounting firms and has audit, tax, and advisory depart ments. Kevin is also pursuing his CPA license.

“I’ve been lucky enough to participate in a few consulting projects, most recently creating a relational database to give users more control over food preferences for a food pantry (Food Rescue) in Stamford, Conn. This upcoming fall, I will participate in a similar engagement, creating a more streamlined process for a nonprofit flower-repurposing company to connect with prospective customers.”

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“The faculty at Avon as well as the demanding overall structure helped craft the work ethic I have today. Transitioning to college was easier for me because Avon had already given me the blueprint for success. I was used to working long days, so when the structure became loose in college, I stuck with what I knew, which happened to be a strictly regimented daily plan laid out for me at AOF. Time management has been essential for me, and AOF did a great job preparing me for the future.”

CLASS OF 2021

MILLAN JAIN

UNDERGRAD: Emerson College

AREA OF STUDY: Marketing communications & business studies

This summer, Millan worked as an intern for the Hartford Yard Goats, AA Affiliate for the Colorado Rockies. He learned about working in the baseball industry rotating through the front office departments, including sales, marketing, production, sponsorship, and operations.

At Emerson College, Millan has been gaining experience both in front of and behind the camera. He worked part-time in an Emerson TV studio and was an anchor and a correspondent for WEBN. He writes his own stories for newscasts, edits sports highlights, and calls them on air. As a stage manager on The Box Score, he manages talent and camera operators in the studio and relays information from the control room to the talent. His team won a National Student Emmy award for sports programming.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“Avon forced me to get out of my comfort zone, allowed me to try things I wouldn’t normally have done. In college, I have been a part of many different organizations that have been out of my comfort zone, and I am slowly working up the ranks, gaining new responsibilities each semester. Avon also taught me how to manage my time. I can apply the steady structure of an Avon day and use it in college to set a time to get work done and relax and hang out with friends.”

CLASS OF 2014

CONNOR KELLY

UNDERGRAD: University of Maryland

AREA OF STUDY: Economics

CURRENT PROFESSION: Professional lacrosse player, PLL & player development coach

Connor plays professional lacrosse in the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL), an outdoor league, and in the NLL (National Lacrosse League), indoor lacrosse. He and his team recently won the PLL Champi onship. He coaches high school lacrosse and runs his own player development business, helping players improve their skills and lacrosse IQ on the field.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“At Avon, I was surrounded by some of the most driven and competitive young men in the country. This environment helped me excel both on and off the field. A lot of my growth started at Avon when I competed at the highest level.

“I committed to Maryland my sophomore year. I was a good student with a solid report card because my coach/mentor, Dr. Flanagan, pushed me. One morning, he woke me up around 6 a.m. because I didn’t receive an exceptional score on my English paper. He took me down to the common area to rewrite my paper before school. I wasn’t too happy about the early wake-up, but I got it done and ultimately was grateful to have someone who cared so much about my well-being. These occurrences happened plenty of times throughout my years at Avon.”

CLASS OF 2017 RYAN LANCHBURY

UNDERGRAD: University of Richmond

AREA OF STUDY: Finance

ADVANCED DEGREE DETAILS: Master’s in human resource manage ment, University of Richmond

CURRENT PROFESSION: Financial analyst, PC Financial; professional lacrosse player, NLL Ryan analyzes daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly data trends for his company’s financial plan ning and analysis team. He also provides revenue assurance and bonus and commission calculations. Using financial modeling, he is able to track key metrics to give upperlevel management a better under standing of overall success. Further, this financial reporting and analysis allows PC Financial to make strategic decisions more accurately and plan for the future.

The upcoming season will be Ryan’s rookie year playing in the National Lacrosse League for the Georgia Swarm.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“Avon helped cultivate me into a man who was able to thrive as a D1 student athlete. Ultimately, the skills and lessons learned at Avon helped build a great foundation for the success I had at Richmond. This is why I am able to play professional lacrosse now in the National Lacrosse League and balance a great first job.

“Attending Avon was the single greatest honor of my life. I have memories, experiences, and relation ships that will last a lifetime. One

unique experience that I took from Avon was being able to compete at the D1 level against past Avon team mates. I always looked forward to competing against former team mates and embracing after the game in joy, regardless of the outcome.”

CLASS OF 2011

HARRY LYONS

UNDERGRAD: Northeastern University

AREA OF STUDY: Communica tions, business management & construction management

CURRENT PROFESSION: Project manager, Suffolk Construction

Harry manages and coordinates all necessary project resources and the day-today oversight of the construction site, management of vendors and trade partners, and project finances. He is also liaison to the architect, designer, and ownership group throughout the entire project life cycle. As a project manager, he oversees risk, insurances, general work performance, quality, and overall team progress against the project plan through consistent communi cation and collaboration with the owner and project team members.

An industry leader in innovation, Suffolk utilizes various advanced technology and planning to transform the construction experience for its clients. Suffolk’s plan and control process allows it, its trade partners, and its clients to collaborate earlier and better on design options by using technologies that can identify conflicts before construction and determine the optimal sequence of tasks given design, schedule constraints, and cost.

Recent projects include Encore Boston Harbor Casino, the Montage Big Sky, and, most recently, the Inn at Spanish Peaks Mountain Club.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“Avon taught me the interpersonal and organizational skills to be an impactful team player. This has allowed me and our teams to set lofty goals and work diligently to achieve them. To aspire and persevere went from a motto to an everyday mindset that has helped my career every step of the way.”

CLASS OF 2020 NOAH MATALON

UNDERGRAD: Emerson College AREA OF STUDY: Film

Noah is a fulltime film student at Emerson College in Boston. During breaks, he’s had the opportunity to work as a production assistant on some feature films, including Call Jane, which debuted in theaters this October. Noah has also received some recognition for his own documentary work: his project Projectionist was accepted into the Rhode Island International Film Festival this year.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“As a student, I constantly heard how special the Avon community was and how it didn’t exist anywhere else on Earth. I understood it was unique, but I couldn’t fully wrap my head around that idea. It wasn’t until after I graduated that I realized how magical my experience was.

“I credit so much of the man I am today to the wonderful people who make up the Avon community.

Everyone lucky enough to wake up and spend their day on Mrs. Riddle’s beautiful campus can’t help but positively contribute to the magic in the air. And this magic led to the lessons of empathy, leadership, and honor that I discovered at Avon. I am proud of these values, not just because they have helped me but because they are products of the beautiful relationships I had with my peers, teachers, and mentors during my time at school. I owe great thanks to Avon Old Farms.”

CLASS OF 2014 RYAN PHILLIPS

UNDERGRAD: University of Texas at Austin

AREA OF STUDY: Advertising & business

CURRENT PROFESSION: Senior solutions engineer, Sprout Social Ryan is an experienced brand marketerturned-solutions engineer with a passion for financial literacy, fitness, fashion, photography, and entrepreneurship. Ryan helps companies grow revenue by building creative marketing strategies.

“I have to have a strong understanding of audiences, which can vary greatly from company to company. From there, I create content that attracts that audience, measure the impact of that content, and make changes as needed. It’s my job to communicate that information to senior leadership. Equal parts critical thinking and communication skills make me successful at my job.”

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“Avon’s environment and how it allows for curiosity to pursue unique interests was huge for me; at Avon, I was encouraged to pursue my curiosity for media. By 18, I knew how to handle myself among high-importance people because AOF put me through those situations numerous times. I had a leg up on people who didn’t know how to navigate a room respectfully.

“The connections I made at Avon also opened many doors for me. I’ve lived in Georgia, Connecticut, Texas, California, and New York, and in each one, I’ve been stopped by someone when wearing my AOF shirt. I’m always asked about my experience there and met with a handshake. I’m always so proud in those moments.”

CLASS OF 2016

SURYA RAMASAMY UNDERGRAD: Bates College AREA OF STUDY: Economics ADVANCED DEGREE DETAILS: Master’s of management studies, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University

CURRENT PROFESSION: Finance associate, Dalio Family Office

Surya held internships at Retina AI, a machine-learn ing start-up, and SpaceX, where he was a student consultant. He began his career at the Dalio Family Office in July.

At Bates College, Surya was a member of the No. 1 ranked men’s lacrosse team—the first team in NESCAC history to go 10-0 in conference play. He was a member of the Library and Information Services Committee at Bates and served on a Vice President Search Committee as

the only student. He was inducted into the Bates Scholar-Athlete Society. Surya enrolled in graduate school in July 2021. Later in the year, he studied decentralized finance infrastructure under Campbell R. Harvey. In May 2022 he completed his master’s. He was a merit scholarship recipient and a Re-Imagining Business fellow.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“Aspirando et Perseverando is a cornerstone of my personal philoso phy. My advisor, Ken LaRocque, and my coach, Skip Flanagan, both had a lasting impact on me, and as I’ve moved forward in my life, I find myself referencing their wise words often. Whether it was studying for an AP Calculus or an AP Physics test, practicing the alto saxophone for elite jazz band, or doing wall ball while dreaming of playing college lacrosse, Avon provided the resources and environment to succeed.”

CLASS OF 2018

TJ SHAW

UNDERGRAD: Syracuse University

AREA OF STUDY: Clinical psychology

ADVANCED DEGREE DETAILS: PhD student, clinical science, Virginia Tech

CURRENT PROFESSION: Graduate research assistant

TJ is pursuing research focused on mutual intimate partner violence, situa tions in which both partners are treating each other problematically; alcohol and substance misuse; and post-traumatic stress disorder. He is responsible for making progress toward his master’s

thesis (and eventually his PhD dissertation), conducting other independent research, and assisting his mentor with research projects. He also mentors undergraduate research assistants as they progress toward their career goals.

“I hope my research will result in a better understanding of how mutual violence occurs in relationships and how psychologists can better address these problems in both individual and couples therapy.”

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“One of the more tangible ways Avon helped me was challenging my abilities as a writer. Mr. Cantello, Mr. Callaghan, and Dr. Stern instilled fundamental principles of strong writing that serve me well. Avon is also where I met some of my best friends, and their support through good and bad times is one reason I am where I am today. The most important way that Avon helped me is that Avon taught me how to struggle. I had more than my fair share of shortcomings in the classroom, on the athletic field, and everywhere in between. But those struggles are times that I am proud of now: they prepared me for where I am today and for struggles that lie ahead.”

CLASS OF 2015

EDMUND TAMAS TAKATA

UNDERGRAD: Tufts University; New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM)

AREA OF STUDY: Biomedical engineering & medicine

ADVANCED DEGREE DETAILS: Master’s in mechanical engineering, Tufts University; NYITCOM, doctor of osteopathic medicine 2026

CURRENT PROFESSION: Medical researcher, medical student

As a medical researcher at Hartford Hospital, Edmund is responsible for initiating, conducting, and publishing medical research in anesthesiology. He evaluated how interventions, such as acupuncture and various nerve anesthesia techniques, and patient backgrounds, including socioeco nomic status, culture, and race/ ethnicity, affected patient outcomes.

“Initiating studies for research such as this required me to create and develop ideas with groups of physicians, scientists, and fellow researchers to find solutions to issues that affect anesthesia outcomes and public health. Depending on the nature of a given study, conducting research involves getting consent from patients, gathering data from medical charts, and analyzing data for dissemination of results. Finally, publishing our results requires substantial team effort as each study manuscript usually undergoes dozens of iterations before publication.”

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“Avon gave me a foundational attitude: I can achieve what I want and become the person I want to be as long as I do not relent, as long as I keep believing in myself. Who I am is not a result of my efforts but of the grace of my community. Who I am and what I do are unimportant, but who I am to others and what I do for others, my friends, my brothers, and my family ... these are all that matter.”

CLASS OF 2018 ZACHARY TUCCI

UNDERGRAD: Kenan Flagler Business School, UNC Chapel Hill

AREA OF STUDY: Business administration & investment banking

CURRENT PROFESSION: Investment banking analyst, Bank of America; professional lacrosse player, NLL

Zachary graduated from UNC as a Top-10 scholar athlete, was recognized for maintaining the highest cumulative GPA while being a varsity athlete, and earned AllAmerican honors on the lacrosse field.

An analyst at Bank of America in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group, he evaluates and researches invest ment opportunities. His team meets with clients, prepares offers, runs financial projections, and works on pitch books that help generate new clients for the firm when a company’s business is bought by or sold to a strategic buyer or private equity firm.

A professional lacrosse player for the Waterdogs, he also plays across the country during the 12-week season.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“A chance meeting with Dr. Skip Flanagan at a summer lacrosse showcase single-handedly changed my academic and athletic trajectory. He encouraged me to consider attending Avon Old Farms; it would not only have superior academics but also allow me to play lacrosse at a considerably higher level. Attending Avon helped me realize some of my best attributes, and Dr. Flanagan had a particularly notable impact on my life. As a result of his guidance and dedication, I learned the importance

of prioritizing my education along with my performance on the field. I accepted his lifestyle recommenda tions, and my studies improved immensely with his guidance.”

CLASS OF 2017

HAYDEN VOEGTLE

UNDERGRAD: Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech

AREA OF STUDY: Accounting and information systems & information systems auditing

CURRENT PROFESSION: Risk and advisory analyst; platoon leader, engineer: U.S. Army Reserves

In public account ing, Hayden provides advisory services to C-suite executives in a working capital fund. His area of focus is based in using statistics to create financial models for clients and their funds, and using robotic process automa tion to help forecast future events. In the Army, he is a commissioned officer leading 40 soldiers for a multi-role bridging company, which operates boats to expeditiously build bridges that support advancing forces.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“Avon provides structure and space to explore passions. Avon’s faculty are experienced professionals coming from all walks of life who pave the path for young men to succeed. If an Avonian can dream it, there is a faculty member who has experienced it and can provide the direction a young man needs to pursue that dream. I experienced this at every turn across campus.

“Though my main career has taken me in the direction of public

accounting, Avon helped me initially realize my goals to become a commissioned officer in the Army. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel, train, and be mentored by some of our best soldiers. It is a unique and rewarding experience that was fostered at Avon and allows me to combine academic excellence with grit in a role to develop young men and women serving our country.”

CLASS OF 2018

QIANCHANG “DENNIS” WANG

UNDERGRAD: Harvey Mudd College

AREA OF STUDY: Physics & mathematical and computational biology

ADVANCED DEGREE DETAILS: PhD, infection and immunity, University of Cambridge 2026

CURRENT PROFESSION: PhD student in infection and immunity

Dennis works at the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease (CITIID), a research center established during COVID-19. His research interests lie primarily in the area of systems immunology and synthetic biology; the former provides a "roadmap" of the immune system, and the latter builds tools to perturb and engineer the immune system. He will likely explore his interests in host-pathogen/microbe interactions, which may include potential applications in treating autoimmune diseases and neurode generative disorders. During his free time, Dennis explores the world of entrepreneurship and venture

capital with the aim of one day starting a synthetic biology and systems immunology company to develop next-generation cell therapies.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“The genomics Intersession course at Avon introduced me to the concept of genomics. During my senior year, I pursued an afternoon independent project at the Jackson Laboratory (JAX) for Genomic Medicine in Farmington, Conn., through its Academic Year Internship Program. There, I was first exposed to the field of immunology in the laboratory of Dr. Jacques Banchereau, a worldrenowned immunologist. Such experience later allowed me to participate in the prestigious JAX SSP program and more summer research at another tissue immunity lab at MIT, which eventually helped me land a position in the infection and immunity PhD program at the University of Cambridge.”

CLASS OF 2014 GRAHAM WELTER

UNDERGRAD: Sacred Heart University

AREA OF STUDY: Marketing CURRENT PROFESSION: Co-founder, Ties; advisor, WIP Growth Consulting

You might remember Graham for his company Nantucket Buckets, but since his college years, he’s continued growing his entrepre neurial ventures. He is currently working on two businesses: WIP Growth Consulting, a marketing and growth consulting business working with companies doing between $0–20M in yearly revenue, and Ties, a

SaaS startup automating relationships between brand and content creators. Ties is enabling creators to better run their businesses while automating content pipelines for brands.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“I launched my first company, Nantucket Buckets, while at Avon. This was an extremely important part of my entrepreneurial journey. Avon put me in an environment where I felt inspired, empowered, and comfortable enough to take the risk to build this business. I learned so much during this first business of mine that I’ve been able to bring with me to new companies. Almost all of my business partners to date either attended AOF, or I met them through AOF relation ships. I’m always happy to connect with other alumni in the space and make any helpful introductions.”

CLASS OF 2013

WILLIAM WHITE

UNDERGRAD: United States Military Academy

AREA OF STUDY: Mechanical engineering

ADVANCED DEGREE DETAILS: Juris Doctor candidate, Notre Dame Law School 2024

CURRENT PROFESSION: U.S. Army officer

William served as an infantry officer and worked as a platoon leader, company executive officer, and battalion logistics officer at Fort Bragg in the 82nd Airborne Division. In 2018–19, he led a group of 36 paratroopers during pre-deployment training in Fort Bragg and then deployed to Afghanistan. While there, he became a company executive officer and was the second-in-

command of a 130-member para trooper infantry company, resupply ing subordinate elements and managing equipment maintenance. After returning from Afghanistan and serving as a company executive officer in Fort Bragg, he transitioned to battalion logistics officer and managed the logistics of a 730-para trooper infantry battalion handling the resupply, transportation, and maintenance of the unit.

William is attending law school through the Army-funded Legal Education Program (FLEP). He will serve as a military lawyer for at least six years; in his first assignment, he is likely to serve as a government prosecutor.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“I had some incredible teachers and coaches who mentored me and provided a great example of what it means to be a Man of Avon. Avon provided a really healthy environ ment where I could pursue different academic, athletic, and extracurricu lar activities. The structure at Avon prepared me for my time at West Point, and the work ethic I developed at Avon helped me in both college and later serving as an officer.”

CLASS OF 2014

MATTHEW WILLIAMSON

UNDERGRAD: Elon University

AREA OF STUDY: Communications & journalism

CURRENT PROFESSION:

Associate producer and editor, Rydholm Projects, INC.

As an editor, Matthew produces video and digital content for ESPN’s sports talk

television show Pardon the Interrup tion. Other responsibilities include making story suggestions and selections, editing short and long form interviews, and collaborating with on-air talent and show produc tion teams to develop and deliver a trustworthy television show.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“As a day student, I was always familiar with AOF having grown up in Avon, Conn. Avon is truly a wonderful place, filled with wonder ful people. The relationships I created with my classmates, team mates, teachers, and coaches are stronger today than they have ever been. Avon taught me that hard work always prevails and that doing the right thing all the time is a necessity, whether it’s in front of a crowd or behind closed doors. My teachers and coaches cared about my progres sion as a student and an athlete and devoted extra help when I needed it. Mr. Detora, Mr. and Mrs. Doyle, Mr. Mehos, Mr. Barlow, Mr. and Mrs. Cugell, Mr. Reece, and Dr. Stern are just some of the many mentors who helped shape me to become the person I am today. To me, Avon is more than just a school or a campus— it’s a home. I am forever grateful for the experiences and lessons I learned during my time at Avon.”

CLASS OF 2014 SKYLER WILLIAMSON

UNDERGRAD: St. Lawrence

University

AREA OF STUDY: Business & psychology

CURRENT PROFESSION: Account specialist, Pfizer Oncology Health and Science

As a senior health care rep, Skyler is responsible for launching new products, manag ing business relations, and engaging in product promotion. He works in sales and relationship development with therapeutic area specialists and key opinion leaders. Skyler also supports patients’ access to Pfizer products by providing relevant information to health care providers. His recent promotion to account specialist is his second in three years, and he’s also held an interim district manager position. Outside of his day-to-day job responsibilities, Skyler is also a mentor to three colleagues and is a member of Avon’s A5 Mentorship Program.

AVON’S INFLUENCE

“Avon was truly a blessing for my life. Avon taught me how to bring the best out of myself each and every day. Surrounded by brothers who continue to push each other to be great to this day, Avon is where I learned to take on responsibilities and flourish through adversity.”

Avonian Appears on Stamp

For the first time ever, an Avon Old Farms alumnus appeared on an official U.S. Postal Service stamp. Pete Seeger ’36 was featured on a stamp released in July as part of the USPS “Music Icons” series. The stamp art features a photo of Seeger taken in the early 1960s as he sings and plays his iconic banjo. According to the USPS, the stamp pane is designed to resemble a vintage 45 rpm record sleeve.

Seeger enrolled at Avon Old Farms at the age of 13. Here, he continued to improve his musical abilities while entertaining his brothers with spirited live performances. He went on to become an American icon with a successful career spanning more than half a century as a singer, a songwriter, a musician, an activist, and an environmentalist. He wrote and performed classic hits such as “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”; “Turn, Turn, Turn”; and “If I Had a Hammer.”

Seeger has earned a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Honor. In 2008, he was honored with the first ever Distinguished Alumnus Award from Avon Old Farms. The award is given every other year to an alumnus who has achieved distinction in his professional career, humanitarian endeavors, or other areas of his life. This award honors an individual who has embraced the core values emphasized at Avon Old Farms to show what being a Man of Avon truly means. Though we believe the Distinguished Alumnus Award is the highest honor Seeger has achieved in his illustrious career, appearing on a stamp is pretty cool too.

elephant remembers the

A

CLASSROOM

DEDICATION for a Dedicated Teacher

Erin Borger ’99 credits Avon Old Farms, and one teacher in particular, with changing his life. When Erin arrived on campus in 10th grade, he was in an unfamiliar state and, admittedly, wasn’t the best-behaved kid. That changed after one notorious AOF teacher took Erin under his wing. “The funny thing is, he was never my teacher; I never had him in class,” Erin says. “You became part of his family if you were lucky enough." That educator was Don Wick, and Erin is just one of many students who credits Wick with helping him become the man he is today.

Mr. Wick began his time at Avon Old Farms in 1991 and immediately felt at home. He and his dog, Buck, were staples on campus through the 1990s into the early 2000s. The mathematics teacher could usually be spotted driving his golf cart to and from his residence behind the Brown House dormitory, with Buck chasing close behind. “He just made you realize there are always more important things in life than whatever little issue you were dealing with,” Erin says. “He was a really inspirational guy.”

Erin eventually went off to college and had recently graduated when he found out about Wick’s death in 2003. He didn’t have the means at the time, but he had it in his mind that he wanted to do something to help preserve Wick’s legacy. This past summer, members of faculty and staff, both past and present, joined Erin in the hallway of Jamerson to finally realize his dream of memorializing Wick’s impact at Avon. During a brief dedication ceremony, a plaque was unveiled above the classroom he used to teach in, and several of Wick’s former colleagues shared stories about their time with him.

“Don was a special guy. That was undeniable,” long-time colleague and friend Kevin Driscoll ’72 said. “This place meant the world to him.”

Head of School Jim Detora shared that what set Wick apart was how much he truly cared about the boys he was educating. “I think that’s one of the things that made Don special, and it’s one of the things that makes Avon special,” Detora said.

“He was a friend to the boys, but he was also a great mentor to the faculty,” history teacher Arthur Mehos noted. Rob Dowling ’91, who now serves as the school’s provost and head baseball coach, emphasized that point. “When I was a young teacher, Don showed me through his actions that our primary job was to serve the boys,” Dowling said. “He was an unforgettable figure on campus and left a lifelong impression.”

THE DON WICK SCHOLARSHIP

The memory of Don Wick will now be enshrined for years to come by the plaque that bears his name, but that’s not all. Borger and some of his AOF classmates are working to start a scholarship fund in memory of Don Wick. The Don Wick Scholarship will support a qualified student at AOF with a demonstrated financial need in perpetuity. Once the initial fundraising goal of the scholarship is reached, the scholarship will be awarded annually.

Don Wick inspired many young men during his time at Avon, and this scholarship bearing his name— created because of the enduring gratitude of members of the AOF community—ensures his legacy will carry on for generations to come. More than half the funds needed to activate the scholarship have been raised, but the organizers still have a long way to go to fund a full scholarship. To support the Don Wick Scholarship, please designate your gift when you fill out the donation form on the AOF giving page: www.avonoldfarms.com/ givenow.

class notes

50s

’50 HARVEY S. RUBIN

Head Class Ambassador harvo2516@verizon.net

’51 WARREN T. FORD SR. Head Class Ambassador jodir@aol.com

’52 SETH F. MENDELL

Head Class Ambassador sethalicemendell@gmail.com

’54 DOUGLAS H. MACPHERSON

Head Class Ambassador dhmacpherson@verizon.net

’55 EDWARD J. HAWIE

Co-Head Class Ambassador ehawie@bellsouth.net

’55 CLEON M. SHUTT JR.

Co-Head Class Ambassador chipsamerica@hotmail.com

’56 CHARLES R. SCAGLIONE

Head Class Ambassador scag3328@gmail.com

’58 AUSTIN CHAMBERS

Head Class Ambassador

’59 CHARLES W. DAVIS

Co-Head Class Ambassador cwdavis@waretec.com

’59 DOUGLAS B. MARSHALL

Co-Head Class Ambassador douglas.marshall@raveis.com

LUIS TORRES ’01 HOSTED A LARGE GROUP OF AVONIANS AT SILO RIDGE. PLAYERS ENJOYED AN INCREDIBLE DAY OF GOLF AND AVON STORIES. WE

60s

’60 RICHARD L. WILLIAMS

Head Class Ambassador rclumberclan@aol.com

’61 GEORGE F. HENSCHEL JR.

Head Class Ambassador gfhjr@aol.com

’62 ALAN D. ROZINSKY

Head Class Ambassador alroz@lycos.com

’63 JACK R. STOKVIS

Head Class Ambassador smarts@galaxy.net

’64 W. BRADFORD

HARWOOD III

Head Class Ambassador wbhtcc@aol.com

Flying with Chase Donaldson ’68

Over the summer, my family and I went to a favorite summer getaway in Maine. I knew that Chase Donaldson ’68 and his wife, Judy, lived nearby, so I reached out. Chase quickly replied and let me know that he would like to take me on a personal tour by air around the Sebago Lakes Region of southern Maine. Without hesitation, I accepted the special offer.

On the day of our excursion, my 8-year-old son and I accompanied Chase to his plane hangar. If you don’t know Chase, it’s important that you do know he is incredibly thoughtful and has meticulous attention to detail. These are both important traits—especially when it comes to hosting guests on a flight. He insisted that my son help him with the pre-flight check, which was a great firsthand experience. Shortly after, we taxied down the runway and away we went.

BY CHRIS WEBB

In western Maine, we flew over the home of Henry “Hank” Coons ’71, P’07. We flew over Shawnee Peak, a place my family and I have skied many times. We then ventured south down Long Lake, Brandy Pond, down the Songo River, and the Songo Lock. We made our way out over Sebago Lake, the second-largest lake in Maine, before returning to the airport. The experience was extraordinary. Chase was a gracious host, explaining the operation of the plane and what we were experiencing thoroughly and thoughtfully.

Apparently, there has been a little talk among Chase and another of his AOF friends who owns a plane about flying to Avon for either a homecoming or a reunion in the future. I wonder how many others would be interested in that?

SAMUEL CHEW JR. ’61 : CELEBRATING MY 80TH ON THE KOOTENAI RIVER IN YAAK, MONTANA. DOESN’T GET MUCH BETTER. SO BLESSED TO HAVE SO MANY GREAT FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHO’VE HELPED MAKE IT A WONDERFUL RIDE! HUGS TO ALL.

’65 PERRY BENSON JR.

Head Class Ambassador pbenson@jacobswyper.com

’66 MICHAEL D. BARKER

Head Class Ambassador barkermike@aol.com

’67 JAMES W. CORRIGAN

Co-Head Class Ambassador cecorrigan86@gmail.com

’67 WILLIAM F. ROBERTS JR.

Co-Head Class Ambassador wfroberts@fast.net

’68 CHASE DONALDSON

Head Class Ambassador cfdifly@gmail.com

’69 DAVID F. COLEMAN

Head Class Ambassador davidcoleman1150@gmail.com

70s

’70 HARRIS H. BUCKLIN III

Head Class Ambassador hbucklin3@gmail.com

’71 TIMOTHY B. BEEBLE

Co-Head Class Ambassador tbeeble@aol.com

’71 HENRY R. COONS

Co-Head Class Ambassador henrycoons29@yahoo.com

’72 KEVIN J. DRISCOLL

Head Class Ambassador driscollk@avonoldfarms.com

’73 CHRISTOPHER L. ATKINS

Co-Head Class Ambassador catkins702@gmail.com

’73 ROBERT H. MORAN JR.

Co-Head Class Ambassador bobbymo@cox.net

’74 GEORGE J. GIANNONI

Co-Head Class Ambassador ggiannoni@cox.net

’74 EDWARD P. MOLLOY

Co-Head Class Ambassador Tmolloy@ArraySoftware.com

’75 THOMAS B. BYRNE III

Co-Head Class Ambassador tbyrne@thomasbyrne.com

’75 GORDON F. LINKE

Co-Head Class Ambassador gflinke@gmail.com

TIMOTHY TRAUTMAN ’75 P'03 retired a couple of years ago. He wrote that he’s not sure whether his timing was good or bad because COVID hit almost immediately after, and he, along with the rest of the world, was stuck in some version of quarantine. “Regardless, the important thing is, I have three children and three grandchildren, and they are healthy and well. Most know my father died in June 2020, which sucked, as I’m sure any of you who have lost a parent understand. Thoughtfully and appropriately, Avon had a memorial service for my father on June 3; I spoke along with many fellow Avonians. Otherwise, I am healthy—not being pursued by the lawman or the taxman!—and have friends. Indeed, though I have not seen many of you for years or even decades, I still consider you among my closest friends.”

RANDY BECKER CMPE ’75 is finishing up a five-year rotation on the San Antonio Medical Group Management Association board of directors. He started as board secretary in 2017 and recently finished his term as past president. “This board and I successfully carried the association through the pandemic and virtual meetings. SA MGMA is a local chapter of the trade association that provides education, networking, and many resources for medical practice executives and administrators in the health care management field. This year, SA MGMA was able to hold the annual one day, in person Education Conference at a local venue. Seventy-five attendees and six speakers made this a very successful post-pandemic event.

“At Little Spurs Pediatric Urgent Care, I was promoted to vice president of operations, San Antonio market. The most challenging item du jour is staffing. The current labor market presents staffing challenges on an hourly basis. If

someone has the answer to this pressing problem, let me in on the secret. The company is currently expanding in the Dallas market.

“In January 2022, nearly 25 years after my last ski trip and 13 years after my ankle and elbow were shattered in an accident, I fulfilled a bucket list item and went skiing with my youngest, Sara, in Red River, N.M. Surprisingly, I was able to pick up where I had left off. Stamina is not what it used to be, but skiing is still my sport. Leslee, my oldest, moved back to El Paso and is pursuing a master’s degree in cello performance at UT El Paso. Jordan, my son, is working at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio and studying to pursue a commercial pilot’s license.

“I opened up my high school diploma and noticed George Trautman’s signature. He propelled

all of us to the next level. George and the Avon experience is one that none of us will forget or regret.”

JASON BEEBLE ’75 P’05 visited DON GALLUP ’75 out west and was happy to share time with Don. Jason sends the news that we should keep Don in our prayers.

DAVID JACK ’75 is having his first grandchild in November, and he just found out it’s a boy. The due date is November 7. His daughter, Emily, lives nearby and is doing well at her job. She’s also published at least 10 articles for ScreenRant.com. His son, Greg, and daughter-in-law, Jennifer, were voted top wealth advisors in the Sarasota, Fla.. annual SRQ Magazine. “I’m very proud of them. They founded their own firm, J&J Wealth Advisors, in Lakewood

DAVID JACK ’75 AND HIS SON, GREG JACK.

THOMAS BRYNE III ’75 SHARED THAT HIS DAUGHTER, KELSEY, WAS MARRIED IN DECEMBER. HIS HOME ON CAPE COD IS ALWAYS OPEN TO AOF ’75.

RANDY BECKER CMPE '75 AND HIS DAUGHTER SARA SKIING IN RED RIVER, N.M.

Ranch and are growing very quickly, as is this area of Florida. I feel fortunate that we are living near each other, and everyone is in good health.”

JAMES OSBORNE ’75 shared that he can’t attend the upcoming reunion but does intend to go in 2025. “TIM TRAUTMAN ’75 P'03 , I remember your dad well, as do my bro Rob and father, who served several years on the BOD around the time we were there and worked very closely with your father, Reed Estabrook, and others. Re your dad, I would simply echo what others have said: a leader in every sense. From an Osborne perspective, I feel he saved the school, put it on a solid footing that future headmasters could build upon. And look at Avon today. Of memories I have, one I can never forget was his handshake—power ful like everything about him.

“Re my world: it is pretty well known. Brutal road cycling accident in 2007 rendered me quadriplegic. Published a book chronicling the injury and ongoing rehab/recovery, Will Your Way Back, in 2017. Numerous speaking engagements included Avon in the fall of that year. Two children, both married, one grandchild. Married 41 years to my lovely bride, Diane.

“Career was technology management, the majority of it with REI. Retired like Tim and Beebs six months before COVID. I’ll briefly pivot from me and encourage all to keep Don Gallup in your thoughts. I should probably avoid details, but his condition is progressive with no good outcome. He and his wife, Jane, live in Seattle though I don’t get to see them very often these days. Don was iconic and has been one of my best friends for darn near 50 years. I mean, who could weave a story better than Don? Always remember him receiving the golden shovel from Mr. Bird, his drawing showing steam rising from the pile of his written BS. I

know there were others who received the coveted Bird award too. Be well, safe, and healthy.”

JOHN VAN SANT JR. ’75 wrote that he recently saw PAT WARD ’80 ; Megan Rogers Miller; JASON BEEBLE ’75 P’05; PETER AND SUE EVANS H’18, P’98; and SKIP AND BRIT FLANAGAN H’18, GP’16, ’20 at a memorial service for Steve Ward at Roxbury Latin. “I know DOUG BORSTEL ’75, JOE HOWARD ’75 , and TOM QUENO ’75 will remember that Pat and Steve taught us how to cook and served us the best damned dinners we ate on campus as members of the Chef’s Club our senior year. The weekend was touching, but what truly stood out for me was how influential Steve was as a history teacher to so many Roxbury Latin students while also compiling a record as one of the most successful wrestling coaches in New England. Avon lost an excellent teacher and an incredible coach when he and Pat moved back to Boston.

“As for my news, my eldest daughter was married in Denver in August. Her new husband recently finished his residency and accepted a yearlong fellowship at the Mayo Clinic as an interventional radiologist, so they headed to Rochester, Minn., after the wedding. My wife, the rest of the family, and I are healthy and looking forward to traveling again. Since I cannot be there this spring, I hope to see many of you in the spring of 2025.”

’76 ALEXANDER N. WORLEY

Head Class Ambassador alexworley@sbcglobal.net

’77 JORGE E. CONSUEGRA JR.

Co-Head Class Ambassador jconsuegra29@gmail.com

’78 JOHN M. GARVEY

Head Class Ambassador jmgarvey@garvspace.com

’79 ANTHONY M. GRAY

Co-Head Class Ambassador tgray@tonygray.net

’79 SCOTT B. LINKE

Co-Head Class Ambassador scottblinke@comcast.net

SCOTT PARKER ’81, MARK DRINKWATER ’86, MARK STEWART ’81, BOB INGRAHAM ’88, CAL INGRAHAM ’89 , AND JEFF DRINKWATER ’89 PLAYED AT PINE HILLS GOLF COURSE IN PLYMOUTH, MASS.

COACH JOHN GARDNER, JOHN BIRLE ’85 , AND LUKE ARCHAMBAULT ’04 PLAYED A ROUND AT THE INCREDIBLE INTERLACHEN GOLF COURSE IN ORLANDO, FLA. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: JOHN BIRLE SANK HIS FIRST HOLE IN ONE WITH A 170-YARD SHOT ON THE EIGHTH.

80s

’80 THOMAS E. DAVEY JR.

Head Class Ambassador thomasdaveyjr@gmail.com

’81 SAMUEL C. BOOKBINDER IV

Head Class Ambassador samuel.bookbinder@wfadvisors. com

’82 BRIAN B. CONROY

Co-Head Class Ambassador brianconroy1@mac.com

’82 GREGORY T. FISH

Co-Head Class Ambassador greg@gregorytfishllc.com

’83 WILLIAM E. ESCHERT

Co-Head Class Ambassador Billeschert@gmail.com

’83 RICHARD C. GREGORY

Co-Head Class Ambassador rick@rcgregory.com

’84 JOHN S. GORDON

Head Class Ambassador falconatlfan@gmail.com

’85 SAM L. RUBENSTEIN

Head Class Ambassador SRubenstein127@gmail.com

’86 STEPHEN R. GORMAN

Head Class Ambassador stephen.r.gorman@gmail.com

’87 HAROLD R. BEACHAM JR.

Head Class Ambassador hal.beacham44@comcast.net

’88 SHAWN E. ATKINSON

Co-Head Class Ambassador shawnatki@gmail.com

’88 PETER D. REED

Co-Head Class Ambassador pdreed18@gmail.com

’89 ROBERT M. WILEMAN

Head Class Ambassador rmw@wilemanagency.com

90s

’90 PETER J. DECKERS

Head Class Ambassador deckersp@avonoldfarms.com

’91 ROBERT A. DOWLING JR.

Head Class Ambassador dowlingr@avonoldfarms.com

ROB DOWLING ’91 P'22 and ROB HORNISH ’91 enjoyed a round of golf this summer at the scenic Madison Country Club in Madison, Conn. Rob spends most of his time in Austin, Texas, but he and his family enjoy a portion of their summer in Madison. Rob Hornish maintains family connections in New England, and Madison is a fun gathering place. Rob’s father, Otto Hornish, took the picture, played an impressive round, and treated the group to a beverage following the golf. The Hornish connection to Avon runs deep, as Rob’s twin brother, Don Hornish ’91, and younger brother, MIKE HORNISH ’95 , are also alumni.

’92 WILLIAM P. AUSTIN

Co-Head Class Ambassador wpaustin55@gmail.com

’92 DAMIEN J. EGAN

Co-Head Class Ambassador degan2@hotmail.com

’93 LANCE A. CASHION

Co-Head Class Ambassador lancec@christchapelbc.org

’93 ADAM K. CLINE

Co-Head Class Ambassador adamcline50@gmail.com

’94 GRAHAM C. FULLER

Co-Head Class Ambassador grahamcraigfuller@gmail.com

’94 PAUL M. GOZZO

Co-Head Class Ambassador 11pgoz@gmail.com

’95 JOHN P. MCAULIFFE

Co-Head Class Ambassador john.mcauliffe@sig.com

’95 ANTHONY D. SILVESTRO Co-Head Class Ambassador tony.silvestro@insperity.com

’96 MARK A. CARUSO

Head Class Ambassador mcaruso@gmail.com

’97 TIMOTHY B. STAY

Co-Head Class Ambassador timothystay@gmail.com

’97 KYLE R. YOUNGQUIST

Co-Head Class Ambassador bigkyleyoungquist@gmail.com

’98 J. ANDREW CORRIGAN

Head Class Ambassador jamesandrewcorrigan@gmail.com

’99 DAVID R. GRYBOSKI

Co-Head Class Ambassador david@ghgdevelopment.com

’99 STEPHEN A. ZAPPONE

Co-Head Class Agent zappones@yahoo.com

00s

’00 MICHAEL J. O’NEILL

Co-Head Class Ambassador michaeloneill27@yahoo.com

’00 DANIEL J. SEIDEN

Co-Head Class Ambassador seidend@gmail.com

ADAM STIFEL ’99 AND BRIAN LEMEK ’98 ARE SURE TO REP THEIR AOF GEAR AT EVERY LACROSSE GAME: THEIR DAUGHTERS SYBIL STIFEL AND LAUREL LEMEK ARE TEAMMATES.

ROB DOWLING ’91 P'22 AND ROB HORNISH ’91 AT THE MADISON COUNTRY CLUB IN MADISON, CONN.

AVONIANS GATHERED AT SPRINGFIELD COUNTRY CLUB WITH HOST MATT BISCALDI ’00 FOR A FRIENDLY GOLF OUTING WITH COACH JOHN GARDNER AND COACH TIM ROLLER. LEFT TO RIGHT: K.C. TENUKAS ’00, MIKE O’NEILL ’00, COREY SALVATELLI ’00, JAMIE MEADOWS ’92, MATT BISCALDI ’00, LUKE ARCHAMBAULT ’04, JOHN GARDNER, MICK MOUNSEY ’00 P'26, TIM ROLLER, RUSS LALLIER ’03, RYAN BREAKEY ’00, AND PATRICK MILLER ’07

AVONIANS IN FLORIDA ENJOYED 18 HOLES TOGETHER LAST SPRING. LEFT TO RIGHT: NICK PACQUEE ’04, PAUL ECONOMOU ’93, LUKE ARCHAMBAULT ’04, CHRIS WIELAND ’08, JOHN GARDNER, GREG GOZZO ’11, GILMAN CALLSEN ’04, AND CHRIS WEBB.

JAMES TANG

WAS

’01 CHRISTOPHER D. COLEMAN

Co-Head Class Ambassador christopherdcoleman@gmail.com

’01 NICHOLAS H. LAROCQUE

Co-Head Class Ambassador larocque.nicholas@gmail.com

’02 WILLIAM N. PALMER

Head Class Ambassador wnpalmer@gmail.com

’03 JAMES T. TANG

Head Class Ambassador jamesttang@gmail.com

’04 LUKE R. ARCHAMBUALT

Co-Head Class Ambassador archambaultl@avonoldfarms.com

’04 MATTHEW H. MORAN

Co-Head Class Ambassador matthew.h.moran@gmail.com

’05 ANDREW B. LAWRENCE

Co-Head Class Ambassador mooklawrence@gmail.com

’05 DANE G. LEMERIS

Co-Head Class Ambassador dlemeris@gmail.com

’06 KEVIN T. DRISCOLL

Co-Head Class Ambassador kevin.t.driscoll@gmail.com

’06 JOSHUA P. PAVANO

Co-Head Class Ambassador jpavano@gmail.com

’07 CASEY R. COONS

Co-Head Class Ambassador caseycoons4@gmail.com

’07 TYLER C. HADDAD

Co-Head Class Ambassador tyler.c.haddad@gmail.com

’08 DOUGLAS J. BEYER

Co-Head Class Ambassador dbeyer11789@gmail.com

’08 WILL H. HENDRICKS

Co-Head Class Ambassador willheatonhendricks@gmail.com

’09 JOHN B. BEATH

Co-Head Class Ambassador beathj@gmail.com

’09 JAKE R. BOURGAULT

Co-Head Class Ambassador jake.bourgault@gmail.com

KYLE BREWER ’04 AND RYAN MATALON ’04 PLAY SOME GOLF IN COLORADO.

’03 RECENTLY

COMMISSIONED AS AN OFFICER IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY RESERVE AND WILL SERVE IN THE SUPPLY CORPS. HE WILL REMAIN AT HIS CIVILIAN DAY JOB IN HEALTH CARE INVESTMENT BANKING AT ALLIANCE GLOBAL PARTNERS.

DR. DAN SEIDEN ’00 MET UP WITH FELLOW AVONIAN PARKER MILNER ’09 FOR LUNCH IN CHARLESTON, S.C. DAN IS HEADMASTER AT A PRE-K–12 PRIVATE SCHOOL IN THE AREA, AND PARKER IS THE HIGHLY TOUTED FOOD EDITOR AT THE POST & COURIER (CHARLESTON, S.C.).

ALEJANDRO LAPLANA ’07 AND TAYLER WALTER WERE MARRIED IN A SMALL PRIVATE CEREMONY IN NEW YORK CITY IN FRONT OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS ON JULY 30, 2022.

LAST CHRISTMAS, JAKE BOURGAULT ’09 ; HIS BRIDE, LIZ; THEIR DAUGHTER, DAVIE; TERRI AND MARTY COLE; AND ANNA AND JOHN BOURGAULT ’80 P’09 MET AT THE COLE HOME IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.

ZACHARY MACMILLIAN ’14 AND HIS WIFE, ABBI, WERE MARRIED JULY 21, 2022, AT AVON OLD FARMS SCHOOL. LEFT TO RIGHT: TYLER MACMILLIAN ’16, ABBI MACMILLIAN, ZACH MACMILLIAN ’14 , AND MARC ZUZOLO ’14

’10 PATRICK D. HAMPTON

Head Class Ambassador pdavishampton@gmail.com

’11 HARRISON M. LYONS

Co-Head Class Ambassador hlyons@suffolk.com

’11 OLIVER K. ROTHMANN

Co-Head Class Ambassador ollie.rothmann33@gmail.com

’12 CONNOR P. DOYLE

Co-Head Class Ambassador doyle12187@gmail.com

’12 JOHN D. SHAMBURGER

Co-Head Class Ambassador shamburgerd@gmail.com

’13 WILSON P. MEYER

Co-Head Class Ambassador wilsonpmeyer@gmail.com

’13 JOHN VAN ALLEN III

Co-Head Class Ambassador jjghyu@gmail.com

’14 MICKOY R. NICHOL

Co-Head Class Ambassador nicholm@avonoldfarms.com

’14 RYAN D. PHILLIPS

Co-Head Class Ambassador rydphillips@gmail.com

’15 WILLIAM C. DAVIS

Co-Head Class Ambassador cdavis7@me.com

’15 CHRISTIAN E. DI ANTONIO

Co-Head Class Ambassador diantoniochristian@gmail.com

’16 MATTHEW T. HORTON

Co-Head Class Ambassador mhorton@hortongroupllc.com

’16 ALESSO R. MARCOGLIESE

Co-Head Class Ambassador alessio.marcogliese@gmail.com

’17 KEVIN A. SIEBER

Head Class Ambassador ksieber@friars.providence.edu

’18 KEVIN E. HUVELDT

Head Class Ambassador kevinhuveldt4@gmail.com

’19 MAXWELL A. MILLER

Head Class Ambassador mmiller20413@gmail.com

’20 AUGUSTUS G. SHAMBURGER

Head Class Ambassador shammyg12@gmail.com

’21 PATRICK “PJ” A. NEAL Co-Head Class Ambassador

’21 WILLIAM B. SMALLEY

Co-Head Class Ambassador

’22 NIKHIL SATPATHY Head Class Ambassador nikhilsatpathy@gmail.com

TUCKER SYMES ’16, JOHN BOURGAULT ’80 P’09, AND ALESSIO MARGALESSE ’16

STOPPED BY TO WATCH AND SUPPORT THE VARSITY B LACROSSE TEAM IN ITS 11-6 VICTORY OVER THE CARDIGAN MOUNTAIN COUGARS.

A SMALL GROUP OF AVONIANS JOINED HOST STRAT DENNIS AT THE CAR CLUB IN MANHATTAN TO CHAT ABOUT AVON AND HELP SOME OF OUR YOUNGER ALUMNI BUILD OUT THEIR AOF NETWORK IN NYC. LEFT TO RIGHT: NICK MULLIGAN ’17, DYLAN GAFFNEY ’17, ALESSIO MARCOGLIESE ’16, ALEC FERRY ’17, DAWSON LEONARD ’17, LUKE ARCHAMBAULT ’04, STRAT DENNIS ’00, JAMES TANG ’03, AND ROBERT ROOT ’15

IN MEMORIAM

THE SCHOOL HAS LEARNED OF THE FOLLOWING DEATHS:

GILMAN W. ORDWAY ’44, GP’04, ’06, ’10

CARL A. CANDELS ’51

VINCENT IRWIN ’53

ALFRED A. FUNAI ’55

HENRY BUDNEY ’56

JOHN W. MCKAIG JR. ’57

EDWARD M. RICKARD ’59

DAVID F. HALL ’61

JOSEPH B. BASINE ’61

WILLIAM D. WEISS ’62, P’90

CHARLES F. EMMONS ’63

ERIC BOYKIN HARTLEY ’63

HAROLD M. JONES ’64

JEFFREY B. MINNICK ’64

ARTHUR W. GEETERSLOH ’68

ROBERT P. RAMSAUER ’68

MARK VINCENT ’73

EDWARD D. BROWN ’76

JOHN W. BRADY ’77

CARL R. HOHENGARTEN ’77

JOSEPH W. NELSON ’83

ADAM C. SMITH ’88

JOSHUA H. LINDGREN ’93

CHRISTOPHER S. KELLY ’94

PETE C. MANOS ’03

’20, AND GABE GROSS ’19.

AVONIANS MET DURING A CAPE COD BASEBALL GAME TO COMPETE AGAINST ONE ANOTHER IN JUNE 2022. NOLAN MORR ’19 PLAYS FOR THE FALMOUTH COMMODORES, AND JAKE DELEO ’20 PLAYS FOR THE CHATHAM ANGLERS. GABE GROSS ’19 IS INTERNING WITH THE FALMOUTH TEAM. LEFT TO RIGHT: NOLAN MORR ’19, JAKE DELEO

JOHN BOURGAULT ’80, P’09 AND HIS WIFE, ANNA, HAD LUNCH WITH QUENTIN DANIELSON ’18 IN SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. HE’S A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA AND HOPES TO GET INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL UPON GRADUATION. HE’S SUPER EXCITED THAT THE WILDCATS MADE IT TO THE SWEET 16.

PARTING SHOT

The Riddlers, Avon’s top choral ensemble named for our Founder Theodate Pope Riddle, perform their first concert of the year during Grandparents Day on September 28, 2022.

500 Old Farms Road Avon, Connecticut 06001 www.avonoldfarms.com

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Parents

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