Berkshire Bulletin Summer 2023

BULLETIN Summer 2023

SMALL BUSINESS BEARS

Forge Their Own Paths

Catherine Yan ’24 earns a Silver Key for her painting, “Music.” To read more about the Scholastic Art & Writing Award winners, see page 16.

SUMMER 2023

36 SMALL BUSINESS BEARS

Meet Berkshire’s entrepreneurs!

OUR MISSION

Rooted in an inspiring natural setting, Berkshire School instills the highest standards of character and citizenship and a commitment to academic, artistic, and athletic excellence. Our community fosters diversity, a dedication to environmental stewardship, and an enduring love for learning.

Lara McLanahan ’86, P’16,’16,’19 CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Pieter M. Mulder P’22,’26 HEAD OF SCHOOL

Andrew Bogardus P’23,’24 DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT

Carol Visnapuu DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

Bulletin Editor: Megan Tady FREELANCE EDITOR

Class Notes Editor: Robin Gottlieb

DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

Class Notes Coordinator: Sue Delmolino Ives P’15

Design: Hammill Design

Printing: Qualprint

Principal Photography: Berkshire School Archives, Gregory Cherin Photography, Highpoint Pictures, and Communications and Marketing

Class Notes: classnotes@berkshireschool.org

50

Marking

On the Cover: Evan Hardcastle ‘95 and his company, 377 Builders, have forged an innovative approach to sustainable homes. Read more on page 47. Photo by Gregory Cherin Photography

School admits students of any race, color, religious affiliation, national and ethnic origin and qualified handicapped students to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students. We do not discriminate in violation of any law or statute in the administration of our educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.

All other alumni matters: alumni@berkshireschool.org

Published by Berkshire School’s Communications and Marketing Office and Advancement Office for alumni, parents, and friends of the School.

To receive an electronic issue only, let us know at alumni@berkshireschool.org.

SEEN AROUND

1. The School community comes together from near and far, spreading joy on One Day for Berkshire. 1,963 donors participated in the eighth-annual event and raised an incredible $478,000 for the Annual Fund in one day.

2. A gauntlet of faculty, staff, and students say farewell to science teacher and Senior Faculty Member Anita LooseBrown, recognizing her remarkable 35-year teaching career at Berkshire.

3. Jessica Lomo ’23’s mixed media pieces, “Three Masks” (on wall in background), were selected for the 2023 Arts Department Purchase Prize and will be permanently displayed in the Kennard Visual Arts Center.

4. Third formers bond over a whitewater rafting trip on the Deerfield River. A memorable retreat for the Class of 2026!

5. “Grease” is the word on the ice. The Pink Ladies from Buck perform an electrifyin’ routine at Winter Carnival.

Dear Berkshire Community,

I hope this finds you all enjoying the last few weeks of summer with family and friends. In addition to sharing glimpses from campus over the past academic year, this issue of the “Berkshire Bulletin” introduces you to a number of impressive alumni making their marks on the world as small business owners. Building your own business from the ground up requires tenacity, resilience, and a deep belief in oneself, all of which are on full display in these stories beginning on page 36.

As we prepare to open the 2023–24 school year, I’m excited to share updates about Berkshire’s student center project, the shift of our academic calendar to trimesters, the NEASC accreditation process, and our warm welcome to new Bears. Each of these moments shares a common thread: Berkshire’s intentional planning for both our brightest immediate and long-term futures.

Construction of the renovated and expanded student center began in June, and we expect to open during the late fall of 2024. This space remains the heart of campus, and will include full renovations and additional space for the dining hall, student gathering spaces, music center, student life offices, mailroom, and bookstore.

During the construction period, we have temporarily relocated the above spaces to the Jackman L. Stewart Athletic Center, the Soffer Athletic Center, and additional spaces in Berkshire Hall and Morgan-Bellas-Dixon. We are fortunate as a school to have this flexibility, and in many cases these temporary spaces are larger than those we use currently. We’re especially mindful of the impact of this change on this year’s sixth formers, so we have engaged with the Class to welcome their ideas about the design of the temporary spaces, and we have established some special perks available only to the Class of 2024. For more on the new student center, see page 8.

Beginning this fall, Berkshire will move to a trimester model for our September-June academic calendar. This change reflects the comprehensive work of our academic leadership team over the past 18 months. The new model provides a number of benefits as it more closely follows the natural fall/winter/spring rhythms of the seasons, vacations, and our athletic seasons; provides our teachers greater flexibility with their pedagogy, curriculum design, and assessment models; and reduces the number of grading periods during the school year from eight to six, thereby allowing our students more time to settle into the expectations and academic demands of a slightly longer

trimester. We’re excited that this move supports the academic scholarship, holistic wellness, and overall pace of life at Berkshire for all our students.

Last year, Berkshire engaged in a comprehensive selfstudy as part of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) re-accreditation process. Independent schools complete this evaluation once every 10 years, and it includes gathering feedback across the entire Berkshire community to assess how well we deliver on our mission. We were proud to receive a strong foundation report from NEASC following their initial visit in April. In late October, a larger visiting team of nine independent school educators returns to campus over three days to assess our progress against the NEASC program standards used for all New England independent schools. Their visiting report will be made available to all members of the community and will serve as an important benchmark to support our planned update to the School’s strategic plan.

Following another successful admissions year in which we again welcomed over 1,400 applications, Berkshire will welcome 135 new Bears from 23 states and 14 countries this fall. This talented group of students brings a wide range of interests and experiences, immediately making our community stronger by their arrival.

In closing, all of us at Berkshire are excited to begin another school year together. As you can see from the updates above and the many other initiatives on campus, we continue to ambitiously and humbly chart our strongest path forward as a school. We’re guided always by our obligation to prepare students not just for school but for life, and we’re grounded by the timeless values that continue to define the experience for all of our young people here. I hope to see many of you this fall and throughout the year either on campus or at upcoming events across the country and world. Your connection to Berkshire and your belief in the important work we commit to each year help make us the community we are. We need all of you, so stay close, stay connected, and thanks for all that you continue to do for Berkshire!

With warmest wishes,

Pieter Mulder P’22,’26 Head of School

NEW BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBERS

John Esposito P’20,’22,’25 is managing director and global head of the financial institutions group at Morgan Stanley, where he has served in leadership roles for nearly two decades. Before joining Morgan Stanley, he spent 10 years working for Merrill Lynch in that firm’s financial institutions group.

Esposito earned a B.S. in business administration and management from Boston College and an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. He and his wife, Danielle, live in Greenwich, Conn., with their four children: John (University of Notre Dame), Matthew ’20 (Boston College), Will ’22 (University of Notre Dame), and Sofia ’25.

Hillary Beard Schafer P’25,’27 serves as CEO of Multiplying Good, founded as the Jefferson Awards for Public Service by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in 1972. The organization is one of the largest multipliers of public service in America, grounded in the belief that leaning in to help someone else unleashes the power of the individual. Schafer previously led NY Institutional Equity Sales for Citigroup and UBS and served as executive director of Economic Security 2000, fighting to save and remodel social security.

After graduating from Hotchkiss, Schafer earned a B.A. in English and art history from Middlebury College and an M.B.A. in finance from Columbia Business School. She lives in New York City with her husband, Mark Shafir, daughters Stella Schafer ’25 and Charley, and son Samuel Schafer ’27. Last year, the couple graciously hosted members of the Berkshire community at their home for a leadership briefing event.

Tom Steiner P’10,’12,’12 returns to the board following previous service as a trustee, membership on the Finance Committee, and ongoing work on the Endowment Committee. Steiner is the managing partner of Baldwin Bell Green. An active consultant for 30 years, he primarily focused on managing and directing strategy, organization, operations, and information technology studies for financial institutions, manufacturing, technology, and telecommunications firms. He is the co-author of two books, “Technology in Banking: Creating Value and Destroying Profits” and “The Banking Revolution: Salvation or Slaughter.”

A graduate of Dartmouth College and member of Phi Beta Kappa, Steiner also holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He and his wife, Maureen, reside in Longboat Key, Fla., as well as Egremont, Mass., and are parents to Berkshire alumni Lizzy ’10 (Wesleyan), James ’12 (Columbia), and Matt ’12 (Dartmouth).

Welcome New Advisory Board Co-Chairs

Tracy Wenzell Davlin ‘86 and Kit Landry ‘10 have been named Berkshire’s next Advisory Board cochairs, succeeding Allison Letourneau ‘07 and David Rondeau ‘78. Davlin and Landry will continue to develop the board’s mission of fostering alumni connections through regional engagement opportunities.

Davlin has served as the Boston region ambassador since 2021. She lives in Massachusetts, where she devotes her time to volunteer positions on PTO boards, the Garden Club, and the St. George’s School Parent Committee. Previously, she was assistant vice president of the Institutional Equity Syndicate desk at Lehman Brothers in New York.

A member of the Advisory Board since 2015, Landry has served as the Denver region ambassador since 2020. He currently works at OliverBuchananGroup (OBG), where he focuses on existing development projects while assisting on analysis of potential new deals. Prior to OBG, he was director of real estate at RPM Living.

THE DEDICATION OF LEE’S LANDING

In October, the Berkshire community gathered at the former location of the Weil Gazebo to dedicate “Lee’s Landing” in memory of the Honorable Leon J. Weil ’44C, an alumnus, parent, and grandparent of alumni, longtime trustee, and extraordinary friend to the School. This beautiful outdoor space, with its view of Black Rock and Berkshire Hall, serves as a reminder of Ambassador Weil’s generosity and faithfulness for generations of students to come.

Of his connection to Berkshire, Ambassador Weil said, “I have always believed in giving back, and I feel great loyalty to those who helped me during my life. At the top of my list is Berkshire, which, when I was a very young lad, set me on a course that determined the kind of person I was to become and the kind of life I was to lead.”

From left: Board of Trustees Chair Lara McLanahan ’86, P’16,’16,’19; Jennifer Weil, Jerry Weil ’73, P’06,’13,’13; Trustee Cary Weil Barnett ‘76, P’17; Harry Weil, Ben Weil ’06, Victoria Barnett ’17, Jackson Barnett, and Head of School Pieter Mulder

MEET BERKSHIRE’S NEW

DIRECTOR OF

COUNSELING

Last June, Berkshire alum Steph Holmes ’06 returned to campus to lead the School’s Counseling Office. A graduate of Cornell University and Boston University, with a master’s degree in social work, Holmes formerly worked at Brooks School in North Andover, Mass., where she was the director of student wellness. She also taught English and SEL and served as head girls hockey coach, dorm parent, advisor to the GSA, and clinical therapist. A threesport varsity captain at Berkshire, Holmes captained the women’s ice hockey team at Cornell and coaches in Berkshire’s girls hockey program.

Berkshire’s Counseling Office includes three licensed mental health professionals trained in providing one-on-one and small group counseling and crisis intervention. They partner with families and all areas of school life to continually improve the student experience and the well-being of the entire community. The Counseling Office sponsors community-level initiatives such as all-school speakers, small group workshops, and faculty/staff training.

“I hope the Counseling Office can help cultivate the resilience, confidence, and skills students will need to respond to challenges and to navigate our complex world,” Holmes said. “I want every student to know who we are, what we can offer, and how to connect with us.”

Resources of the Month

The Counseling Office launched a new monthly series that highlights resources to help families foster emotional well-being and promote self-care in their daily lives. These resources have included:

n Advice for how parents can improve their listening skills to support anxious teens, talking less and asking the right questions

n Discussion about teens learning sometimes harmful mental health advice from nonprofessionals on TikTok

n Tips for students to help with test anxiety, including quick calming techniques

To read more about these resources, visit: berkshireschool.org/ wellness-counseling

Thanksgiving Fundraiser for the People’s Pantry

Nico Hardcastle ’23, a day student from Great Barrington, put his experience studying abroad in Spain to work at The People’s Pantry, a local food pantry. As a Spanish-speaking volunteer, he organized a Thanksgiving Turkey Fundraiser. “I have been able to hear so many new stories within the community at The People’s Pantry,” Hardcastle said. “I started this fundraiser because I wanted to be able to relate my two experiences: one as a native of Berkshire County, and the other as a student of Berkshire. My goal has been to bring a certain level of understanding and connection between locals and students.”

RENOVATION BEGINS ON NEW STUDENT CENTER

“Our excitement about this new space is unmatched. The student center sits at the heart of our campus and is filled with places for students to spend time together, to study, and to connect with each other.”

—Head of School Pieter Mulder

Construction began in June on a renovated and expanded new student center that is scheduled to open in the late fall of 2024. Designed by Voith & Mactavish Architects (Philadelphia), the building will be the heart and hub of campus and will double the amount of space from the original Rovensky Student Center. It includes the Benson Commons dining hall, student gathering spaces, a music center in a newly created second floor of Benson, Student Life offices, the mailroom, and the bookstore. The design also shifts the orientation of the building to the light-filled, east side facing the football field. By removing all vehicular traffic and parking from the area, the resulting open green space will connect student life spaces directly to the outdoors and underscore Berkshire’s sense of place rooted in its natural setting.

This view of the east-facing facade shows the dining hall windows on the first floor, which will have views across the football field to South Pinnacle. Note the exterior balcony for outdoor seating in nice weather. The windows in the ground floor’s entrance to the student center bring in natural light and provide access to the outdoor communal space.

Buck Valley

Benson Commons Dining Hall

Two private dining rooms that can serve as meeting places for student clubs, faculty groups, teams, activities, or weekend events

A central hearth oven for pizza, other hot meals, and a variety of nutritious options

Seating increase of 15%

Student Center

A new café with expanded seating, including a range of options: benches, booths, and traditional tables, all designed to be comfortable for both individuals and groups

A TV lounge that doubles as a performance space for events like open mic nights

Student Life offices for adults within the space

New Music Center

Three music classrooms, four practice rooms, office space, music storage cabinets, a recording studio, and a suite space for gathering and collaboration

Doubles the space dedicated to music on campus

Building Enhancements

Expanded entrance from Buck Valley with grand staircase that promotes easier arrival and circulation

Additional and more easily accessible restrooms

Geothermal energy use for a sustainable and more cost-effective heating and cooling system

Renderings courtesy of Voith & Mactavish Architects

A NOBLE AND ENRICHING PURSUIT

The Berkshire Teaching Fellowship introduces early educators to the profession.

In the fall of 2020, Berkshire welcomed its first Teaching Fellow, Caleb Pérez, through the Berkshire Teaching Fellowship. Berkshire partnered with Mt. Holyoke College, allowing early career educators to earn their masters degrees at the college while they gain valuable teaching experience. Since then, three other Teaching Fellows have joined the Berkshire community: second-year Teaching Fellow Sam Ortega and firstyear Teaching Fellows Omar Attia and Bette Imhoff.

Dean of Faculty Clay Splawn, who leads the program at Berkshire, said it attracts and retains top talent at the School, giving educators real-world experience while they attain their degrees.

“There is a real need for talented people to join the ranks of education, experience some success and, hopefully, stay in for a career,” Splawn said.

“We want to introduce these aspiring educators to our profession in a way that makes them feel supported and seen. The old ‘sink or swim’ mentality

“In Early Career Seminar, teachers not only bond over the typical first-year experiences, but they also have opportunities to meet with various leaders across the entire spectrum of school life.”

—Clay Splawn, Dean of Faculty

Photos by Gregory Cherin Photography

that many of us experienced as early educators is perhaps not the best way to launch one’s career—if we hope for them to stay. This has proven to be so true, and has allowed us to attract and hire (and ultimately sustain) wonderful young educators.”

Ortega, who teaches English at Berkshire, said she had been dipping a toe into education at a day school when she learned about the program. Earning her masters degree while teaching at Berkshire was enticing, and she liked the idea of ramping up her workload over time.

“I didn’t have to dive headfirst into teaching a full load and feel like I was on my own,” Ortega said. “I knew it was going to be a really supportive environment, and that I would slowly build up to full-time teaching.” She is also a dorm parent and the fall and spring girls varsity crew coach.

Pérez, a third-year Fellow teaching biology and chemistry, has now graduated from Mt. Holyoke. He says the program helped his teaching style evolve. Pérez also serves as a dorm parent and is the assistant coach for boys varsity hockey and the head coach for boys thirds soccer.

“I think I was a little rigid at first,

and I was thrown off if things didn’t go according to my teaching plan,” Pérez shared. “Now it’s much easier for me to be okay with—and to even celebrate the times when—things in my classroom aren’t following my plan because my students are excited about something else. Or they’re asking questions about a different thread, and I can say, ‘Yeah, let’s just go there.’ We’ll get through the content when we get through it. Honestly, this approach has made me less stressed as a teacher and as a person.”

Splawn also created the Early Career Seminar to support both Teaching Fellows and all new teachers at the School who are in the early phases of their careers. “In Early Career Seminar, teachers not only bond over the typical first-year experiences, but they also have opportunities to meet with various leaders across the entire spectrum of school life,” Splawn said. Fellows and early educators meet with faculty and staff members of various departments on campus, from college counseling to facilities to the business office, learning how the School is run on every level. Each year, the Early Career Seminar even meets with the chair of Berkshire’s

Board of Trustees to understand the important role that the board plays in the School’s success.

Ortega found that the Early Career Seminar grounded her in Berkshire’s community, which was also her new home. “We got a full picture of Berkshire by the end of the year,” she said. “That’s important, because at times it can feel like you’re in your silo as an English teacher. But we got to see the full puzzle.”

Splawn said that there’s “no better experience than experience,” and he’s hoping the Teaching Fellowships and Early Career Seminar help young educators thrive as teachers.

“Our ultimate hope is that we have helped them launch their careers in a way that allows them to see that the field of education is both a noble and enriching one,” he said. “One of my favorite phrases for early career educators, when thinking about the future, is that ‘It doesn’t get any easier, it just gets better.’ Education is a truly challenging profession, but also one that, like any other profession, you can get better at with practice, with experience, with a growth mindset, with good coaching and mentoring, and with a lot of patience.”

Caleb Pérez teaches biology and chemistry. Sam Ortega teaches third-form and fifth-form English.

JOY IN JUSTICE

Honoring Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Berkshire commemorated Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. with programming around the theme “Joy in Justice: Allyship and Advocacy.” Students who attended the National Association of Independent Schools Student Diversity Leadership Conference in San Antonio, Tex., opened the All-School Meeting by sharing their experiences with the community. The Berkshire Chorus performed a beautiful rendition of “Wade in the Water.”

Next, English teacher and Associate Dean of Diversity & Inclusion John Speer moderated a panel discussion with executive committee members of NAACP Berkshires, Dr. Shirley Edgerton and Dr. Frances Jones-Sneed. Dr. Edgerton is a community activist, educator, and cultural proficiency coach for Pittsfield Public Schools, and Dr. Jones-Sneed is professor emeritus of history and former director of women studies at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

After the opening celebration, students and faculty both joined and led various breakout sessions based on the “Joy

in Justice” theme. Students in Berkshire’s Adv. Topics in Race, Class, and Gender elective organized sessions on protecting the right to vote, racial discrimination and housing, and funding universal healthcare, among other topics. Faculty breakout sessions featured subjects including athletes and political responsibility, poetry and social justice, the role of Africa in the making of the modern world, and more. Meanwhile, Dr. Eden-Reneé Hayes, a DEI strategist and educator, guided a twopart workshop for faculty and staff as an extension of Berkshire’s ongoing professional development work. Students wrapped up the program by meeting with their advisory groups. These advisor-led, small-group settings provided a place to reflect on the day’s activities, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy, and what it means to be empowered to work towards inclusivity and justice for all members of the community.

From left: Pieter Mulder, Dr. Shirley Edgerton, Dr. Frances Jones-Sneed, Akilah Edgerton, John Speer

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

In honor of Black History Month, members of the Black Student Union (BSU) led Berkshire’s all-school meetings throughout the month of February. In a note to the community, the group said: “In observance of this month, the Black Student Union will share weekly presentations of our rich history and culture across the Black Diaspora. We are excited for you to take this journey with us as we explore the different trailblazing experiences that have helped to shape the world that we live in.”

“During Black History Month we name and honor those who paved the way. We thank leaders like Ella Baker, who organized grassroots political campaigns to hold elected leaders accountable to all their people, and Malcolm X, who insisted that Black dignity and Black economic and social success were not impossible, and Mary McLeod Bethune, who dared to dream and founded a college so Black students could claim the fruits of education.

I am able to stand here today and celebrate Black history with this community thanks to those leaders who saw a vision of what we could be and dared to make it a reality when they were told it was a joke ...

—Mohamed Morsi ’25, from his speech about Black Resistance and Black Joy

To read Morsi’s full remarks, visit berkshireschool.org/speech.

Our history is part of your history, and our struggle for freedom is a constant struggle that involves the ethical obligation to understand the past so that we can take accountability to transform the present and build the future.”

Jadyn Kornegay-Murphy ’25 and Kyron Stevenson ’24 presented on Black culture’s global impact.

Izzy Taylor ’24 spoke about the school-to-prison pipeline.

Kapteyn Prize Celebration

The 12th annual Kapteyn Prize Celebration honored Dr. Tasia Cheng-Chia Wu, winner of the 2020 James C. Kapteyn Prize for excellence in teaching. The Chamber Music ensemble, directed by Dr. Wu, played “Song from a Secret Garden” by Norwegian composer Rolf Løvland, to honor the occasion.

In her acceptance remarks, Dr. Wu thanked the Kapteyn family for the grant, which she’ll use to travel. She shared, “Through traveling, I hope to bring back seeds of experience to enrich my own secret garden, and when nurtured and recharged, I will be a better self to serve and teach.”

MOVED OUR HEARTS

A day with All-School Read author Dan-el Padilla Peralta

Berkshire welcomed Princeton professor Dan-el Padilla Peralta, author of “Undocumented: A Dominican Boy’s Odyssey from a Homeless Shelter to the Ivy League,” for this year’s All-School Read event. Dr. Padilla Peralta had lunch with student members of the Latin American Student Association (LASA) and shared remarks with the full community at an evening assembly.

Afterward, a panel of students moderated a Q&A with questions submitted by their peers about the book and Dr. Padilla Peralta’s experiences coming of age as an immigrant in New York City. His story powerfully underscores Berkshire’s core value of inclusion.

Dr. John Hyland, All-School Read committee chair, said, “‘Undocumented’ shares the personal story about family ties, the power and importance of belonging, and the promises proffered in the hallowed halls of elite education. This compelling story about confronting America’s culture of xenophobia captured our imaginations as a community, enlightened our minds, and moved our hearts.”

For more information on summer reading, visit berkshireschool.org/summer-reading-2023.

Dr. Padilla Peralta shared his thoughts with the community on a panel moderated by Izzy Taylor ’24, Bella Piantini ’23, and Kyron Stevenson ’24.

Dr. Wu with Kirsten Kapteyn of the James C. Kapteyn Endowment Fund

ADVENTURE ABROAD

One Student’s Semester in Spain

Photos by Asher Lefkoff ’24

Asher Lefkoff ’24 spent the fall semester studying abroad in Zaragoza, Spain, through School Year Abroad Spain. In addition to honing his Spanish skills, the Boulder, Col., native learned to adapt to city life. The fourth largest city in Spain, Zaragoza has few tourists and fewer English language speakers. Fortunately for Lefkoff, his passion for travel and exploration helped him feel right at home.

Below are some of Lefkoff’s observations, excerpted from an article in “News Decoder,” a global educational news service for young people:

“How I love the Sunday lunches and late dinners. Families spend Sundays going to mass and cooking lunch. The recipes have been passed down through generations, never once written down. The meals make me part of a family. Moving from a small town next to mountains to the heart of a city is an exciting and terrifying experience. It presents the opportunity for constant adventure.”

“It’s the mix of serenity and commotion that I love about Zaragoza. The laughter on a Saturday night street, an ambulance on a Thursday afternoon, muffled piano practice late one evening—all remind me that I am not alone. Never again will I explore the back streets, hoping to get lost, or stay out late laughing with newly made Spanish friends. It reminds me to ‘seize the day,’ because I will never again be 17 running around a Spanish city I love so much.”

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Congratulations to Courtney Dann ‘23, who has advanced to Finalist standing in the 68th annual 2023 National Merit ® Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. Out of approximately 1.5 million students who entered the nationwide competition, about 15,000 made it to the Finalist standing. From March through mid-June, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation selects 7,250 Finalists to receive Merit Scholarship ® awards.

Courtney Dann ’23 and Dean of Academics Brooke Depelteau

SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS

Twenty-one Berkshire students earned a combined 35 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (6 Gold, 12 Silver, 17 Honorable Mention) in the fields of ceramics, design, drawing, digital art, painting, photography, and sculpture. The awards recognize students with exceptional artistic and literary talents.

Catherine Yan ‘24 was recognized for her literary talent, earning two Silver Keys for her personal essays “Intertwined” and “Eggs” and an Honorable Mention for her essay “On Beauty.” She also earned a Silver Key for her painting, “Music.”

Will Hansen ’23, Silver Key Angella Ma ’24, Gold Key

“This year’s winners represented such a wide range of students and programs. Everyone from new third formers to experienced seniors were honored. The awards selected really highlighted the breadth and depth of our curriculum.”

—Paul Banevicius, Arts Department Chair

Lily Doggett ’23, Gold Key

Tripp Clark ’25, Gold Key

Evelyn Kim ’26, Silver Key

NEW DANCE

DIRECTOR

TAKES THE LEAD

Madison Bagby’s arrival last fall as the new director infused the dance program with her unique energy. Under Bagby’s direction, dancers have showcased a wide range of styles, including hip-hop, jazz, contemporary, bachata, Chinese dance, Salsa, musical theater, and more.

Inspired by her students’ interests, talents, and backgrounds, Bagby challenges the dancers with intricate choreography, helping them hone their technique. “The variety of styles the dancers have performed truly demonstrates their versatility, as well as their openness to stepping outside of their comfort zone,” she said. “I have witnessed a tremendous amount of growth in each student, not only as a dancer but as a person as well.”

“The variety of styles the dancers have performed truly demonstrates their versatility, as well as their openness to stepping outside of their comfort zone.”

—Madison Bagby, Dance Director

Madison Bagby, center, Berkshire’s new dance program director

Winter Concert

The annual Winter Concert featured the Jazz Ensemble, Digital Music, the Chamber Music Ensemble, Chorus, Greensleeves, and Ursa Minor.

Winter Musical

The Theater and Music Departments presented

“Matilda: The Musical,” this winter. Based on the Roald Dahl classic, Theater Director Jesse Howard described it as “that rare musical that marries humor, music, spectacle, and depth.” The Berkshire production delivered on all four counts!

Students performed solos and duets from the Great American Songbook at the annual Vocal Cabaret.

Boston

Museums, libraries, and historic sites were among the destinations for this immersive, fast-paced tour through one of America’s oldest and greatest cities: Boston, Mass. Highlights included a gallery talk at the Boston Athenaeum, meals in the North End and Chinatown, and stops at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the Black Heritage Trail, and the Boston Opera House to see the musical “Hamilton” on tour.

BEYOND BERKSHIRE with Pro Vita

The annual Pro Vita Winter Session offers students a chance to try new things as they choose from over 50 experiential courses taught on campus and around the local community. This year, Bears with the travel bug pursued hands-on learning at four different destinations from the Bahamas to Boston.

The Island School

“Our adventure included so many wonderful opportunities in unique cultural settings for students to just relax, take in the experience, learn new things, and enjoy time together.”

—Director of Geier Library and trip leader Jen Tuleja

Students explored the beautiful island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas while learning about native ecosystems and environmental sustainability from worldrenowned scientists at the Island School. The trip also featured sunrise yoga, cliff jumping, snorkeling, biking, cave exploration, and enjoying Bahamian food.

King Arthur Baking Company

Students looking to sharpen their culinary skills opted for this intensive baking class taught by professional bakers at The King Arthur Baking Company in Norwich, Vt. Working in King Arthur’s stateof-the-art kitchen-classroom, Bears practiced making fresh pasta, Florentine bars, chocolate ginger cookies, and more.

“Students learned a great amount of basic and pro cooking techniques and built confidence in the kitchen that will hopefully inspire them to continue to cook and enjoy great food for years to come!”

—Languages faculty and trip leader Susie Beattie

Lake Placid

The winter wonderland of Lake Placid, N.Y., served as the backdrop for many outdoor adventures for the Bears. Students embarked on a blue-sky snowshoe ascent up Mt. Van Hoevenberg, climbed an ice wall at Otis Mountain, and toured the former Olympic village.

“At the creek, we spotted a lemon shark and learned how important mangroves are to ecosystems. After lunch, we set off and snorkeled around the Bamboo Reef, where we spotted lots of coral, crabs, squid, grouper, snapper, and a very special fairy basslet. Afterwards, we enjoyed some delicious tacos and talked about the shocking truth behind sharks and how friendly they really are!”

—Excerpt from a trip journal entry by student leaders Addie Robertson ‘23, Royce West ‘25, and Max Alberts ‘24

“The activities allowed students to step outside of their comfort zones and have a great time. A highlight for the group was definitely the toboggan chute on Mirror Lake!”

—RKMP Director and trip leader Glen Seelenbrandt

Bears at Play

LEADER OF THE PACK

Northeastern University’s Vivian Akyirem ’22 is flanked by her soccer teammates before a game last season. Akyirem, a midfielder for the Huskies, led the team with 13 goals and was named to the All-Eastern College Athletic Conference’s First Team as a freshman. Akyirem left her native Ghana in 2018 to join Berkshire, where she holds the single-season record for goals with 29.

Photo by Jim Pierce/Northeastern Athletics

DYNAMIC DUO

On August 21, 2022, serendipity struck former Berkshire soccer teammates Vivian Akyirem ’22 and Chioma Okafor ’22. On that date, Akyirem, a freshman midfielder at Northeastern University, and Okafor, a freshman forward at the University of Connecticut, both scored their first collegiate goals. Akyirem found the net 27 minutes into Northeastern’s game against Boston College, while Okafor notched her first goal at the 33-minute mark versus Syracuse. The pair talked with the “Berkshire Bulletin” about their early success on the college pitch and what they miss most about Berkshire.

You both scored your first college goal on the same day, just minutes apart. What was that experience like?

Vivian Akyirem: I play wing. I got a loose ball behind the defender, and I used my speed and then it was just one-on-one with the goalie, and I just flicked it around her. I was a little bit excited when I scored, but to be honest I didn’t know I was going to have a chance to score in that game because I came off the bench. My first game was

against Boston University, and I was very nervous and I didn’t play great. But the game against Boston College was a whole different experience, and it turned out to be one of the toughest games I’ve played in. I came off the bench during the first half just two minutes in. The game actually changed everything for me. Right after that game, I started studying film because I was now part of the first 11. And looking back, I think that’s made a huge difference in my college career.

Chioma Okafor: It was amazing. It felt good because we’d played a lot of preseason games, a lot of exhibition games before the game against Syracuse, so it just felt so good to go out there and play in a game that counted. And to get a goal, it was amazing. Syracuse had the ball around midfield, and I managed to steal the ball and then it was just a foot race from there. I kind of swiveled around the goalkeeper and then put the ball in the net. Like Viv said, it just set the tone for the rest of the season. I said

Chioma Okafor ’22

Photo by Brian Foley

Vivian Akyirem ‘22

Photo by Jim Pierce

to myself, ‘You know, you can score in college, so what can’t you do now at this level?’ It was amazing, honestly.

Other than your first goal, what was the highlight of your freshman year on the pitch?

Akyirem: I’d say helping my team make it into the finals of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournament. And also being named the conference Rookie of the Week, which was exciting as a firstyear student.

Okafor: When I scored my hat trick [versus Seton Hall]. It was the last game of the season and I thought, ‘What do you got to lose?’ It was electric. A lot of fans were there to watch the game and several of our players were injured, so we had lots of support coming from the bench as well. It was just nice going out there and leaving it all on the field and scoring three goals against a pretty good team.

What do you enjoy most about playing soccer for your school?

Akyirem: I just love the culture of our team; how inclusive everyone is. Everybody is so supportive. At the end of the day, I can turn to my teammates to talk about anything.

Okafor: The girls on the team are amazing, and it’s always fun to have a group of sisters that care about the sport

and are so supportive in every way, on and off the field. Also, UConn is really known for its athletics, and when you get on campus and you’re a part of a team, you feel that competitive spirit between all the teams. At first, I thought of UConn as just a basketball school, but baseball went to the NCAA tournament, softball too, track and field won the Big East, and field hockey went to the Sweet 16. So that’s been memorable, and I’m just glad to be part of it, honestly.

What are some of your goals for the upcoming season?

Okafor: One thing that I’m looking to better myself in is defending. At Berkshire, most of the time we didn’t defend as much because we needed to be aggressive offensively. But I’ve learned this season how important defense is and that it’s going to help my game. I think as a team we’re probably a little bit frustrated with how the season ended in the conference quarterfinal, so we’re just trying to get over that hump.

Akyirem: I also need to work on my defending. The speed of play is so different at the college level. My first three games, I was so tired after just 15 minutes because the speed of play is much faster. I know coming into my sophomore year there will be high expectations for me from my coaches and my teammates, and I’d like to help the team get into the NCAA tournament.

How are your studies going?

Akyirem: I’m studying business. Right now, I’m focusing on marketing and brand management. The second semester was a bit hard because I was taking some tough classes. That way, come fall I will not be as stressed when I travel with the team.

Okafor: I am studying finance and computer science. So, for me the end goal is FinTech. But like Viv mentioned, the spring semester is much harder than the fall because I took a heavier workload so that I can ease off a little bit when the fall comes. I also plan to take some summer classes too.

What do you miss most about Berkshire?

Okafor: Mountain Day!

Akyirem: Oh, Mountain Day!

Yeah, that was fun!

Okafor: I also miss being in Allen Theater, and listening to announcements during All-School Meeting… acting as if nothing’s going to happen, and then Mr. Mulder gets up there and says, “It’s Mountain Day!” And then everyone starts to get electric.

Akyirem: I miss the community. I miss the people. At Berkshire, we were not that big, so we’d interact with everyone. In college, it’s kind of hard to get to know people. I felt more at home at Berkshire because it was small and I was friends with students outside of soccer and track and field.

Bears at Play

ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS

ALL-NEPSAC

Goalie Paolo Mangiafico ’23 led the boys varsity soccer team to nine shutout wins last season (overall 14–3–2), earning a spot on the All-NEPSAC Class A squad. Mangiafico’s play in net also earned him the team’s MVP award (shared with Mays Gunderson ’23).

Check out Berkshire’s All-NEPSAC winners at berkshireschool.org/allnepsac.

FINALIST

The girls varsity squash team was a finalist at the 2023 U.S. High School Squash Championships held in Philadelphia, Penn., in February. The Bears defeated Greens Farms Academy, New Canaan, and Miss Porter’s before falling 4–3 to Kent School in the Div. IV championship match.

Rising Stars

Enzo Agostini ’24 and Addie Frechette ’24 were chosen as Berkshire’s top fifth-form athletes this past spring. Agostini was recognized for his “tireless work ethic and intensity in every practice and game” while earning the Frank Beattie Trophy for his contributions to the football, basketball, and track and field teams. Frechette earned the Jeannette A. Shaw Trophy after competing in soccer, ice hockey, and lacrosse, and was recognized for her strength and toughness, and for being “a tremendous teammate.” The awards are given out each year to a male and female student who best exemplify proficiency and sportsmanship in interscholastic athletics.

COACHING LEGACY

Longtime Taft track and field coach Steve McCabe was honored during May’s meet between the Rhinos and Bears. McCabe, the father of Berkshire coach Mike McCabe, retired this spring following a 42-year career at the school. Taft earned a sweep of the meet, as the girls won the trophy named in honor of C. Twiggs Myers Hon. ’57 and John Small (Taft coach and teacher). The boys were awarded the Harrison Williams ‘75 and Russell Jones (Taft) trophy.

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Photo by US Squash

From left: Becky Zavisza McCabe ’05, John McCabe, Mike McCabe, Steve McCabe, Susan McCabe, Kara Cross, Ian Cross, Katie McDonough, Madde McDonough, Michael McDonough

Agostini (top) and Frechette (bottom)

1,000 POINT CLUB

Shooting guard Matt DeVine ’23 scored his 1,000th point versus Canterbury at the Soffer Athletic Center on January 7. DeVine finished with over 1,200 points for his high school career and will play basketball this winter for Williams College. On his impact on Berkshire’s basketball program, Head Coach Jeff Depelteau said, “Matt is a tireless worker in and out of the classroom. In two short years at Berkshire, he has distinguished himself as a tremendous leader, earning head prefect role as a senior. On the court, Matt has been dependable every day. He is an obvious talent, but what I have enjoyed most about coaching Matt is his willingness to do whatever is asked of him. On many occasions, he led the team in the scoring column and was tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player.”

Bears Reclaim the Sheehan Cup!

The Walter E. Sheehan Trophy is awarded annually to the overall winner of the athletic competitions that take place each year during Family Weekend between the Bears and the Saints. The Bears held the Cup from 2003 to 2021 but lost it in 2022. Their victories in 6 of 9 total athletic contests brought it back to Berkshire this year.

ALL AMERICAN

Elizabeth Wamp ’23 was named an All-American by USA Lacrosse this spring. Wamp finished her two-year Berkshire career with 128 goals and 69 assists, and as a senior earned team MVP and the Herger Trophy, awarded annually to the top sixth-form female athlete. Wamp will play for Siena College (Div. I) this fall. “Elizabeth has proven herself to be one of the most dynamic and impactful lacrosse players in the history of our program,” said Head Coach Katherine Simmons. “She cares deeply about lifting up the people around her and has set a precedent for the way leadership looks on our team moving forward.”

Canterbury’s Head of School

Rachel Stone returns the Sheehan Cup to Mr. Mulder

Head Coach Jeff Depelteau and Matt DeVine ‘23

BOYS ICE HOCKEY COACH DAN DRISCOLL’S LAST GAME

Longtime boys varsity hockey coach Dan Driscoll retired this spring following a 27-year prep school coaching career, including the past 17 years at Berkshire. Coach Driscoll, who will stay on as director of athletics, won 435 games over that span and earned New England Prep School Coach of the Year four times—he won twice at Winchendon (1997, 1999) and twice at Berkshire (2007, 2013)—and his teams won three New England Preparatory School Athletic Council titles. In a career filled with success, Coach Driscoll’s biggest impact is felt in the relationships he developed with his players, some of whom shared their appreciation with the “Berkshire Bulletin.”

“That was my favorite year of hockey I’ve ever had, and a true testament to your coaching ability that that team got ranked No. 1 in New England.” —Tim Ernst ’13

“Thanks for everything you did for me, in my development not only as a player but as a person. You taught me how to treat people and how to carry that through life.”

—Charlie Corcoran ’14

“From Winchendon, to Pomfret, to Berkshire, you’ve mentored hundreds of hockey players. It’s been an amazing run. You’ve done so much for the Berkshire hockey community and the Berkshire community at large.”

—Justin

Torre ’07

“I owe an incredible amount of who I am today, where I am today, to your generosity, your mentorship, and your kindness.”

—Quin Pompi ’13

“I remember my first few days and months at Berkshire being tough. I was the new guy at school, and it was tough to fit in right away. But once hockey season started, I never felt more welcome at a place in my life. I would not be where I am today, for sure, without you.”

—Kevin Rooney ’12

“I’m most thankful and appreciative for the lessons you taught us off the ice. We’ve become better people having played for you.”

—Keith Veronesi ’10

FAT BIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

By Glen Seelenbrandt, RKMP Director

Steve Kaczmarek ’85, CEO and founder of Borealis Fat Bikes, invited the Ritt Kellogg Mountain Program (RKMP) to participate in the Fat Bike World Championships held January 27–29 in New Richmond, Wis. He outfitted the Bears with top-of-the-line, custom-fit, carbon fiber bikes, and he covered the race entry fees.

The course ran from the New Richmond Golf Course to the New Richmond Nature Center, providing killer views and wide open spaces, as well as the charm of rolling along the Willow River. I was especially proud of all four of our

boys who finished the race with smiles on their faces despite the sub-zero temps on race day.

The four-day trip also included spending time in and around Minneapolis. In addition to their training day and Saturday’s race day, the Bears attended a University of Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s hockey game and a Minnesota Timberwolves basketball game, and took two trips to the Mall of America. We all easily meshed together as a group, and I loved the boys’ “up-for-anything” attitude and their non-stop laughter.

From left: Glen Seelenbrandt, Steve Kaczmarek ‘85, Geoffrey Dougherty ‘23, Gus de Vink ‘23, George Khayatt ‘23, and Finn Robertson ‘23

NEW ROLE

3-Time World Squash Champion Nick Matthew Named Director of Squash at Berkshire School

remote stuff is fun but you can’t beat physically being on the campus, catching up with everyone on the court,” added Matthew. In addition to sharing his wealth of experience inside the glassed walls of Berkshire’s squash courts, Matthew works closely with the School’s admission team on player recruitment, as well as Berkshire’s College Counseling Office on player placement at the collegiate level. Recent graduates who’ve worked with Matthew include Kiro Manoharan ’22 (Columbia University), Amanda Miller ’22 (Colby College), Hussien El Desouky ’19 (Dickinson College) and Peter Koenigsbauer ’18 (Bates College). “Nick’s impact on our squash program is a testament to his skill on the court, but he’s also embraced a role that’s had a much larger impact on our entire school community,” said Head of School Pieter Mulder. “We’re excited for the future of squash at Berkshire.”

Former World No. 1 ranked squash player Nick Matthew is expanding his role at Berkshire School.

Matthew, who retired from the professional squash circuit in 2018 after earning the nickname “The Wolf” as one of the game’s greatest players, recently signed a three-year contract extension with Berkshire. After joining the School in the summer of 2018 as the Squash Ambassador, Matthew made an immediate impact by hosting a summer camp and working one-on-one with Berkshire’s squash teams during the winter season, both virtually and in-person. In his new role as the School’s director of squash, Matthew hopes to expand his impact.

“We are looking to build a program that is successful, yet sustainable in the long

term,” said Matthew. “Our fantastic 10-court Soffer Athletic Center deserves a thriving squash program, with hopefully a few more pennants on the wall in the years to come.”

Matthew, a Sheffield, England native, has called Berkshire his “home away from home.” He visits campus regularly through the winter to work closely with Berkshire’s squash athletes—from experienced players to beginners—as well as the program’s coaches to provide high-level training techniques, physical fitness methods, and even in-game advice. He’s also partnered with brands like Dunlop and SquashSkills—a squash training platform—to bring a higher level of competition to the program.

“I love coaching at Berkshire. The

Nick Matthew with Head of School Pieter Mulder in the Soffer Athletic Center

Matthew instructs squash players during an afternoon practice.

BEARS IN THE NEWS

Adam Raine ’18 Lands in CFL

When Adam Raine ’18 got the call to play professional football for the Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Elks this past spring, he had just a few days to pack his belongings and make the long trip from Connecticut to northwestern Canada to join his new team. The trip to an unfamiliar place reminded Raine of his journey to Berkshire in 2017, when he left home in England for a postgraduate year in America.

Raine made the decision to play football at Berkshire in August, just a couple of weeks before the start of the school year. “At the time I thought, ‘Okay, pack up your bags and go,’” he recalled. “Coach [Mike] McCabe really made me feel at home.”

It didn’t take Raine long to adjust to his new surroundings under the Mountain, as he guided the Bears to an undefeated season and a league championship, and he earned the New England Preparatory School Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He had a similar impact at Yale, where he earned a degree in economics and helped the Bulldogs win two Ivy League championships while being selected honorable mention All-Ivy.

“Yale was transformative,” Raine said. “I grew physically a lot, I grew technically. The coaches really invested in me.”

This past May, just a few months after his playing days at Yale ended, Raine received the call he’d been dreaming of—he was invited to the Washington Commanders’ rookie mini camp for a chance to earn a spot on an NFL team.

“It was great to be around the quality of players they had at camp,” he said. “I played well, but the way it goes sometimes they don’t have a spot to offer you.”

While he hopes to get another shot at the NFL, Raine has settled in at Edmonton. The opportunity to play professionally, whether in Canada or the States, isn’t lost on Raine. For now, he’s content with his new surroundings. “Football jobs are very hard to come by,” he said. “I’m very happy to be here.”

Michigan lacrosse teammates Jack Whitney ’20 and Michael Frechette ’21 celebrated winning the team’s first ever Big Ten tournament championship in May. Whitney, a defenseman, earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament team. The Wolverines advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament, losing to topranked Duke 15–7.

Jacob Shaffelburg ‘19 scored the first international goal of his career in July while playing for Canada in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal match against the United States. Shaffelburg currently plays for Nashvillle SC of the MLS.

Will Byrne ’20 was named First Team AllNew England and First Team All-NESCAC after leading Bowdoin men’s lacrosse with 83 points (45 goals and 38 assists).

Cavan Brady ’19 was named the Div. III Region 1 Player of the Year after finishing his senior season at Wheaton College with a .405 batting average, seven home runs, and a Div. III-leading 77 RBIs. Brady also earned the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Baseball Athlete of the Year. Brady and Kevin Matos ’21 helped the Lyons capture the team’s third straight conference championship and a spot in the NCAA Div. III tournament.

Photo courtesy of @adamwraine Twitter

Photo courtesy of Wheaton College

Photo courtesy of Jack Whitney ’20

Jack Harrison ’15 led Leeds United Football Club in assists (7) and was second in goals (5) during the team’s Premier League season.

Kiro Manoharan ’22 finished the season with an 8–5 record for the No. 6-ranked Columbia University women’s squash team.

Holley Riva ’19 was named captain of the Elmira College women’s ice hockey team for the upcoming 2023–24 season. Riva finished last season with 10 goals and 14 assists while leading the Soaring Eagles to the New England Hockey Conference championship game.

Cooper Tuckerman ’18 raced with Dartmouth’s Lightweight Varsity Eight boat in the IRA National Championships in June. Tuckerman, who will vie for a spot in the 2024 Olympics, was named Academic All-Ivy for his performance in the classroom.

Athi Msiza ’22 was named Centennial Conference (CC) Rookie of the Year and earned All-CC Second Team honors after starting all 18 games for the Gettysburg College men’s soccer team. He led the Bullets with five assists and scored three goals on the season.

Jake Lachance ’19 Named Player of the Year, All-American

Wesleyan University’s Jake Lachance ’19 collected some impressive hardware following his senior season. The Cardinals’ defenseman was named New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Player of the Year and a Div. III All-American by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) after finishing the year with seven goals and 19 assists. Lachance, a co-captain for the Cardinals, led Wesleyan to the NESCAC regular season championship (15–7–3 record) and earned NESCAC All-Academic honors while studying economics and history.

“My time at Berkshire was amazing, and I could not have asked for a better year overall. There are so many people that helped prepare me for success at the next level. All of my teachers, with special shoutouts to Mr. Gappa and Mr. and Mrs. Bowler, truly cared about the successes of their students, as they made it enjoyable to come to class every day. All of my teachers at Berkshire prepared me very well for college courses. Athletically, I owe everything to Coach [Dan] Driscoll, Coach [George] Stetson, and Coach [Becky] McCabe for having confidence in me and helping me prepare for success at the next level. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for them. Berkshire helped me in every way possible for my time at Wesleyan, and I will take away lessons I learned there for the rest of my life.”—Jake

Lachance ’19

Alexis Moragne ’19 averaged 8.7 points per game as a senior at Delaware State, and scored a season-high 27 points against Hampton University on Nov. 12. Moragne started 47 of 49 games over her final two years for the Hornets.

Kacey Bellamy ’05 came out of retirement to join the Premier Hockey Federation’s (PHF) Connecticut Whale. Bellamy, who retired from the U.S. National Women’s Team in 2021, previously served as PHF’s scout and player relations liaison.

Josh Bernstein ’22 scored 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Tufts University in the team’s first-round victory in the NCAA Div. III Men’s Basketball tournament against Widener.

Hank Morgan ’21 scored a team-high 15 points for Hamilton College in the second round of the NCAA Div. III tournament against Johns Hopkins. Morgan, who led the team in scoring at 14.0 ppg, helped the Continentals capture the school’s first NESCAC Men’s Basketball championship.

Antonia Matzka ’17 signed a one-year contract to play professionally with the Buffalo Beauts of the Professional Hockey Federation. On November 5, she scored her first goal of the season and finished with three goals and five assists. Matzka also represented Team World in the PHF All-Star Weekend in Toronto.

Aidan Thompson ’20 , drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2022 NHL Draft, finished with 10 goals and 22 assists for the University of Denver.

Photo by Steve McLaughlin

Photo courtesy of Delaware State Athletics

A NEW SENSE OF COMMUNITY

Alumnae gather for Career Panel Discussion

Supportive, empathetic, strong, selfless, inclusive, and fly—all descriptors Berkshire alumnae professionals shared at the first Annual Alumni Career Panel Discussion when asked what makes a good leader.

Moderated by Erin Yoffe Halper ’97, founder and CEO of the consulting firm The Upside, panelists represented four decades of Berkshire graduates—E.V. Day ’86, Charlotte Fadden ’09, Eliza Farley ’13, Jillian Hooper Joseph ’97, and Abby Tufts ’08— whose careers spanned the arts, finance, tech, real estate, and public relations industries. In an engaging and often humorous conversation, alumnae discussed their career paths and choices, as well as the challenges and opportunities present in today’s workplace. After the panel, guests stayed for a networking reception, shared stories about life under the Mountain, and perhaps even exchanged a digital business card or two.

berkshireschool.org/alumni

Kathryn Driscoll ’18, Charlotte Childs ’18, and Harley Frechette ’19 attended the discussion and reception.

From left: E.V. Day ’86, Eliza Farley ’13, Charlotte Fadden ’09, Abby Tufts ’08, Jillian Hooper Joseph ’97, Erin Yoffe Halper ’97

“We’ve lost a sense of community over the past century, and the theme I’m picking up on is that there’s a new sense of community now, with women coming together and supporting each other in lots of different ways.”

—Erin Yoffe Halper ’97, CEO of The Upside, an independent consulting firm

“People would say to me, ‘You can’t sell this, you can’t do this, or you can’t do that.’ And so I said, ‘Forget it, I’m going to do exactly what I want.’ And I did totally impractical work, which then ended up being in a very big show that started my career.”

–E.V. Day ’86, installation artist and sculptor

“It’s been a lot about fine-tuning, figuring out what kinds of projects I want to work on and exactly what direction I want to go. It’s been a twisty path, even though now I’m actually not that far away from where I started.”

–Eliza Farley ’13, programmer writer at Amazon

“The finance industry needs people with different perspectives and backgrounds to find new ideas. Whether that’s how you think or how you look, it’s extremely important. If we’re looking at things in a variety of perspectives, we can grow, we can expand, we can look at mitigating risk.”

–Charlotte Fadden ’09, senior recruiter for The Riverside Company, a private equity firm

“This panel is super important because it’s critical for people to see different careers and different people, and for women of all ages to see women who they admire and who they can emulate. As people continue to bring their authentic selves to work, it opens more doors for women.”

–Jillian Hooper Joseph ’97, managing director and associate general counsel at Nuveen, the asset management arm of TIAA

“As long as you have the ability to market yourself, you can change industries mid-career. When you have those translatable and transferable skills that relate to the job description you’re going for, you can absolutely use those to your advantage. I think the sky’s the limit for a lot of people.”

–Abby Tufts ’08, vice president in the Sports Division at DKC, a PR firm

SMALL BUSINESS BEARS

Many Berkshire alums have forged their own paths, starting small businesses (that have grown big), launching innovative endeavors, and turning passions into full-time professions. We celebrate our Bears' entrepreneurial spirit, and the determination and resiliency to lead the charge.

The artist Sam Lewis ’14 has a booming business as a YouTuber documenting his art.

CRUSHING IT

Artist and YouTuber Sam Lewis ’14 had a vision and went after it.

By Megan Tady

In early February, the artist Sam Lewis—known as “SLEW”—was having a busy day. He’d just finished a large-scale oil painting of an elfin queen in a fantastical world, a project that took him 100 hours to complete, and he was moving on to create a smaller painting, this one of a woman’s hand holding a shimmery sword. But first, he had some video editing to complete. The difference between Lewis and other artists: he documents the process of making his art for his YouTube

channel, SLEW. He has a staggering 327,000 subscribers, an even higher monthly viewership, and dozens of paying sponsors, allowing him to monetize his art in a wholly unique way. He also has nearly 80,000 Instagram followers.

“I’m a YouTuber,” Lewis said. “The art is the content, but the real job is documenting and storytelling through a video camera. I infuse my perspective, passion, and personality with high-quality documentation of projects and high-quality work. That mixture is what

All photos courtesy of Sam Lewis ’14

drives people and how I get eyeballs [watching my videos].”

The video of Lewis painting the elfin queen runs 18 minutes long, and is titled, “This Painting Almost Killed Me.” It showcases nearly every step of the process: photographing a model dressed as the elf queen; making a Photoshop composite of the fantastical world; tediously gridding the canvas; organizing the painting into sections: foreground, background, and subject.

“It’s a flat layer,” Lewis explains in the video of the “ugly painting stage.” “It’s drab. There’s color and value mediumally in the right places. That’s fine. You know there’s way more layers, way more panache. It’s kind of like building a house. It’s such a cliche thing, but this is the first layer: structure, mass, shape. But you need the insulation, electricity, walls. So we’re going to add the second layer: Texture, highlights, darker darks. And we’re going to keep on crushing it.”

On camera, Lewis is chatty, personable, funny, and insightful. In the elfin queen video, he’s wearing elf ears, sneezing, snacking on Funyuns, and even sharing moments of self doubt. “I was paralyzed to finish and actually put in the time,” he said, before he finally added the last touches. The video has received almost 50,000 views.

As Lewis built his brand and platform over the past five years, he also attended several art schools, including the Artist Students League and Parsons. Ultimately, he found those institutionalized experiences lacking, preferring to master his techniques on his own. And he had an early vision: to share his art on YouTube.

Lewis himself says he was “raised on YouTube,” watching other artists create and share their work online, particularly graffiti and street art. But those were the nascent days of YouTube, and Lewis saw early on that he could do the same thing, only

better, fully optimizing the monetization program built into the platform. “I began to see people making careers on YouTube,” he said. “I saw the blueprint, and I went for it. Honestly, I think I’m just making the videos that I wish I could have watched when I was starting out.”

Two years ago, he moved into a 2,000-square foot studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to scale up and diversify his business. The “Slewniverse,” as he calls his business ecosystem, includes a podcast of the same name, highlighting other artists; figure-drawing sessions posted online; merchandise for sale

on his website; and a drawing workshop in Italy in July. “This studio is not only an art studio for myself, but it’s a production center,” he said.

Lewis credits an independent study at Berkshire for validating him as an artist. He pitched a graffiti project to Arts Department Chair Paul Banevicius and several other faculty members, half expecting Berkshire to say no to a student wanting to spray paint on campus. Instead, he got the green light.

“That independent study year was very pivotal,” he said. “It was an extreme genesis experience, and it is a big reason for where I’m at today. My teachers and advisors said, ‘Yes, that’s interesting. Why don’t you try that?’ It legitimized me.

And the entire time I was painting, I was talking to the camera and ‘vlogging,’ at that point. It propelled my love of using video cameras.”

Lewis’s love of Berkshire also runs deep. For the past two years, he’s shared an apartment in Brooklyn with three of his best friends, all fellow Bears, Class of 2014: Blake Polizzi, Peter Hoover, and Ian Rasmussen. Hoover and Lewis were roommates in Buck their senior year.

Asked for advice on carving out a life as a full-time artist, Lewis says, “You have to be a hungry shark. You have to be amped up about it. You’ve got to draw from that entrepreneurial spirit. Not that I’m some savant, but I just knew what I liked. I’ve tried really hard, and I’ve been really consistent about it. And now I have a lot of freedom to do what I want.” @slewp

Lewis (right) documenting his drawing workshop in Italy in June

CONNECTING PATIENTS WITH PHARMACISTS

Q&A with Phuong “Sophie” Le ’12

By Megan Tady

Phuong “Sophie” Le has been in the pharmacy setting for over 10 years. On summer breaks while attending Berkshire, she worked in pharmacies in her hometown of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. She went on to earn a doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy. Along the way, she noticed a disconnect between patients and pharmacists. Patients need more information about their medications and healthcare, and pharmacists have the answers—but their role is often

reduced to simply filling prescriptions. An entrepreneur at heart—her team was awarded Berkshire’s inaugural Sabin Prize in 2012—Le co-founded ImpactPharm in 2021. The startup aims to connect patients directly with pharmacists through an app, cultivating a community approach to healthcare. Le has participated in several accelerator programs geared toward seed and early-stage startups, including the Founder Institute and Women Founders’ Project, and in November 2022, ImpactPharm was featured on an episode of Bloomberg’s “Advancements with Ted Danson.” Le lives with her husband, Evan Brown, in Minneapolis, and their two lop-eared rabbits, Maxwell and Shiloh. This winter, she returned to Berkshire to teach a Pro Vita course called Entrepreneurship 101.

Phuong “Sophie” Le ’12’s app, ImpactPharm, will change how patients and pharmacists connect.

How do you describe ImpactPharm?

We connect patients with licensed pharmacists so that patients can get their questions answered in a timely and accurate manner, removing the confusion that often comes from searching online for the same answers. Dispensing medications is not the only role that pharmacists can play. They can actually counsel patients. In the long run, this might help patients develop better and healthier habits so that they can take fewer medications while improving their health.

What inspired you to start ImpactPharm?

When I worked in pharmacies in Ho Chi Minh City, I saw a supply/ demand mismatch for patients and pharmacists. Patients felt unseen and unheard, while the pharmacy staff members experienced chronic burnout, creating an exodus of pharmacists and technicians from the community pharmacy setting. My dad recalled how rewarding it was to work at my grandfather’s community pharmacy during the ’70s and ’80s. At the time, a pharmacy was the cornerstone of the community, and my grandfather collaborated with physicians and nurses in town to help patients and give them the care that they needed. ImpactPharm can eliminate the geographical barriers, enabling patients to gain quick access to a licensed pharmacist.

What impact do you want ImpactPharm to have on healthcare?

We want to meet the healthcare needs of the community by matching the patient with the pharmacy—not only pharmacy members, but also the rest of the healthcare team in that particular area. Secondly, we want to be scalable, repeating this process so we can serve as many communities as possible, both

in the U.S. and around the world. And thirdly—this is a very Berkshire thing— we want to be sustainable, balancing profitability with a social mission. For every recurring consultation service purchase, ImpactPharm will donate a similar service to a person in need in the same community. This is something we’re looking to implement in the future.

What’s challenging about getting a startup off the ground?

I have very little finance background. I’m a science major, not a business major, so this journey has been very eye-opening for me. The upside is that I have a great co-founder and a team of advisors and mentors. The company probably wouldn’t be here without their help over the years.

What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs?

Be selective about what accelerators you work with. Some accelerators might take a certain equity in your startup in exchange for a low cost. When you’re choosing an accelerator, talk to as many people as possible who have joined and graduated from those programs.

What brought you to Berkshire?

My parents and I were looking for boarding schools that would provide an excellent education, a commitment to sustainability, and the possibility of lifelong friends. My parents made a huge sacrifice, selling our childhood home so that we could afford Berkshire. This was

a huge investment in me, and for a long time, I didn’t know if it was going to be worth it. But things have been working out, and I was able to do really well at Berkshire and beyond.

How did your Berkshire experience impact your career path?

Berkshire trained me to be very proactive, ask great questions, and try to understand the landscape before I dive into any particular project. When I won the Sabin Prize, I worked with a group of three male students. I learned how to collaborate with people who had different points of view and different backgrounds. We created an end-to-end dorm room design and moving service so students and parents can be fully present for each other during a critical time of transition. We were able to come together to create a common vision and a sound business plan within a short amount of time.

What was it like to return to campus to teach a Pro Vita class?

I actually learned about entrepreneurship from a different Berkshire alum, Joe Geiger ’56, who taught a Pro Vita class. He wrote a book about his business, and it was the first time that I learned about entrepreneurship. I just thought it meant owning your own business, but he talked about scaling quickly and gathering a good team. So teaching a Pro Vita course now is like coming full circle.

impactpharm.app

Le taught a Pro Vita course on entrepreneurship at Berkshire this year, handing out Gary Nealon’s book “Notes to a Young Entrepreneur.”

THE NEXT BIG IDEA

Entrepreneur Brooks Gammill ’19 on his latest ventures: Grill Guys and RecruitU

By Megan Tady

Brooks Gammill has a grease fire to thank for inspiring his grill-cleaning franchise Grill Guys, now entering its fifth season. And he has his revenue from Grill Guys to thank for the seed money to invest in his latest venture, RecruitU.

In 2018, Gammill was visiting family in Nantucket, Mass., when his uncle’s grill caught fire during a barbecue. Gammill volunteered to clean the grill,

and inspiration struck. He wondered if property owners around the island also needed their grills cleaned, especially before the busy rental season commenced.

Over the course of his senior year at Berkshire, Gammill—who already had a passion for entrepreneurship—launched Grill Guys, and during one spring weekend on campus he discovered he had 10 grills to clean back on Nantucket.

“I went back to Nantucket, and honestly, I didn’t like it,” he said. “It was a ton of hard work. It was brutal. And that first weekend, no joke, I remember being in the shower with tears coming down my face wondering what I had gotten myself into.”

Still, Gammill knew the business had legs, and over time he refined his system and invested in commercial equipment,

Gammill, center, with past Grill Guys managers Wyatt Pastor and Mac Deane. Photo courtesy of Brooks Gammill ’19

biodegradable degreasers, and electrical cleaning tools. He was able to branch out to three other locations: Fairfield County, Conn., Westchester County, N.Y., and new to this summer, the Hamptons, N.Y. The enterprise is becoming a family affair, with brother Briggs ’20 managing Fairfield County and brother Boden ’22 managing Nantucket. Fellow Bear James Nemeth ’22 will run the Hamptons, and Julian Honts ’23, Nick Donaldson ’22, and Will O’Callaghan ’22 have joined the team this summer. Griffin Grisé ’20 and Patrick Murdock ’20 have also worked for the company.

While running Grill Guys, Gammill has been earning his economics degree at Trinity College. At the same time, he’s teamed up with a childhood friend, Wesley Farley, to launch RecruitU, a platform to make it easier for students to find and land jobs in finance—a process that typically relies on networks and often excludes nontarget schools.

“The process for recruiting out of college campuses into finance is very broken,” Gammill said. “Say I come from a school that doesn’t place well into Wall Street, and I have none of those connections. I don’t have the ability to even find those jobs. Essentially, we want to democratize this access by creating a one stop platform for all your recruiting needs to land that dream job.”

Gammill has had an entrepreneurial mindset since he was a kid, and

working hard is in his DNA, instilled in him by parents Pam (a Berkshire Parent Committee member since 2013) and Ken Gammill, Jr. (a member of Berkshire’s Board of Trustees since 2020). He babysat, and he ran birthday parties and lacrosse clinics. When he was 13 years old, he set up a summer day camp in his backyard in New Canaan, Conn., with his older brother, Barclay ’16, and his mom, dubbing it Braveheart. All of the Gammill brothers helped run the camp for seven summers with seven counselors, enrolling up to 40 campers. He saved most of his earnings, which provided the capital to start Grill Guys.

“I didn’t know I was saving up for the next big idea, which is also what I’ve done with RecruitU,” he said. Gammill was also inspired by both of his uncles’ business savvy on Nantucket—one started a real estate company and the other a fishing charter business—and he often peppered them with questions about investing in the stock market and earning passive income.

And at Berkshire, Gammill took Advanced Economics, creating a composting business, “All in One Composting,” to compete for the

RecruitU will help finance students find and land jobs.

Sabin Entrepreneurial Prize. “A lot of entrepreneurship is being able to deal with a million things at once, but not let it stress you out,” Gammill said.

“The Sabin project really introduced me to that, and Berkshire in general heightened my awareness of what it feels like to have true responsibility for other people.”

Gammill’s advice for Bears who want to start a business: “Talk to people about your idea to figure out if it’s really a problem that needs to be solved.” But more important is the willingness to try. “You have to have the confidence that even if it doesn’t work, you tried, and that’s better than someone who talks about an idea and doesn’t try it. In terms of Grill Guys, I’ve tried selling hats, T-shirts, grill spices, grill spatulas, and barbeque catering. I’ve done all these little avenues to see if it was the next big thing. And some of them have done fine, and some of them haven’t worked. But that’s how I’m learning.”

grillguysllc.com

“You have to have the confidence that even if it doesn’t work, you tried, and that’s better than someone who talks about an idea and doesn’t try it.”

FINDING THE JOY

Alex ’03 & Emily Wenner ’03’s Hudson Valley brewery takes flight.

By Lucia Mulder

When seen from the entrance of the long, winding driveway, Lasting Joy Brewery resembles a modern take on a classic farmstead amid the rolling green landscape of New York’s Hudson Valley. With a shining new brewhouse in the renovated barn and a 60-seat, glass-walled tasting room that lets in the light and the ambiance of the outdoors, the Tivoli, New York brewery has been attracting both locals and tourists since opening in June of 2022. But it’s the warmth and care of co-CEOs Alex Wenner and Emily (Eisen-Berkeley) Wenner that make this destination brewery something special.

Alex and Emily’s partnership dates back to 2003, when they were both seniors at Berkshire, enrolled in Hilary Russell’s afternoon boat-building program. “That was probably my favorite experience at Berkshire,” said Emily.

“Mr. Russell was very devoted to us doing everything by hand as much as we could.” Along with running the boatbuilding program, Mr. Russell taught English at Berkshire for 24 years.

“A lot of what Emily and I got out of that program was realizing just how well we could work together,” Alex added. Emily jumped back in, “Hands-on problem solving, working together, and dividing things up into your skill sets and interests has been something that’s stuck with us.”

The pair has been together ever since Berkshire. Alex attended NYU, and Emily transferred from the University of Puget Sound to the Eugene Lang College at the New School in New York, allowing the couple to live in the same city. They were married in 2007 and moved to the Hudson Valley with their four school-aged children in 2018.

Since then, they have been balancing raising their children, building their dream business—a process that was prolonged due to the shipping and supply chain delays of the pandemic— and putting down roots in the community. “I can definitely say that if it wasn’t for Berkshire, I don’t think either one of us would have wanted to move,” Alex said. “Being back up here felt very much like coming home.”

While Alex is Lasting Joy’s head brewer, Emily helps oversee strategic

Emily and Alex in Hilary Russell’s boat-building program, spring 2003.

Photo courtesy of Hilary Russell

operations as well as branding and marketing initiatives. Their skills complement each other, and their strong sense of place pervades the operation. “People see the space as a community gathering place,” explained Emily. “And because we’re raising four kids here, we feel really connected to the community and very lucky that people have embraced us. There are a lot of things that affirm the vision and the hope that we had for it. People really relate to the brand, the idea of joy.”

Alex has been passionate about brewing for over two decades. He earned his associate’s degree in brewing science and technology from Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago in 2010 and worked at breweries in Fairfield, N.J., Brooklyn, and Coney Island before heading upstate to start Lasting Joy. In addition to feeling familiar to the Wenners, the Hudson Valley also has a rich culture of farm-to-table and craft beer production.

Because the New York Farm Brewery license requires that a beer must be made primarily from locally grown hops, malt, and other ingredients, the rise in craft breweries in the Hudson Valley has been a boon to the state’s farmers and hops growers, a commitment that aligns with the Wenners’ vision for Lasting Joy.

“The license helps to promote agriculture and agritourism, so it’s a very cool program, and it incentivizes us to work as locally as we can,” said Emily. “I’ve wanted to have my own brewery for a while now,” Alex added. “And the license was definitely a big driver in

Photo courtesy of Lasting Joy Brewery

building it here and doing it in the way that we’re doing it.”

While maintaining the designated New York State Brewery status requires that at least 60% of a beer’s ingredients come from New York State, the Wenners, in close collaboration with farm partners, are procuring almost 100% of their ingredients locally. “We’re well above the requirement and that’s really just a personal choice,” Alex said.

Take their Heartbeet of the Hudson stout. New York State happens to produce about one third of the country’s beets. So Alex, in a blend of resourcefulness and creativity, crafted a brew to take advantage of this plentiful supply. “I thought a nice, earthy British stout would work very well with the richness you’d normally expect from beets, but by not adding so much of them that you get the intense vegetal flavor, it captures the earthiness without being overpowering.”

The result is the beer that exemplifies Lasting Joy’s mission: “My goal is to make classic, Old World-style beers with a New York farm twist,” he said.

Customers are responding to Alex’s recipes for classic beer. The brewery celebrated its one-year anniversary in June, and just before that milestone they were already expanding with the addition of a new tank for the brewhouse and a 15-person staff on hand for the high season. Lasting Joy beer was made available this summer in New York City and Long Island, N.Y., thanks to a springtime distribution deal. And Berkshire alumni heartily enjoyed Lasting Joy’s Two Rivers Pilsner, Clouds Over Claremont, and West Coast IPA over Reunion Weekend.

“We’re happy we found each other,” Emily said. “We really did take a lot of what we learned at Berkshire into our life together and into this enterprise of thinking creatively and building something together.” It sounds like an outlook with all the ingredients to a recipe for lasting joy.

lastingjoybrewery.com

on TAP

Two Rivers Pilsner Light, crisp, and approachable, the brewery’s introductory beer.

ILOVIT Lager

A Mexican, Vienna-style lager and local favorite, it’s “Tivoli” spelled backward and the brew made especially to celebrate the town’s 150th anniversary last year.

Clouds Over Claremont

An IPA with all the classic tropical fruit flavors, made with 100% NY State hops.

Heartbeet of the Hudson

Made with NY State beets, this stout captures the veggie’s earthiness, without being overpowering.

Lasting Joy welcomes food trucks most weekends during the high season. Check @lastingjoybrewery on Instagram for the schedule!

“My goal is to make classic, Old World-style beers with a New York farm twist.”

—Alex Wenner ’03

Photo courtesy of Lasting Joy Brewery

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

Evan Hardcastle ’95 embraces net-zero construction

By Michael Hayes

It’s an unusually sunny morning in early April in Tyringham, Mass., where a Shaker home built more than a century ago is in the midst of a major renovation. As reggae music plays over a radio, carpenters install baseboard trim in the basement of the house while a painter

preps an upstairs wall for wallpaper. Outside, stone masons are finishing a large retaining wall that will hold back a hillside overlooking a sprawling valley. Evan Hardcastle and his company, 377 Builders, based in Berkshire County, are overseeing the project.

377 Builders specializes in both new construction and renovation, with a focus on energy efficiency and sustainability.

Photos courtesy of 377 Builders Portfolio/Lisa Vollmer Photography

Hardcastle, who is often accompanied on the job site by his dog, Effie, stands atop the property with a coffee in hand explaining their approach to this renovation. At the heart of everything the company does is sustainability, with a goal of helping people live in energy-efficient homes that have low carbon footprints.

“When we started this project two years ago, the structure [of the property] was so bad, but we couldn’t just demo it. We had to support the entire roof system and then build it up in reverse,” he recalls, pointing out that only a single large wooden beam from the original structure could be saved and repurposed.

Hardcastle, who was a self-employed carpenter, started 377 about eight years ago, partnering with his wife, Sarah, and two childhood friends, John Sarno and Tucker Gillooly, both fellow carpenters. Over time, the general contracting company has grown to over a dozen employees and has become Berkshire County’s most sought after firm in zero net-zero construction—an approach to building homes that allows a property to produce its own energy through renewable resources, equal to or greater than the amount it consumes.

With the Shaker house, for example, they’ve outfitted the home with a geothermal heating and cooling system; replaced older windows with new, higher performing windows; and will soon install solar panels atop the standing seam roof to satisfy the home’s power needs. The new features are all hallmarks of 377’s commitment to sustainable building practices, and they are often ahead of the curve.

“Yes, we could build a house the way it was built in the 1990s. Or, we can build it the way it’s going to be built in 2030,” he says.

Clients turn to 377 to build a “forever home,” Hardcastle adds. “Building a 100year home isn’t just about the energy system. It’s about managing the water. It’s about the way you install the trim.

It’s about what you do on the exterior to make it all work. This is the next generation of construction.”

Hardcastle is a firm believer in the net-zero approach. He and Sarah live in an energy-efficient home, and over the last decade he’s dedicated time and resources to learn the nuances of sustainable construction while working closely with his partners and employees to put that knowledge into practice. He recently took a zero-energy construction course with Marc Rosenbaum, an engineer notable for his work in energyefficient sustainable architecture.

Photos on the company’s website reveal 377’s range of projects and attention to craftsmanship—from a small home with sleek modern design, to a timber frame office barn, to an historic

colonial townhouse addition. One happy client has led to another, and revenue now ranges from $3 to $6 million annually, according to Hardcastle.

The company’s success, he believes, is due in large part to the “amazingly talented craftspeople” who come to work every day with a sense of purpose and pride in their work. Hardcastle likens the community of workers, which includes his employees and subcontractors, to the classmates and teachers he found at Berkshire, where he was captain of the cross country team.

“When I left Berkshire School, I missed that connection to the sense of place, and to the sense of people who knew me,” he says. “My work has given me some of that back.”

Hardcastle credits the likes of C. Twiggs Myers Hon. ’57, Dr. Sarah Bakhiet ’83, and Bill Gulotta for having the biggest impact on him as a student at Berkshire. “The camaraderie, the teamwork, and feeling a level of responsibility for the success of the team absolutely translated for me,” he says. Now, house by house, board by board, he’s crafting a level of success in the Berkshires—one that prizes the environment over short-term gains, upholding the charm of historic architecture while building and restoring houses that protect the future.

377builders.com

The company’s success, he believes, is due in large part to the “amazingly talented craftspeople” who come to work every day with a sense of purpose and pride in their work.

Gracious Farmhouse Update

Photo courtesy of 377 Builders Portfolio/Lisa Vollmer Photography

Celebrating Berkshire’s 116th graduating class

Longtime science teacher and Senior Faculty Member Anita Loose-Brown, who retired at the end of the school year after a remarkable 35-year teaching career at Berkshire, delivered this year’s Commencement address. All-School President Bridget Alamu ’23, the winner of the Weil Family Prize for Public Speaking, shared remarks on behalf of the students.

Alamu spoke to the Class of 2023 about what it means to find yourself amidst the chaos and how these moments shape us for years to come. “It is not the struggle that makes or defines us; it is how we respond that speaks to our characters as individuals,” she shared. “We need to endure challenges in order to learn the important character traits of pushing through, being resilient, and standing right in the face of adversity.”

COMMENCEMENT

2023

Alamu encouraged her classmates not to be afraid to take risks and try new things. “Life is like Berkshire,” she said. “It is full of many opportunities, and you never know where they might take you.”

In a nod to the similarities between the Class of 2023’s graduation and her own “graduation” from Berkshire through retirement, Loose-Brown opened her remarks with a familiar line from all-school meetings: “I’m Anita LooseBrown, and this is my senior speech.” She continued to explain that holding the title of Senior Faculty Member “just requires that you hang around long enough … or, put another way, one just needs to be the Last Bear Standing.”

Drawing on a comparison from the world of science, specifically Newton’s first law of motion, she said, “being the Senior Faculty Member just requires inertia— the tendency for a stationary body to remain stationary unless acted on by an unbalanced force.”

Reflecting on her own experience at Berkshire, Loose-Brown shared that the strongest forces that kept her under the Mountain were not only the connections

to her colleagues past and present, but, most importantly, the interactions with her students over the years. “There is something special about you all, and also something special about Berkshire, that helps to foster relationships across this community that, if not unique, are quite rare.”

In closing, Loose-Brown shared that Berkshire is at its best when it functions as a biological community, stressing the interdependence of the groups that make up that community.

“In biology, if you remove a species from a community, the community changes; it becomes less stable and loses what biologists refer to as ‘species richness.’ . . . See yourself in the light of community. Be one of the ones the community can count on to call it back into its better self when it goes astray. Healthy communities don’t construct themselves; they have to be constructed by their members. Decide to be one of those constructors . . . You and I will be learning what our new communities need. Let’s make a pact to get to work when we get to all of those new ones.”

Anita Loose-Brown, longtime science teacher and Senior Faculty Member, served as the keynote speaker.

Photo by Highpoint Pictures

“It is not the struggle that makes or defines us, it is how we respond that speaks to our characters as individuals.”

—Bridget Alamu ’23

The Weil Family Prize for Public Speaking winner All-School President Bridget Alamu ’23

Photo by Highpoint Pictures

“There is something special ... about Berkshire, that helps to foster relationships across this community that, if not unique, are quite rare.”

—Anita Loose-Brown

Photo by Highpoint Pictures

Gracyn Kurrle, Kyle Kirby, Elle Eggleston, and William Faucett will lead the Class of 2024 as next year’s all-school presidents and head prefects.

THE SENIOR DINNER: WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!

On Tuesday, May 23, the Class of 2023 celebrated their time under the Mountain with their advisors and the faculty at the annual Senior Dinner. It was a beautiful spring evening for an outdoor reception in front of Geier Library, followed by a celebratory dinner in Benson Commons dining hall.

Bermudian Ahriá Simons ’18, a Division I scholar-athlete who graduated from Dartmouth in 2022, was this year’s keynote speaker. Simons is currently pursuing a graduate degree in global

studies and international relations at Northeastern University, while playing for the Huskies’ men’s soccer team thanks to additional years of eligibility as a result of COVID-19 and a medical redshirt year.

Simons began his remarks by offering his congratulations to the Class of 2023. “We are here today because each and every one of you made a commitment—a commitment to learn, to believe in yourself, and to your future.” He then asked the class to think about the challenges they had faced at Berkshire. “No matter how you were challenged here, all of you found a way to succeed,” he said.

Simons shared some of his own challenges, including struggling with anxiety, living in a different country and away from family, navigating academic and athletic life at an Ivy League institution, and rupturing his Achilles tendon before his senior year at college. He attributes his perseverance and belief in himself to his time spent at Berkshire. “I thank Berkshire for giving me a safe space at a young age to challenge myself and find my voice.”

One of the highlights of his time as a student under the Mountain was being in the cast of the winter musical, “Hairspray.” The experience helped him realize that while opportunities for personal growth abound, if you never take a chance, you’ll never dare to be great at anything. He added, “‘Being comfortable with the uncomfortable is something I remind myself every day.”

Simons closed by welcoming the Class of 2023 into the Berkshire alumni family. “There is something truly special about this place and the friendships you create and the experiences you share with those around you … I hope you keep a special place in your heart for Berkshire—I know I have.”

“NO MATTER HOW YOU WERE CHALLENGED HERE, ALL OF YOU FOUND A WAY TO SUCCEED.”

—Ahriá Simons ’18

MAJOR SIXTH FORM PRIZES

MATTHEW W. DeVINE of Wilbraham, Massachusetts: The Berkshire Cup, the highest distinction Berkshire confers on one of its graduating seniors. It is given each year to the student who is considered by the faculty to have made the greatest contribution to the success of the school year.

JUSTINE A. RABLEY of Great Barrington, Massachusetts: The Head of School Prize, awarded to the student whose particular contribution to Berkshire has distinguished the school year in a special way and whose leadership led others and influenced many.

HUY (SAM) M. TR ` ÂN of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: The Peter Lance Anderson Award, decided by the membership of the Cum Laude Society and given to the student who best exemplifies the qualities of personal excellence, integrity, and academic scholarship.

BURKE H. BOGARDUS of Sheffield, Massachusetts: The Robert A. Powers Award, which recognizes a sixth former who has demonstrated personal growth, loyalty to the school, and dependability of performance which has distinguished their career at Berkshire.

E. CLAYTON GENGRAS IV of Bloomfield, Connecticut: The Morris Trophy, awarded to the sixth-form male student who has best exemplified proficiency and sportsmanship in interscholastic athletics.

ELIZABETH R. WAMP of Skaneateles, New York: The Herger Trophy, awarded to the sixth-form female student who has best exemplified proficiency and sportsmanship in interscholastic athletics.

BRIDGET B. ALAMU of Bronx, New York: The Anna S. Barrasch Prize, awarded for unselfish interest in people and loyalty to Berkshire.

JESSICA A. LOMO of Accra, Ghana: The Calvin Fentress Citizenship Award, given for exemplary personal performance, loyalty to Berkshire, and outstanding citizenship in the school community.

AGATHA E. RYAN of Pound Ridge, New York: The Princeton Cup, the top sixth-form academic prize awarded for diligence in studies and success in cocurricular activities.

MICHAEL S. McCABE The Aliis Non Sibi Award. Selected by members of the graduating class, the recipient of this award follows the motto “for others, not themselves.” It recognizes a member of the faculty who, through a love of teaching and abiding commitment to enriching the lives of students, embodies the ideals and spirit of an engaged and treasured member of both the faculty and, equally important, the Berkshire community.

ONWARD

MohAmin Abdillahi Gap Year

Henry Adkins Pennsylvania State University

Bridget Alamu Skidmore College

Zantia Anderson Villanova University

Mae Archie Auburn University

Liam Bard Junior Hockey

Daniel Bede Ithaca College

Grace Benedict Georgetown University

Libby Blodgett Northeastern University

Burke Bogardus Union College (NY)

MK Braun University of Georgia

Stanley Bright Junior Hockey

Sydney Burnett University of Michigan

William Cerepak Colby College

Cream Chinthammit Pratt Institute

Cata Cisneros The American University of Paris

Poppy Clarke Tulane University of Louisiana

Chelsea Coard The George Washington University

Emma Colley University of Richmond

Sean Connolly Trinity College

Charlie Coutts University of Colorado Boulder

Anthony Cruz SUNY - Purchase

Margaret Culkins University of California - San Diego

Courtney Dann University of St Andrews

Charlie Davidow Boston College

Jaden Davis Junior Hockey

Gus de Vink San Diego State University

Liz Della Penna Indiana University

Matt DeVine Williams College

Anna Diebold Lake Forest College

Lily Doggett Elon University

Fiona Dong University of Southern California

Braedan Donovan Amherst College

Andrew Dorman Cal Poly

Kate Dorman Middlebury College

Geoffrey Dougherty St. Lawrence University

Mason Drake University of Chicago

Meghan Driscoll University of Delaware

Sabrina Dusek Tulane University of Louisiana

Evan England Assumption University

Ava Galaburda Bucknell University

Clayt Gengras Lehigh University

Chandler Gilbane Colgate University

Sammie Glogoff Colgate University

Ezra Gould Grinnell College

Kailey Grabowski University of Miami

Mays Gunderson Kenyon College

Connor Hanavan Emmanuel College

Will Hansen Wesleyan University

Nico Hardcastle IE University - Madrid

Charlotte Henderson The University of Texas at Austin

Murphy Hoey Gettysburg College

Julian Honts Bucknell University

Sarah Hudson University of California - Davis

Uwa Igbinedion New York University

Jada Ihekwoaba Texas Christian University

Zeynep Lal Kara Berklee College of Music

George Khayatt Tulane University of Louisiana

Motoya Kimura University of Chicago

Weston Kuhn University of Colorado Boulder

Xavier Lafaire Boston College

Malakai Lee Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Danick Leroux Junior Hockey

Ryan Liu Pennsylvania State University

Lukas Liu University of Virginia

Jessica Lomo Amherst College

Kylie MacDonald Trinity College

Prem Mahida New York University

Paolo Mangiafico Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tanner Marsh Chatham University

Addie Marshall Bucknell University

Delaney McDonough Colorado College

Cate McLean University of Vermont

Ella Meuse University of Richmond

Grace Monahan Rochester Institute of Technology

Divya Muppavarapu Purdue University - Main Campus

Jace Nacht University of Colorado Boulder

Ly Nguyen Barnard College

Nick Norquist University of Wisconsin

Clay O’Donnell Junior Hockey

Cole O’Donnell Junior Hockey

Lilah O’Neil Bucknell University

Brad Packman University of Southern California

Danielle Page Northeastern University

Henry Parsons University of Colorado Boulder

Chiara Pejacsevich IE University - Madrid

Aidan Pesce Brown University

Posy Phillips Indiana University

Bella Piantini Emerson College

Charlotte Preziotti Elon University

Justin Price Gap Year

Justine Rabley Vassar College

Addie Robertson Bucknell University

Finn Robertson San Diego State University

Ian Robinson Union College (NY)

Spencer Robinson Loyola Marymount University

Kam Rodriguez Colby College

Riley Russell University of Wisconsin

Aggie Ryan Williams College

Saul Salazar Drew University

Cassie Sanger University of Richmond

Andrew Shen Dartmouth College

Kyle Skop Colby College

Norah Smith Northeastern University

Georgia Soudant University of Richmond

Augie Swenson Southern Methodist University

Samantha Takacs Dartmouth College

Maegann Thompson Southern Methodist University

Sam Tr ` ân Northwestern University

Clio Turner Bates College

William Van Nice Post Graduate Year

Arielle Vargas Boston University

Coco Vaughn University of Denver

Elizabeth Wamp Siena College

Jack Watts Boston College

Jay Wexler Southern Methodist University

Harry Whitman Southern Methodist University

Finn Wilkins University of Oregon

Taiya Wohr University of Maryland

Keenan Wysocki Endicott College

Helen Zhou Boston University

SEE WHERE MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2023 ARE HEADED THIS FALL.

Boston Holiday Party

NYC Holiday Party

Alumni Hockey Game

Alums from the Classes of 1970 to 2018 returned to campus for Berkshire’s Alumni Hockey Game on January 28. It was a fun and exhilarating game that was neck-inneck for all three periods. Ultimately, Green defeated Gray 8–7. At the end of the game, players saluted Director of Athletics and longtime hockey coach Dan Driscoll, who retired from coaching after his 17th season under the Mountain.

Alumni Hockey Co-Chairs Chris Reichart ’98 and Jason Pendrock ’98 presented this year’s awards: The Elizabeth Hayes McGraw Alumni Hockey Player of the Game to Becky Zavisza McCabe ’05; The W. Ross Hawkins Alumni Hockey Player of the Game to John Shaker ’71.They also acknowledged Robin McGraw ‘70 and Buzz Hayes McGraw for their longstanding work and dedication to this event.

A special thanks to Reichart and Pendrock for their dedication to organizing this year’s event and to all those who attended.

Players in alphabetical order: Tyler Behring ‘13, Chris Carboneau ‘98, Cole Carboneau (Chris’s son), Matt Crowson ‘05, Matt Genovese ‘08, Steph Holmes ‘06, Brad Hunt ‘95, Allison Letourneau ‘07, Tim Locke ‘82, Trip Manley ‘85, Becky Zavisza McCabe ‘05, Robin McGraw ‘70, Tim Murphy ‘98, Jason Pendrock ‘98, Chris Reichart ‘98, Thomas Regan ‘08, John Shaker ‘71, Matt Spurling ‘09, Justin Torre ‘07, Alex Watts ‘02, Whit Watts ‘98, Billy Zegras ‘18, and Garrett Ackerman (goalie), Pieter Mulder, Kevin Soja

Class Notes

1948

George Church III jayneme3@gmail.com

Jon Miller writes: “I have been having a lot of my comments on world affairs and nuclear matters published in ‘Quota’ on the internet recently, both as Jon and Jonathan Miller. At times I am not so sure that they don’t think of me as two separate persons.”

1949 75 th

Robert W. Doyle, Sr. robertwdoylesr@gmail.com

Howard Esquirol writes: “After 30 years as a pharmaceutical sales rep, I’m now spending six months in Florida and six months in Minnesota with most of my time spent on the golf course.”

1951

John B. Hull III (413) 528-1528

1953

John G. Cluett jcluett34@gmail.com

1954 70 th

1955

Frederick C. Twichell ttwichell@thacher.org

1956

Daniel C. M. Crabbe crabsail@icloud.com

1957

Thomas B. Anderson III reno_retired@yahoo.com

Walter S. Henrion walthenrion@gmail.com

Walt Henrion writes: “Page and I are in the midst of an interesting travel schedule—an 18-day driving trip to California, five days in Jamaica with the grandchildren, a 10-day boat trip in Norway, and five weeks at Snowmass Village, CO. Come September, we will be ready to ‘put our feet up.’”

Bill Kirtz writes: “Carol and I enjoyed seeing Lois and Dick Case, and had visits from Jon Romero’s widow, son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren, and from Walt Henrion’s daughter and granddaughter.”

1959 65 th

G. Alexander Creighton lifeosunshine@gmail.com

Sandy Creighton writes: “I am stepping in to be ’class communicator’ for the Class of 1959 class notes.”

1960

Joseph D. Bodak, Jr. jdbodakjr@hotmail.com

Stephen P. Norman steve@spnormanco.com

Joe Salembier writes: “After graduating from Penn, I worked in ad agencies and corporations in New York, NY,

and Phoenix, AZ. I was the director of marketing for Doubletree Hotels, now owned by Hilton. After I retired, I wrote songs, poems, and plays. One play is scheduled for a staged reading at a theater in Fresno, CA. Maybe I’ll see you there!”

Steve Smith writes: “Berkshire still ranks at the top of my personal list for ‘most formative’ influences in my life education over the many decades of my career. Currently, with homes in the Berkshires (Lenox, MA), and the Americas (Miami, FL), it is still my pleasure to enjoy the full gamut of life experiences that Berkshire so well prepared me for. Always my pleasure to compare notes with other Berkshire grads.”

1961

Peter R. Kellogg pkellogg@iatre.com

Joe Salembier ‘60 on the rope line headed toward the summit of Mount McKinley, Alaska, at 20,320 feet.

A year before we lost Ed. Brad Hunt ‘95, Ed Hunt ‘61, and Tom Hunt ‘97.

Photo courtesy of Fran Hunt

Peter Kellogg writes: “Pete Richardson shared some Berkshire memories ... I

remember being in a very small art class with Anthony Goldschmidt and recall painting scenery with Tim ‘Hass’ Warrener in the Drama Club. Back then the Camera Club had its very own darkroom. I didn’t know we had squash courts until I went down to one of the wrestling workout rooms my senior year and discovered it was really a squash court. I got Pete Sammis, Len Grace, and others from the tennis teams and we played ‘club’ games against some of the nearby schools.”

1962

Andrew S. Berkman aberkman@cpny.com

1963

Peter V. K. Parsons pvkp2@msn.com

1964 60 th

1965

Tristam Johnson writes: “After years of avoidance and denial, I decided to go back to Vietnam to meet the people, witness their everyday lives, their health, and their attitudes. As a

Vietnam veteran, I was not interested in a ‘Battlefield Tour.’ Wendy and I booked our trip through waytovietnam. com. It was very well organized with drivers and guides for each of the four cities we visited. I came away from that trip regretting that we did not stay longer. The Vietnamese have turned their backs on the war and are living fully for today and tomorrow. I had some warm wonderful ‘forgiveness’ contacts that will remain with me forever. I would go back and encourage anyone considering a trip to contact the organization we used. Finally, some peace is possible, and life is good!”

1966

Harlan J. Swift, Jr. timswifty@gmail.com

1967

F. Woodson Hancock III woods1949@gmail.com

1968

L. Keith Reed lkreed.mt@gmail.com

Henry Mendell writes: “In May 2022, I fully retired from California State University, Los Angeles. Since then, I have held a brief research fellowship at Bochum University and an extended visiting professorship at UCLA (through 2024). My latest work, begun while on a celebratory retirement trip to Sicily, Italy, with my wife, which should be published this summer, reconstructs the history and algorithm for the area of a circle segment from 5th century, BCE Uruk to Hero of Alexandria (1st century, CE). So I’m not really retired.”

1969 55 th

Kent S. Clow III ksc3@msn.com

1970

Robert L. W. McGraw blackrockfarm@hotmail.com

Tristam Johnson ‘65 and Wendy on a 10-mile hike in the mountains near Da Lat, Vietnam. He shares, “There were two suspension bridges, coffee farms, and banana plantations. We found one 4-foot-tall orchid and met several warm, engaging, and friendly Vietnamese people. Time well spent yielding more profound friendships.”

Kane Morgan ‘22, son of Steve Morgan ‘69, is a starting pitcher at Bard College. He had his first college win in March at the RussMatt Invitational tournament in Florida. He appreciates his time at Berkshire and misses it!

Captain Robin McGraw ‘70 of the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Office retired in January, but his face still adorns the countywide billboard for the Narcan campaign.

Robin McGraw ‘70 with faculty Becky Zavisza McCabe ‘05, Steph Holmes ‘06, and Allison Letourneau ‘07 after the Alumni Hockey Game in January.

1971

Kevin J. Bruemmer kevin.bruemmer@gmail.com

1972

John Y. G. Walker III jwalker2353@gmail.com

Jack Bacon writes: “I retired from NASA in September and I’m busier than ever. I have been selected by Viking as a scientist/specialist aboard their exploration class ships. I began assisting in research in the Great Lakes in June, and I will be sailing from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, to Antarctica, October through November, via the Panama Canal and the Chilean Fjords. In between, I will be conducting research aboard a NASA observation aircraft over Utah on September 24, documenting the fastest-ever entry of a spacecraft into Earth’s atmosphere during the return of NASA’s OSIRISREX asteroid sampling mission. Additionally, I’ll be lecturing aboard Viking ships all over the world for the next several years.”

Hayward McKee writes: “It was really wonderful seeing so many at our 50th in June 2022. If not for a few that at the last minute couldn’t attend, we would have had the record. Also, as an actual side benefit of the pandemic, it was the 50th for the classes of 1970 and 1971. So good seeing many of them too. Unfortunately, due to the cramped plane travel, I had a weeklong bout of sciatic leg pain that limited my mobility and kept me off the Mountain. The golf carts were a blessing, though not used a lot unless happened to be nearby. I wish I’d known in advance how many went to the 45th ... Maybe do the 55th, too. The 60th might be starting to push it. ;)”

1973

Rex S. Morgan, Jr. rexsmorgan@gmail.com

Michele Robins michele.robins@gmail.com

Leon J. Weil, Jr. jerryweil.tennis@gmail.com

Chip Perkins writes: “Best news of the year. My son, Sam Perkins ’14, joined me at our firm Perkins Fund Marketing in February. He and his wife, Georgia, moved from Austin, TX, to North Palm Beach, FL, and our office is in Jupiter. Come for a visit Bears.”

Stowe Shoemaker writes: “My third book was published by Indigo River Publishing and distributed by Simon & Schuster. It is titled ‘Hospitable Healthcare: Just What the Patient Ordered.’ It examines how the principles of hospitality can help healthcare organizations improve the patient experience.”

Alec Wyeth writes: “Hello friends! I retired from private and public education in June after 45 years in the greatest of all professions. As I look back over my career, I was indeed blessed to work with so many wonderful and dedicated educators—all nation builders—who genuinely care

about helping students grow toward adulthood, possessing strong character and skills. What next, you may wonder? Advocating for world peace, followed by stump grinding, playing Wordle with Rex, and supporting Trillium consumption with Chris Groves, Jerry Weil, and the debatably ’good’ Tom Mullany are viable options after traveling with my wonderful wife Billie and seeing my two extraordinary daughters get married. Then hopefully, I will be a teacher again!”

1974 50 th

Louise A. Clement luluinsf2005@yahoo.com

Ted Collins writes: “Glad to be reconnected with Berkshire alumni. Fond memories of the ’70s. Celebrating this entire year, our 50 years of marriage. To God be the Glory.”

Jerry Weil ‘73, Alec Wyeth ‘73, Tom Mullany ‘73, Bill Drake ‘73, Chris Groves ‘73, and Rex Morgan ‘73

Valinda and Ted Collins ‘74 outside Seattle, WA, at the waterfall celebrating their 50 years of marriage, all year. December 3, 1973, is the official date.

Jamie Garard writes: “I recently moved to Florida. It was great to catch up with Alex Carlisle and Jeffrey Harris Looking forward to next year’s 50th.”

Peter Lindstrom writes: “Spring is bursting out here in Great Barrington, MA! I’m keeping things simple by walking, biking, and playing music. One more year till our 50th. Let’s all try to reunite. Peace.”

1975

Joe Fusco writes: “Several classmates attended the excellent online conference on the history of the Berkshire School Mountain Cabins hosted by Archivist

Bebe Clark Bullock ’86: David Peck, Gerry Katz, Gordon Harris, and Chris Petersen ’74. Enough time has elapsed

so that a (somewhat sanitized!) account of our adventures on the Mountain can be committed to the historical record.”

Jon Kessler writes: “While other members of my class are probably approaching retirement, I became an assistant professor of clinical practice at Merrimack College in the undergrad and graduate school of social work. I presented a lecture in Riga, Latvia, at Riga Stradins University. My lecture focused on brain development, attachment, trauma, and addiction. My wife is a Fulbright scholar doing research in Latvia for six months.”

1977

Richard M. McGivern rmcgivern@msn.com

1978

1976

Case Casey writes: “My wife, Barbara, and I had the pleasure of hosting former faculty Bob and Iona Brigham for lunch at our home in Southern Vermont in February. It was great to see them and talk about Berkshire days, along with the many other schools lucky enough to have had the Brighams working with students. I also commended Bob for his ability to deal with the emotional expectations of teenage ski team members. This was driven home to me with our daughters’ Nordic competitions in Vermont.”

Birney

B. Boehland bbboehland@gmail.com

Lily Leonard Goodale writes: “I divide my time between Jupiter, FL, and Cuenca, Ecuador. I am a Montessori teacher and own Academia Montessori in Cuenca. My husband and I have a small farm there as well. We have two children, Adrianna Goodale (25), who is also a Montessori teacher, and Jesse Goodale (23), who works and lives in NYC.”

The Bears’ Den

For campus news, events, and more!

•••

Stay connected at berkshireschool.org/bearsden.

Peter Lindstrom ‘74 performing at Fuel Bistro/Coffee Shop in Great Barrington, MA, for Sunday brunch, every Sunday 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Gordon Harris ‘75 and guest Robin McCullough, Beth Mayer Carlisle ‘75, Howard Pitts ‘75, Ward Doonan ‘75, and Pam Walker ‘75

Fiona, John Kessler ‘75’s therapy dog

Stephen H. Hassett shasse01@gmail.com

Lily Leonard Goodale ‘78

1979 45 th

Robert D. Thomas bthomas@wwsg.com

Wynne Patterson writes: “Have I ever posted anything here in my years since being at Berkshire? Perhaps better late than never ... now for something just a little different for the visually and intellectually inclined. You can flip through pages of ‘Material Intelligence’ at https://materialintelligencemag.org. Take a little break from social media. Grab your favorite beverage. Subscribe if you want, it’s completely free. Enjoy! Recent project for the Chipstone Foundation. I thought I would share. Best wishes to all.”

SUPPORT BERKSHIRE’S ANNUAL FUND!

Every gift supports a Berkshire experience.

1980

Kimberley C. Fuchs kcfuchs33@verizon.net

Ralph J. Lamberto uticaeyedoc@icloud.com

Steven P. Veronesi sveronesi@cox.net

Ralph Lamberto writes: “Hello alums. I have added iridology to my optometry practice. Moving toward homeopathic care. Eat healthy.”

1981

Sue Ann Stanton sasroyale@yahoo.com

Allen Maxwell writes: “It was great to see everyone at the June 2022 reunion and catch up a little. I’m still living in

Utah and what a year it’s been for snow! We needed every inch. Unfortunately for me, I’ve been working too much and can’t stand being up there on the weekends with the crowds, so I haven’t skied much ... kind of criminal. I have been golfing a lot though (a little traveling with some friends to Palm Springs here and there). Life is amazing and I have a ton to be grateful for. Daughter got married in November (and we survived all of that!). Sons are doing well—both working in IT now. Dad passed away a year ago in January, which has been rough. Heading back to Connecticut to gather stuff in May. Wife is still talking to me, so I must be doing okay! Best wishes to you all!”

Copper, No. 4 by Wynne Patterson ‘79

Ralph Lamberto ‘80

Kim Lewis Thomas ‘80 and Bob Thomas ‘79 with their dog, sweetly named Berkshire

Roby Thompson ‘82, Terry Gregory ‘82, and Judd Anderson ‘81 flying the Green and Gray on Thompson Island, MA; Lake of the Woods, MN; and Sioux Narrows, Ontario, Canada.

Allen Maxwell ‘81’s wife and her new puppy, Ziggy Stardust

Buddy Ontra writes: “I was surprised and humbled to be presented with the 2022 Natural Stone Institute Person of the Year award: https://stoneupdate.com/nsiperson-of-the-year-buddy-ontra/.”

Tony Scheinman writes: “I am both absolutely thrilled and delighted that classmate and fellow former WBSL-FM employee Rob ‘Spider’ Graham has joined the ranks of audiobook narrators with his first audiobook, ‘The Illuminated Brand,’ released on February 9!”

1982

Andrew Champagne (802) 540-0717

James E. Demmert jamesdemmert@gmail.com

Rosemary G. Fitzgerald rose@spiderwebstudio.com

Jay K. Overbye jay@bhsusa.com

Gayle S. Saks gaylesaks@gmail.com

Andrew Champagne writes: “Hello from beautiful Vermont. I’m still very involved here in Democratic politics. I just registered my 1,685th Vermont voter. I stay in contact with two of my best friends, Alex Sumner and Blake Addison, ’Al Pal’ in NYC and ’Billy

Bones’ in Maui, Hawaii. I would also like to say hello to three of my friends from the Class of 1981 that I have not seen in many years: Annie Godfrey Clyne, Ennalls Berl, and Geoffrey Shutt. I would also like to thank and send my best wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Kinne and Mr. and Mrs. Young. Great people who have done so much for our wonderful school.”

1983

Karen Schnurr Secrist karensecrist6@gmail.com

Elyse Harney Morris writes: “Hard to believe I celebrated my 40th Berkshire reunion in June! I’ve been living in Salisbury, CT, for the last 17 years and have taken over my mom’s real estate business, Elyse Harney Real Estate. I have had a blast working with many Berkshire graduates, including Jed Demmert ’82, Jay Overbye ’82, and Demi Osborn. So many great memories!”

1985

Mary Brosnahan Wachter mtbwachter@gmail.com

1986

Rhonda M. Bentley-Lewis teamwork72222@gmail.com

Anthony S. Clifford tclifford11@gmail.com

Lara Schefler McLanahan lara.mclanahan@berkshireschool.org

Ann C. Zimmerli-Haskel azh@me.com

Erik C. Zimmerman erikzimmerman46@gmail.com

1984 40 th

Debra Drucker druckerdeb@yahoo.com

2022 Natural Stone Institute Person of the Year, Buddy Ontra ‘81, with 2021 Person of the Year, Mike Picco

Elyse Harney Morris ‘83 and Demi Osborn ‘83 (Demi visited Elyse for Thanksgiving)

Chris Brand ‘85 fly fishing in Patagonia with E.B. Harris ‘85 (not pictured).

Dirk Johns ‘86, Jen Hayes Johns ‘86, Annie Zimmerli-Haskel ‘86, and Jim Haskel ‘86, in Seaside, FL, for a long weekend

Beth Kulas writes: “I’m still in Virginia Beach with my husband, raising my kids and playing some tennis. My husband continues to grow his dermatology practice and enjoys all the water sports the area has to offer. My oldest daughter took a gap year with the CongressBundestag Youth Exchange and lived in Dresden, Germany, for the year. Now at Syracuse, she spent her first semester in Florence, Italy. My younger daughter is at The University of North Carolina School of the Arts and expects to graduate next year. She hopes to study dance in college. Coincidentally, Susan Tiemeyer Horton has a daughter at the same school. We keep busy renovating our forever house and hope to settle in soon.”

Lori Fanning Smith writes: “I had a fantastic time catching up with everyone in the Class of 1986 at our Berkshire Reunion last summer.”

1987

Janna Klyver Cord jcord3214@gmail.com

Angela Lange Meredith-Jones ameredithjones@gmail.com

1988

James D. Watt, Jr. jdwattjr@gmail.com

David Gold writes: “So far, 2023 has been a year filled with achievement for the Gold family! Our older daughter is graduating sixth in her high school class out of 978 students and accepted an offer to attend the University of Wisconsin in the fall, studying genetics with a minor in data science. Our younger daughter, Laila, is a straight-A freshman in high school and made the school’s top band playing alto sax. I was promoted to IBM associate partner and my wife, Heather, celebrated her 25th year at Chevron. We are feeling very blessed!”

1989 35 th

Andrew D. Allen andrewdrexelallen@gmail.com

1990

Natalie Bradley Clarke ninabclarke@gmail.com

Katharine Cutler Coughlin katecoughlin1@gmail.com

Natalie Dillon natdillon28@gmail.com

1991

John K. Fretz jfretz@outlook.com

1992

Abram W. Duryee III bduryee@hotmail.com

Connie Lui writes: “After college, I lived in Hong Kong for many years. In 2021, I moved back to New York with my family and settled on Long Island.”

Andrew Mueller writes: “I officially retired from the U.S. Marine Corps after 20 years of service on February

Beth Kulas ‘86 and family on vacation in Costa Rica over New Year’s

Jen Hayes Johns ‘86, Lori Fanning Smith ‘86, Max Squire ‘86, Annie ZimmerliHaskel ‘86, and Bebe Clark Bullock ‘86

The family of David Gold ‘88: Heather, David, Marissa, and Laila

Sam Silberman ‘89 and Jennifer Van Woert Tran ‘89 catching up in King of Prussia, PA.

Andrew Mueller ‘92 and family on the day of his retirement ceremony in October 2022

1, 2023. We are very excited to make McLean, VA, our permanent place of residence after jumping around every two to three years with the military, and to create some stability for the family. I have started a nature-based carbon project origination firm that focuses on forest properties in Indonesia and Latin America. Excited to have more time for family and to be a more active Berkshire alum. Go Bears.”

1993

Hilary Ivey Mueller hilary@schoolsuitessoftware.com

Tenley E. Reed tenley@mac.com

Terry Baum writes: “I was very proud to have attended the wedding of Levi Norton’s daughter in Fredericksburg, VA. In addition to the nuptials, Levi and I had a great time reminiscing about fond

1996

Katie C. King katiecking@yahoo.com

Jules A. Lemire juleslemire@gmail.com

Dylan B. Mattes dylan.mattes.nyc@gmail.com

Seth J. T. Sanders sjtsanders@gmail.com

Nakia Howell-Turner writes: “I was honored as an Educator Making a Change by the Rochdale Village Civic Association and New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. I also received a State Senate Proclamation for my hard work as a principal in NYC. Crystal Mendez-Covington ’98 attended the awards ceremony.”

tropical fruit—all of which abound in The Gambia.”

1997

Kristina Thaute Miller kthaute@yahoo.com

Julie Rubinstein Bronder writes: “As of this writing, my husband and I have (with our dog) been living abroad in Barcelona, Spain, for close to a year. While our language skills have only slightly improved, we’ve enjoyed the experience while taking short trips to other cities, including Amsterdam. Looking forward to returning to Chicago, IL, soon and seeing what’s ahead for us.”

1998

Malinda L. Lareau mlaurenlareau@gmail.com

Lauren Levin Budz lauren98@aol.com

1999 25 th

Terry

memories spent under the Mountain.”

1994 30 th

Joan H. Frantz jfrantz8888@gmail.com

1995

Bradley P. Hunt colgate1399@gmail.com

Siiri Morley writes: “I’m excited to share that I will be moving with my family to The Gambia in West Africa this summer after leading local and international nonprofits and social enterprises in the Boston, MA, area for 14+ years. I will be working as a Peace Corps country director. My husband, Jeremy, and 6-year-old son, Indigo, are both really excited for the adventure ahead, especially since they are all fans of kayaking, surfing, music, and

Michael D. Gutenplan michaelgutenplan@aol.com

George S. Scoville III gscovillempp@gmail.com

Michael Gutenplan writes: “It’s been a season of Bears for me. In Savannah, GA, I had the lovely pleasure of a lunch with Cassie George ’00. Then, in Los Angeles, CA, I had an awesome dinner with Don Blanquito (as himself, Alex

Baum ‘93 and Levi Norton ‘93

Nakia Howell-Turner ‘96

Nik Bronder and Julie Rubinstein Bronder ’97 in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Cutler) and his amazing wife Yasmin. Alex has also been busy keeping the Berkshire spirit alive with dinners with Julian Delacruz and Justin Orgel in Los Angeles and with Rebecca KimuraGreen in Tokyo, Japan.”

Joey Rodriguez writes: “I hope everyone is doing well. I am finishing a craniofacial surgery fellowship in San Diego, CA. I will also be going into private practice in plastic surgery here in San Diego. I’ve been married for the past eight years and have two boys: a 6- and 5-year-old. If any of you are ever in San Diego, CA, it would be great to catch up.”

2000

Matthew D. Boynton boynton_matt@yahoo.com

Sarah Scheinman Hulsey sarahscheinman@hotmail.com

2001

Shannon M. Flynn flynnshannonm@gmail.com

Peter A. Kearney, Jr. pkearneyjr@gmail.com

2002

Jaclyn Brander Marshall jbrander@gmail.com

Matthew P. Sposito matthew.sposito@gmail.com

2005

Matthew G. Crowson matthew.g.crowson@gmail.com

2006

Stephen W. Piatelli steve.piatelli@gmail.com

Courtney Kollmer Siemborski courtney.j.kollmer@pwc.com

Chris Drake writes: “I would like to report that fellow classmate Ben Weil beat the final boss of PlayStation’s God of War video game. Way to go Ben!”

2007

Casey A. Larkins casey.larkins@gmail.com

Allison A. Letourneau aletourneau@berkshireschool.org

2008

Christopher J. Buonomo cjbuonomo@gmail.com

Erica Ginsberg Murphy eginzie@gmail.com

Mary E. Pace maryelizabethpace@gmail.com

Abigail I. Tufts abigail.tufts@gmail.com

Our annual girls trip in Nashville, TN: Julie Hansen Lynch ’02, Kate Daigh Berry ’02, Andrea Caicedo ’02, Libby Murfey ’02, Jaclyn Brander Marshall ’02, Jill Meyer Miller ’02, and Courtney Pierce Philippou ’02

2003

Robert Morgan Ralph robertmralph@gmail.com

2004 20 th

Faye Abrams Klein fayevklein@gmail.com

William C. Stern wcstern1@gmail.com

Kraig D. Strong kskraigstrong@gmail.com

Alex Cutler ’99 and Rebecca Kimura-Green ’99 with their families in Tokyo, Japan

Joey Rodriguez ’99 enjoying sunny San Diego, CA

Camie Ashworth Blue ’08, Helen Pearsall Galvin ’08, Maggie Ross Meiners ’90, Katie George ’08, and Abby Tufts ’08 at Helen’s wedding in September

Helen Pearsall Galvin writes: “Wylie and I were married this past September outside of Chicago, IL, at his grandparent’s farm. We had the time of our lives bringing together our friends. Also, I am overjoyed that Wylie’s cousin is a fellow Berkshire alum. Go Bears!”

Abby Tufts writes: “I was recently promoted to vice president, sports at public relations firm DKC News, where I will continue to lead U.S. PR efforts for Formula 1®, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, BIG EAST Conference, and more.”

2009 15 th

Kelly Wallace Abbott kellyjwallace5@gmail.com

Gregory T. Piatelli gpiatelli@gmail.com

Molly Ryan Rubins mollyrubins1024@gmail.com

J.J. Jemison writes: “Berkshire will always have a special place in my heart. I feel blessed to have both attended and worked at such an amazing institution. I will be forever grateful for the many opportunities that being a member of this community has afforded me in life. Hopefully my son, Jalen, will one day have similar opportunities!”

2010

Charles B. H. Brey cbrey11@gmail.com

William R. Hearty wrhearty@gmail.com

Christopher B. Landry landrycb@gmail.com

Kelsey A. Markiewicz kelsey.markiewicz@gmail.com

Shannon E. Nelson senelson913@gmail.com

Tyler J. Reighley tyler.reighley@gmail.com

Alexandra Colbert Roselli alexbroselli@gmail.com

Yuan Shen shenyuan1991@gmail.com

2011

Arthur M. Copstein acopstein@gmail.com

Margaret A. Fiertz maggiefiertz@gmail.com

John C. Krueger jckrueger19@gmail.com

• Personalized feed of alumni updates: stay up-to-date with contacts

• Full Berkshire directory: Re-engage with alumni, parents, and students

• Mentorship program: Network and give/receive professional advice

• Job board: Post openings and find job leads

• Events: Stay in-the-know about gatherings across the country

Stéphanie Quintin ’11 had the pleasure of having two of her Berkshire friends, Marissa Lavigne ’11 and Maggie Fiertz ’11, attend her wedding last fall. Stéphanie was so happy she got to celebrate with them! Marissa, Maggie, and Stéphanie posing with a Berkshire T-shirt to immortalize the moment.

Jalen Jemison, son of J.J. Jemison ’09 and Mandy Jemison, at 23 months

2012

Samuel C. Maher smaher@mxschool.edu

Sophie Le writes: “Hey Bears! I was fortunately accepted into the Northwestern Kellogg MMM program (2-year MBA/MS in Design Innovation). If all goes as planned, I’ll take a year off before starting the program in June 2024. I’m excited to spend this time to recharge, pursue my passion projects, and reconnect with family and friends, as well as build new connections with other Berkshire Bears and Northwestern Wildcats!”

2014 10 th

Jacob A. Grant jkgrnt12@gmail.com

Emily M. Hubbard emilymhubbard1@gmail.com

2015

Andrej P. Bogdanovics andrebogdanovics@gmail.com

Jeffrey A. Erazo erazo.jeffrey@gmail.com

Hannah Z. Honan hannahzhonan@gmail.com

Grayson G. Keith graysonkeith203@gmail.com

Mackenzie Lancaster Keith mackenzie.lancaster13@gmail.com

Chelsea A. Leeds chelsea1101@gmail.com

2016

Peter D. Bahr peteydb@gmail.com

2013

Harriet F. Waldron hattiewaldron@gmail.com

Natalie C. Harrington natalieharrington17@gmail.com

Lane W. Mayher lane@mayher.com

Anne M. van ’t Wout annemijn@vantwout.net

Karin M. Vantine miavantine97@gmail.com

2017

Andrea L. Cass cass.and@northeastern.edu

Margaret P. Curran maggiecurran99@gmail.com

Benjamin W. Dixon benwdixon@mac.com

Juliana L. Kokot julielkokot@gmail.com

2018

Charlotte B. Childs charlottebchilds@gmail.com

Isabelle W. Maher isabellewmaher@gmail.com

Sophie Le ’12 with bunnies Shiloh (top left) and Maxwell (top right).

Photo courtesy of Le’s husband, Evan

Ryan Keelan ’17, Nick Botticelli ’17, Kyle Bason ‘17, Mark Driscoll ’18, Robin McGraw ’70, Billy Zegras ’18, and Drew Pitcher ’17 at Coach Driscoll’s last hockey game.

Photo courtesy of Robin McGraw ’70

Jules Öberg ’17, captain of Manhattan FC, at the USSL Championships along with Robin McGraw ’70 and Buzz McGraw.

Photo courtesy of Robin McGraw ’70

A full recap of the 2023 is coming your way in the Winter Bulletin!

Births & Adoptions

Sloane Lindsay Smith, daughter of Nicky Picotte Smith ’09 and husband, Kyle Smith, was born on October 26 at 5:35 p.m., weighing 2.0 pounds. She was born a few months early at 29 weeks. She spent some time in the NICU and was in the best hands. Nicky and Kyle are very excited to bring Sloane and her big brother, Connor, for a visit under the Mountain!

Eliza Berg Bernstein ’13 and Daniel Bernstein ’13 welcomed their son, Thomas, on January 21, 2023, in Chapel Hill, NC.

Rachel Blandori Simon ’08 and husband, Jed Simon, welcomed their second son, Ryder, on New Year’s Eve 2022.

Charlotte “Lettie” Lane Stone, daughter of Lexie Altman Stone ’08 and Hunter Stone, born February 19, 2023, in Swampscott, MA

Lucy Fowlkes Bell ’12 and Stephen Bell ’12 welcomed their son, Winston Stuart Bell, on September 24, 2022. He weighed in at 8.4 pounds and measured 21 inches.

Engagements & Weddings

Mary Ward ’15 and Brooks McNeal got engaged near their home in Kailua, Hawaii, on December 11, 2021; eloped in Norfolk, VA, on January 22, 2022; then celebrated with a larger ceremony and reception outside Atlanta, GA, on February 19, 2023. They now call Virginia Beach, VA, home.

see what she’s been going on and on about for years. From left to right: Leigh’s brother, Jason Vassallo, Matthew Visconti and Leigh Vassallo Visconti ’11, and Leigh’s parents, Mary Beth and

Leigh Vassallo ’11 and Matthew Visconti tied the knot on February 25, 2023, on a beautiful snowy day in Syracuse, NY. Leigh cannot wait to bring Matthew to see what it’s really like under the Mountain so he can

Leo Vassallo

Brian Rodriguez ’16 and Taylor Rathbun ’16 eloped on January 8, 2023, in the company of their families.

Jamie Smith ’12 and Brendan Boyce got engaged at the Pickering House Inn in Wolfeboro, NH, on December 18, 2022.

Helen Pearsall ’08 and Wylie Galvin got married on September 17, 2022, in Barrington Hills, IL.

2015 classmates Molly Crabtree and Jimmy McKee got engaged in May on Martha’s Vineyard.

2010

2019 5 th Gohta Aihara gohta.aihara@gmail.com

Daniel A. O. Akomolafe dakomolafe8@gmail.com

Danielle R. Malarney dmalarney4@gmail.com

Elizabeth B. Nutting enut8089@uni.sydney.edu.au

James H. Schoudel jayschoudel@gmail.com

Elias E. Sienkiewicz ees4@williams.edu

Ina Feijóo-Gómez ’10 married her best friend, Nicolas Muñoz Fidalgo! Ina was grateful they had fellow Bears in attendance: Laura Laso-Buceta ’12 officiated the ceremony and her little sister, Beatriz Feijóo-Gómez ’16, was maid of honor.

Tom Harrigan ’12 got engaged to Rachel Lopez on top of Gore Mountain in Vermont on January 16, 2023.

Dali Espinosa ’10 and Javier Paulino were married on July 10, 2022, in Phillipsburg, NJ.

Aichen Yao aichenyao07@gmail.com

2020

Katherine R. Aiello kaiello@colgate.edu

Ashanti S. Bruce ashantibruce@gmail.com

Giang H. Le giangle1605@gmail.com

Nathan J. McShane nate.mcshane@richmond.edu

Emmanuel F. Roldan-Lezcano emmanuelroldan22@gmail.com

Amelia C. Schelle aschelle1@tulane.edu

James T. Welch jtw7ct@virginia.edu

2021

Henry R. Alpaugh henry.alpaugh@richmond.edu

Angela B. Ansah aba126@miami.edu

Reid C. Curran reidcurran2@gmail.com

John W. Fiore jwf203@gmail.com

Abigail R. Hayes ahayes5541@gmail.com

Gillian M. Maher gillianmaher66@gmail.com

Nam H. Nguyen hngnam25@gmail.com

Sophia R. Pasquale sophiarpasquale@gmail.com

2022

EliJose Araujo elijose.araujo04@gmail.com

Alexander C. Byrne acbyrne8@gmail.com

Natasha G. Fertig ngf@cornell.edu

Alice M. Fisher alice.m.fisher@icloud.com

Christian D. Kim christian.d.kim@gmail.com

Amanda C. Miller acmiller80@gmail.com

James E. Nemeth jnemeth240@gmail.com

Madison H. Rabb mrabb26@amherst.edu

DeVon C. Thompson devont922@gmail.com

2023

Chandler P. Gilbane chandlergilbane4@gmail.com

Jessica A. Lomo naahessue10@gmail.com

Aidan J. Pesce aidan.pesce@gmail.com

Justin P. Price jpalmp1204@gmail.com

Justine A. Rabley justine.rabley@yahoo.com

Adelaide A. Robertson addierobertson2004@gmail.com

Xuan De A. Shen andrewxdshen@gmail.com

Former Faculty and Staff

Matthew Mosman writes: “In March 2023, I participated in a venture capital roundtable that was featured in ‘Utah Business’ magazine. Here is the link to the article https:/www.utahbusiness.com/ roundtable-venture-capital-in-2023.”

Former faculty member Britt Plante married Scott Harff on July 1 in Lakeville, CT, with many Bears—alumni, faculty, and former faculty—in attendance!

Front row, from left: Chris Buonomo ‘08, Matt Rappaport ‘08, Allison Letourneau ‘07, the bride, Patrick Donovan Second row: Mother-of-the-bride Bernadette Plante, Dana Anselmi, Chris Perkins, Kelley Bogardus, Heidi Woodworth, Andrew D’Ambrosio, the groom, Katherine Simmons, Caddie Jackson, Kayla Harff ‘11, Ben Harff ‘15, Susie Gibbons Back row: Father-of-the-bride Bernard Plante, Donald Anselmi, Andrew Bogardus, Cyrus Rothwell-Ferraris ‘14, Jay Cronze ‘09, Sam Clougher ‘13, Kim Cooper, Cency Middleton, Michael Bjurlin, Nina Bjurlin, Danielle Francoline, Sam Maher ‘12, Lucia Mulder, Pieter Mulder, Ben Urmston, Michael Hayes.

Larry Rocha is head coach of the Saint Anselm College men’s varsity hockey program. This season he was named Coach of the Year and his team won the regular season and the NE-10 League Championship. He is in the back row, second from the right.

In Memoriam

The Berkshire School community extends its sincere condolences to the families of the following alumni and friends of the School. To send obituaries or remembrances of classmates or family members, please email alumni@ berkshireschool.org. To view the obituaries for those listed below, please go to www.berkshireschool.org/inmemoriam.

1950

William B. Boardman

January 9, 2023

1955

Lewis E. Sadler

February 23, 2023

1956

Thomas L. Jeffries

January 13, 2023

1958

Charles A. DuCharme III

March 28, 2023

FOR BERKSHIRE

Coming in April!

Join us in the joy of giving next spring, as the entire Berkshire community comes together in support of our Annual Fund!

All gifts, of all sizes, make a difference.

1962

David Hemelright

February 13, 2023

1965

Anthony F. Marple

January 24, 2023

1971

Francis J. Michaels

March 17, 2023

Spread the word. Show your giving spirit.

A note to our readers: The list of names for the In Memoriam section is reported from January 1 through June 11, 2023. If we have missed a name, please accept our apologies and email us at alumni@berkshireschool.org.

LEAVE A LEGACY. SUPPORT BERKSHIRE’S FUTURE.

Celebrating a Berkshire Family Legacy

Sam Quincy Nichols ’58 loved his Berkshire experience and the lifelong friends he made under the Mountain. Earning 13 varsity letters during his Berkshire career, Nichols captained both the soccer and hockey squads his senior year. Upon his passing in 2014, his family established the Samuel Q. Nichols ’58 Hockey Scholarship to create endowment funds for future Berkshire student-athletes. The Nichols family boasts three generations of Bears, including Sophie K. Reed ’19. Critical to this effort was the entire Nichols family joining the John F. Godman Society by creating legacy gifts in Nichols’ honor to support this endowment in perpetuity.

“Our dad was always willing to help others, and we are thrilled to make our respective bequests to Berkshire to ‘pay it forward’ and support the School and its future students.

Dad loved his Berkshire experience and appreciated his time there and the lifelong friends, faculty, and staff that contributed to his growing up under the Mountain. We’re honored to support this named scholarship, the Samuel Q. Nichols ’58 Hockey Scholarship, and Berkshire’s top priority of growing the financial aid endowment.”

—The Nichols Family

Pay

In this constantly changing world, we know everyone is carefully considering which deserving organizations to support. We would be honored to discuss the many ways you can support Berkshire’s future with a tax-saving legacy gift.

If you’d like to learn more about planning your Berkshire legacy, please contact Director of Advancement Andrew Bogardus at (413) 229-1237 or abogardus@berkshireschool.org.

Learn more at berkshireschool.planningyourlegacy.org.

Sam Nichols ’58 and Jack Stewart

John F. Godman Society members

Katherine B. Nichols, Jen Nichols ’87, Kate N. Olney ’85, and Sam Q. Nichols Jr.

A New Home for the Archives

By Bebe Clark Bullock ’86, School Archivist

Berkshire Hall’s Fentress Reading Room has long been one of the School’s most elegant rooms, with its fireplace, wood paneling, Audubon prints, and large windows. According to Seaver Buck, the room was designed to be the students’ “academic workshop” from which the Student Council ran school life.

After Allen House was rebuilt in 1971, Fentress became the school library until Geier Gymnasium was converted to a library space in 1986. Since then, Fentress has served many roles on campus: quiet study spot, rowdy group-study space, and stately locale for receptions and dinner parties. Now, it is also home to the School Archives.

Last summer, countless boxes of photographs, letters, documents, and various treasures were unearthed from the basement of the James C. Kellogg ’33 Alumni Center and rehoused within Fentress’ cabinets and shelves. In addition, large archival cabinets with display tops and multiple mini-exhibit drawers were installed, each drawer holding a different collection of school history, including mountain cabin inventories, wartime memorabilia, papers and photographs documenting the evolution of dormitory spaces on campus, and more.

During Pro Vita, students who were enrolled in “Display Design: Showcasing Berkshire’s Archives” helped bring the Archives to life within Fentress, learning how to create themed displays that became part of the permanent exhibit.

The Archives in Fentress also allow for teaching and research. English and history classes have learned about the School’s

involvement in both World Wars, the expansion of the student body to include international students, the history of skiing and the cabins on the mountain, and the turbulent times of the 1960s and ’70s at Berkshire.

With its primary documents that dovetail so nicely with the Berkshire curriculum, Fentress is a rich and fulfilling space for student research. When history connects students to the past it can be profound: They are moved when they realize a student from the 1940s would have sat in the same room, looking at the same Buck Valley view, but may have been headed off to war instead of to the dining hall. With the inclusion of the Archives in Fentress Reading Room, it is once again a workshop to understand our society’s history through the lens of Berkshire.

A study of behindthe-stage at Berkshire was designed by Angella Ma ’24

245 North Undermountain Road

Sheffield, Massachusetts 01257-9672

Address Service Requested

For Parents of Alumni: If this magazine is addressed to a son or daughter who no longer lives at home, kindly call us with the correct address: 413-229-1225

A full recap of the 2023 is coming your way in the Winter Bulletin!