Alumni Spotlight
Alumni Spotlight
DON KENDALL ’66 Kendall’s business Mack Molding of Arlington, Vt., reengineered hundreds of snorkeling masks to function as respirators for Southwestern Vermont Health Care staff members during the early days of the pandemic.
ROBIN MCGRAW ’70
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McGraw, deputy sheriff and president of Berkshire Education and Correction Services, has helped distribute over 16,000 heads of lettuce to local food pantries and charities. The lettuce was grown in a newly-built aquaponics greenhouse facility in Pittsfield, Mass.
Alumni display heroic efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic
GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT By Kevin Soja
As the COVID-19 pandemic presents great challenges and uncertainty, we can also find optimism and strength in the heartwarming stories of people making a difference in this world. These stories encompass alumni, parents, and students gathering and sending masks and medical supplies to the School for distribution in the local community; alumni working to provide food and essential services; and countless other acts of kindness that have unintentionally gone unrecognized. While this generosity of spirit is not a surprise, it is certainly affirming. Here we salute our alumni and thank those on the front lines, providing vital care, supplies, or even simple goodwill to people in need. Their compassion, unwavering commitment to service, and determination to make a difference for the greater good are extraordinarily inspiring.
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Berkshire Bulletin
ALEX BRUNEL ’72
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“As of May 5, 129 of my frontline colleagues at the Cambridge Health Alliance (in Cambridge, Mass.) have tested positive for COVID-19. That’s up from 115 the previous week. We’re not out of the woods yet, folks. Stay safe. We are running a wide range of mindfulness stress-reduction support sessions for staff and the public. You can take a break yourself at www.chacmc.org.”
DAVID PAINE ’75 Paine helped an organization launch one of the nation’s first high-speed 45-minute tests to identify COVID-19 in patients. “I developed my sense of community at Berkshire, and attribute it to changing the direction of my life.”
K.C. FUCHS ’80 Fuchs serves as the COO of the Silver Shield Foundation, which helps offset the cost of education for the children of police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty. “I have been dedicated to working to support our uniformed first responders who lose their lives in the fight against COVID-19.”
MICHELLE DERR ’82
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Many families are struggling to maintain a healthy food supply during this difficult time. Derr is the director of South Berkshire Family Services and WIC at Community Health Programs, where she has kept busy supporting the increased need for services, especially at their food pantry.
STEVE KACZMEREK ‘85 Kaczmerek’s company, Borealis Fat Bikes, purchased 3,200 N95 masks, which were distributed to employees, friends, family, and medical clinics in Colorado Springs, Col. through the end of May, when suppliers could catch up with the demand in the area.
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ELVIA GIGNOUX ’87
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When she heard there was a shortage of PPE at her local hospital in Sharon, Conn., Gignoux went on a mission to supply masks. She and a friend provided nearly 500 hand-sewn masks to nurses, EMTs, and the local food pantry. “There are so many people who can use a helping hand these days. See what you can do in your community!”
YVETTE BOOYSE GORDON ’87
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“I am an OB/GYN in the Houston area. I work at a federally qualified health center where we are screening for COVID-19. Our positive patients have included pregnant women. Everyone stay safe!”
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Alumni Spotlight
Alumni Spotlight
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MARION YATES SCHIFF ’97
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SCOTT GROGEAN ’91 P’19 “Things at BMC (Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, Mass.) are pretty intense as we are preparing for the anticipated surge of COVID-19 patients. Both [son] Kegan [Grogean], Class of 2019, and I have managed to stay healthy. We’re all hoping that our surge and peak are not as bad as predicted.”
KATRINA SEIDMAN CURTISS ’93 11 “I work in the Cardiac Care Unit at Fairview Hospital (in Great Barrington, Mass.). My days have included swabbing patients in their cars in the parking lot, assisting in intubations, taking care of rehabbing COVID patients, and nursing critically ill patients. Thank you to the Berkshire community for checking in on me and my family, and for the support from around the globe!”
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MARISSA REITNOUR SISAK ’98
“I’m a nursing administrator for three hospitals in the Los Angeles area and one in New York City. Trying to motivate the doctors and nurses and keep everyone smiling has been my job lately. Sometimes I surprise the units with a dance or ask for a group selfie. Other times, I share a kind word or a joke. Together, we can beat this!”
“I am a registered nurse working at Phoenixville Hospital, outside of Philadelphia. I work on our COVID unit, the ER, and ICU. I am blessed to have incredible coworkers, and we are protected with PPE. Our patients are very sick and it has been sad, scary, and physically exhausting at times, but I love what I do. I have never been more proud to be an RN!”
BROOKS ANNE HEADY BURDICK ’98 9
BRYAN HOUSEMAN ’00
“I’m a labor and delivery registered nurse at Berkshire Medical Center (in Pittsfield, Mass.). Though we are poised to care for patients with COVID-19, much of our work has been centered on supporting our patients during this tenuous time. We are coaches, birth partners, patient advocates, photographers, and liaisons between patients and families. As we continue to allay patients’ fears, we work hard to create intimate space to allow for the joy of birth to prevail.”
STEPHANIE DEFIORES COREY ’98 12 “I’m an emergency medicine physician in Rochester, N.Y., at Rochester General Hospital. We are seeing a rise in COVID cases and doing our best to keep people safe. Stay home and healthy!”
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“I am an orthopedic trauma surgeon in Manchester, N.H. We are doing everything we can to continue to help people. Stay safe, protect your community, and do your part. Go Bears!”
JASON CHAU ’01 Chau ’01 shipped 1,000 masks from Guangzhou, China, to Berkshire Health North for distribution throughout Berkshire County.
CAITLIN HETTINGER MCNEILL ’01 McNeill, who raises hens with her husband, Kip, is using their surplus of fresh eggs to help others. They’re offering up free eggs to those in need, with an option to make a donation to Volunteers in Medicine. “I thought about an organization that I admire and that does impactful work in medicine in the community.”
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CHARLOTTE DELEO ’04
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DeLeo is an ER doctor at UMASS Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, Mass. treating COVID-19positive patients.
SUKEY MULLANY ’05
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Mullany serves as an RN at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “Still living graciously, as Mr. Piatelli would want, as I care for my sick patients.”
JAMES RUSSELL ’05
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“I’m an emergency medicine resident working in the ER at Lincoln Medical Center in NYC. The devastating impact on low-income and minority communities is heartbreaking and sadly, not the main cause of my sleepless nights. I am more fearful that this will not lead to any impactful changes to our healthcare system on a national level, and for that, I am left feeling truly helpless.”
ELISABETH RUSSELL ’06
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“I’m an internal medicine resident working in the ICU at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara in California. We’ve had several successes this week getting our COVID-19 patients through the worst of the disease. The surge has been manageable thanks to everyone adhering to social distancing. Keep it up and stay safe!”
THOMAS REGAN ’08
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When Regan learned that the COVID-19 outbreak would prevent Berkshire students from returning to campus, he mobilized an online platform to provide daily workouts and wellness advice. His experience as a personal trainer and gym owner kept our Bears motivated and moving this spring!
KENDALL COYNE SCHOFIELD ’11 18
masks for essential personnel. I told my team that I was going to do whatever it takes to keep them employed and off of unemployment so they can continue to provide for their families during these uncertain times.”
KAY HUMES PAZ ’15
Coyne Schofield and her husband, Michael Schofield, have been providing families in the Chicago area with meals through the Schofield Family Foundation.
KIM SCALA TAILLEFER ’11
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“I’m a senior medical technologist in the Microbiology Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Our lab is running hundreds of tests every day around the clock. We’ve come a long way since the beginning of March!”
SAM HOOPER ’12
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Hooper, owner and president of Vermont Glove, a family-run glove business, pivoted to producing protective masks during the COVID-19 outbreak. “While we are not heroes like those fighting on the front lines, we have produced thousands upon thousands of
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“I am a registered nurse at Yale New Haven Hospital’s COVID ICU, relocated from the operating room to help on the front lines. I will continue to help until the last COVID patient is discharged. I am grateful for my time at Berkshire School and attribute my success to the dedicated faculty and staff guiding me through my early years of education.”
SHERRY YANG ’19 Yang sent masks from her home in Shanghai, China, to Boston Children’s Hospital and to a lab where Sherry previously worked at Weill Cornell Medicine, which is processing some RNA data of the COVID-19 virus.
View the full list of alumni here: www.berkshireschool.org/heroes.
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