Winter 2024 Deerfield Magazine

DEERFIELD

MAGAZINE

Greetings from a quiet campus! As the team and I put the final touches on this edition of Deerfield Magazine, the Winter Term ended and students departed for spring break, which seemed to arrive faster than ever before this year. Some students are spending time at home, and some will embark on training for spring sports—ready to hit the ground running (literally!) when they return. Others are on Academy-sponsored trips—to visit our friends at King’s Academy in Jordan; to study marine ecology and sustainability in the Bahamas; to delve into history in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Poland; and to explore historical and present-day challenges and complexities surrounding democracy and fresh water in Uruguay—to name just a few itineraries.

Traveling together offers students new perspectives, broadened worldviews, and a myriad of opportunities to strengthen connections to their teachers and one another. And at the risk of “preaching to the choir,” I’d like to point out that those Deerfield connections—made in classrooms, on fields and stages, in studios, in dorms, and around the world—last for a lifetime, and they are the foundation of all that we do here on campus.

Connections, community, and friendship are much in evidence in this issue of the magazine; from photos of the packed stands at Choate Day to Dominic Sessa ’22 on a donut (not a typo—see page 9) to Deerfield teachers engaging in observation and discovery together, the past few months have been both busy and fulfilling. On page 12, we highlight some of the team in Athletics, and the title of that article says it all: “Stronger Together.” Beginning on page 18, meet new Assistant Dean of Residential Life Trevon Bryant. In just a few short months here at Deerfield, Trevon has become an integral part of the team in the Student Life Office, and a “go-to” adult for students. And on page 22 you will find a wonderful story not only about the importance of supplemental aid at Deerfield, but also about the caring and thoughtful person behind the process.

One final thought and recommendation: I always hope that every issue of the magazine is read cover-to-cover, but I know that’s not a realistic expectation. So, if you read nothing else but want an extraordinary example of the enduring nature and value of Deerfield connections, turn to page 34. You won’t be disappointed.

p.2

Albany Road

p.28

TAP: Teachers as Partners

p.70

In Memoriam

p.12

Behind the Bench: Stronger Together

p.32

The Common Room

p.72

Object Lesson

p.18

Faculty Feature: Trevon Bryant

p.34

First Person: John Wyatt ’84

On Our Cover:

p.22

Process & Sentiment: The Value of Supplemental Aid at Deerfield

p.66

Regional & Club Events

One last practice before the outdoor rink was dismantled until next winter: “We were just out there playing ‘shinny’ as a way to mix things up late in the season. We didn’t plan the jerseys – the guys just happened to wear their favorite college or pro jersey, and we ended up playing 4 v 4 for an hour — the ice was awesome!—Coach McVaugh

Fall ’23 corrections:

In Morgan Evans ’09’s alumnae spotlight: Sidney “Skip” Evans ’73’s name was spelled incorrectly, and after further research in the Academy Archives, we can confirm that the first Black Deerfield student to be named team captain was Luis Glass ’65, who led the varsity tennis team.

A bit ahead of schedule, the Academy’s new state-of-the-art turf field on Routes 5 & 10 is ready and waiting for the spring 2024 season. Home to varsity baseball while the temporary dining hall (see right) occupies much of Headmaster’s Field on campus, in the future this new multipurpose field, which can support soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey in addition to baseball, will provide Deerfield teams with flexible space for early spring practices and games.

ALBANY ROAD

ALBANY ROAD

Love, 24:

The Morsman Tennis Pavilion recently received several upgrades, including resurfaced courts, enhanced lighting, new doors, and a fresh coat of bright white paint on the ceiling and walls. Big Green pride.

JAN

David Fraser

Homerun!Turf

Temp DH UPDATE:

Despite chilly temperatures, Albany Road was a hotbed of activity this winter as the temporary dining hall was constructed. The actual Dining Hall will close for extensive renovations and expansion at the end of this school year, and is expected to reopen when students return from winter break in January of 2026. //

CHOATE DAY 2023

On November 11, the Deerfield community celebrated Choate Day and a friendly rivalry with the Boars for the 101st time! On home turf, Deerfield teams prevailed with eight wins, two ties, and two losses. //

Watch a video recap by scanning this code:

Jamie Hagerman-Phinney ’99 Highlights LEAD Kick-Off Event

In December, in association with LEAD, Deerfield’s leadership program for students, the Athletics Office welcomed Olympian Jamie Hagerman-Phinney ’99 back to campus to speak with the Deerfield community about the building blocks for being a great teammate and leader. Hagerman-Phinney currently serves as an associate director of College Counseling at Belmont Hill School. During her motivating presentation, Hagerman-Phinney shared the hardships she’s overcome to set and meet her goals, and left the audience with this advice: “Decide what you want and keeping asking ‘how?’ until you have done everything you can.”//

“Decide what you want and keeping asking ‘how?’ until you have done everything you can.”

—Jamie Hagerman-Phinney ’99

See full photo galleries on biggreen.photos

Faculty Exhibit

The von Auersperg Gallery recently featured an exhibition showcasing the work of Deerfield Visual Arts faculty: Angel Abreu ’92 P’25, Mercedes Taylor P’13,’16, and Timothy Trelease P’20

1. Angel Abr eu, Krush Groove (After Guernica), Oil, oil stick and acrylic on linen, 56" x 106"

2. Mercedes Taylor, untitled, acrylic paint on canvas, 36" x 48"

3. Tim Trelease, Temple of Saturn , oil paint on linen, 44" x 44"

Beneath the Visible

Prints, drawings, and photographs by internationally- and nationally-known artists graced the walls of the von Auersperg Gallery during winter term as part of the Beneath the Visible exhibition, curated by Loretta Yarlow, former Director of the University Museum of Contemporary Art at UMass Amherst.

Current student art will be on display in the gallery from March 29 to April 25, followed by a special exhibit of the work of Daniel Hodermarsky, founder of the Academy’s visual arts program. An opening reception for the Hodermarsky retrospective will be held on Sunday, May 5, from 5:00 to 7:30 pm. The von Auersperg Gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. //

SHOW SYNOPSIS

From abstraction to representation, from philosophical to metaphysical, works by artists in this exhibition offer compelling rewards for sustained looking. All, in one way or another, have created resonant works that challenge the limits of perception. As stated by Yarlow, “the viewer must spend time looking at the art on view to see what is there, forcing us to slow down, to contemplate, to have a visual experience of discovery. This kind of slow, close looking is a reminder of how radical that experience can feel in our current culture of urgency and sensory overload”.

4. Edda Renouf, untitled, hard ground etching , 20" x 20" (detail shown)

5. Susan Yard Harris, March-April: River , black ink on Arches paper (detail shown)

6. Kiki Smith, Tidal , 19 1/2" x 126"

7. Leonardo Drew, 64P , pigmented and cast handmade paper with hand applied pigment 4

MLK Day 2024

The Office of Inclusion and Community Life welcomed Dr. Peniel Joseph as the keynote speaker for Deerfield’s 2024 day of observance of Dr. King’s legacy. Professor of History and Public Affairs and the founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, Dr. Joseph incorporated his newest book, The Sword and The Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., in his address to students. Faculty then incorporated his talk into classroom discussions. In the afternoon, ninth-grade students attended a dignity workshop, while older students participated in inventive workshops to discuss themes of inclusion and respect across such topics as recent Supreme Court cases, representation in the sciences, and creative writing. //

Rennie Harris Puremovement American

The Deerfield community enjoyed a special performance in honor of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop by the Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater. The company also hosted two master dance classes for students. //

Deerfield Communications

Did You Know?

Fridays during Winter Term = Cookies and Cocoa and an opportunity to cha t with the Head of School.

l: Students and employees enjoyed Dunkin’ freebies in honor of The Holdovers.

r: Award-winning Dominic Sessa ’22 (see Fall 2023 issue of DM ) posted these Dunkin’ goodies on this social media account , including this heartfelt message:

Cookies and Cocoa with Dr. Austin + Dunkin’ Dom -ination !

Talk about sweet society: In addition to weekly Cookies and Cocoa gatherings, on January 23, the entire campus community was treated to “Domplimentary” Dunkin’ treats and swag in celebration of The Holdovers cinematic success and multiple Oscar nominations. Deerfield’s own Dominic Sessa ’22 shared a social media post of his custom swag bag! //

Deerfield Communications

Winter Concert

Student Choreography Showcase

ALBANY ROAD

“Father Christmas” and his daughter (Marc Dancer ’79 and Sarah Dancer ’16)

Stephanie Shumway

STRONGER TOGETHER

In the Strandberg Fitness Center, and adjacent to it in the athletic trainers’ room, awaits an entire supporting cast ready to help students on their athletic journeys.

Courtesy of Nick Blixt

There are some things all Deerfield students know about the Wachsman Athletics Complex: For good luck, clank the ring on the hitching post out front; tap the ‘D’ on the wall near the locker rooms; and never step on the Seal. These rituals, like many of the best things about Deerfield, are rooted in tradition, and Deerfield’s “healthy mind in a healthy body” attitude toward student well-being is no exception. It began with Headmaster Frank Boyden, who firmly believed that athletics were an integral part of a Deerfield education, and he wasn’t shy about sharing his lesson plan. In the December 1942 issue of The Atlantic, former principal of Phillips Exeter, Lewis Perry, who was also a colleague and friend of Mr. Boyden’s, even referenced “the Boyden Method:” “Work ’em hard, play ’em hard, feed ’em up to the nines, and send ’em to bed so tired that they are asleep before their heads are on the pillow.”

Today, participation in the cocurricular program in the form of an organized afterschool activity is still required of every student throughout the year, and it’s still an essential component of a Deerfield education, helping to cultivate the habits required to live a healthy, balanced life through athletic, artistic, and civic pursuits. In the Strandberg Fitness Center, and adjacent to it in the athletic trainers’ room, awaits an entire supporting cast ready to help students on their athletic journeys.

STRONGER TOGETHER

/// by Daniella Vollinger /// Photography by Tom Kates ///

“From team lifts to fitness center orientations, to individual programming— for anyone who requests it— to the all-female morning lift club, and so much more, these two have embedded themselves in Deerfield’s culture, and provide a great service to anyone who’s fit or aspiring to be more fit.”

Bob Howe on Theriault and Breault

Stronger Together

“What’s great is that when students come into the fitness center, we’re the first ones they see. We get to check in, greet everyone, and see how people are doing,” says Fitness Center Manager and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Emma Theriault who, alongside her colleague Chris Breault, runs Deerfield’s Strength and Conditioning program. Their expertise is available to all students, employees, and employee families. “Our space is dedicated to the physical portion of a healthy lifestyle, and we focus on how to fit healthy habits into everyone’s day,” Theriault says. “We also focus on how to maximize those habits in terms of stress management and athletic performance,” she adds, noting that the strength and conditioning offerings are part of a broader conversation about health and wellness that students are immersed in through their health classes, in events sponsored by the Student Life Office, and in the services offered through the Chen Health and Wellness Center.

The first step of any regimen for students and employees alike is an orientation process. The strength and conditioning coaches discuss the importance of cardiovascular health and fitness, as well as run through the options, expectations, and rules of the facility, offering them the choice to receive a program tailored to their goals.

“A lot of kids come in with high hopes for the fitness center, but they hit a wall in terms of what to do or where to start,” observes Coach Breault, who works with Theriault to provide an inclusive atmosphere in the space. He emphasizes that although gyms can be intimidating, everyone starts by learning technique and form.

“In recent years, Coach Theriault and Coach Breault have exponentially increased the availability of the space to the Deerfield community,” says Director of Athletics and Cocurricular Program Bob Howe. “From team lifts to fitness center orientations, to individual programming—for anyone who requests it—to the all-female morning lift club, and so much more, these two have embedded themselves in Deerfield’s culture, and provide a great service to anyone who’s fit or aspiring to be more fit.”

Each season (or term) the strength and conditioning coaches see between 100 and 150 students. They also assist athletic teams by helping to identify opportunities to improve performance, and they work closely with coaches to set up workouts so that each individual athlete is being challenged. “My personal mission is to help every athlete in their fitness journey, making sure everything they’re doing is correct in terms of exercises, sets, and reps, or in the progression of the exercises they’re doing,” says Breault, who also emphasizes the importance of discipline and consistency. “We want them to be the best athletes they can be, but we also want them to be the best versions of themselves.”

“We want them to be the best athletes they can be, but we also w ant them to be the best versions of themselves.”

— Strength and Conditioning Coach Chris Breault

Chris Breault

>>>>>

firing up varsity football

sleep and recovery + hydration

and diet

are emphasized while looking at the big picture— alongside strength and conditioning.

“We approach athletes from a holistic perspective,” explains Theriault, “emphasizing sound mechanics and movement elements, and considering the unique demands of their schedules; our athlete-centered, sport-specific model strives to prioritize efficiency and effectiveness while aiming to maximize our impact within the limited time constraints of competitions and practice schedules. Our in-season athletes are looking to maintain strength to keep their performance higher and reduce chances for injury.”

Part of that equation is making sure everybody knows the importance of sleep and recovery, as well as hydration and diet, and Theriault, who has also taught health classes at Deerfield, likes to help student-athletes put it all together. “We want to make sure that we are looking at the big picture and we’re not just addressing strength and conditioning. We’re looking at the athlete and figuring out how we can make the biggest impact,” she says.

Pain Relief

With an office located in the lower level of the fitness center, Athletic Trainers Bob Graves, Kate Parker, and Gabriela Biscottini may be less visible than their teammates upstairs on a day-to-day basis, but when injuries happen, they spring into action. During practices or a games, Head Athletic Trainer Graves or Assistant Trainers Parker and Biscottini are at the ready, either on the sidelines or a call away. During away games, they are on standby and coordinate with the coaches and trainers from other schools to ensure that any injured Deerfield athlete gets the greatest degree of attention. Technically part of the Chen Center team (Health Services), the trainers view themselves as a health resource for the entire community.

“I see the athletic training program as an extension of the health center,” says Graves. “Our goal is to provide the highest standard of care possible to the school community. As professionals, we’ve wrestled with the term ‘athletic training’ for years; we’re definitely healthcare professionals, and at Deerfield, a major part of our role revolves around athletics and cocurriculars.”

>>>>> Gabriela Biscottini / Assistant Athletic Trainer

>>>>> Bob Graves / Head Athletic Trainer

Creating a space that is welcoming for the entire community is also a top priority for this team. “I find that whether it’s a rec squash player, a fourths soccer player, a JV kid, or a varsity athlete, a lot of kids are comfortable coming into our office, and we give the same standard of care and treatment to everybody,” says Biscottini. “It helps to creates a safe and inclusive environment— to know that it doesn’t matter what level of sport you’re playing— or even if you’re playing a sport—we’re going to work with you and get to know you just the same as everybody else.”

Parker shares the sentiment. “Our mission is to provide the best quality care to each student, and to treat them as individuals, as opposed to seeing everybody as an athlete,” she says, noting that the model they employ is one in which the first trainer to see a student will continue to treat that student, ensuring a continuity of care. “Seeing kids go from injury through the rehab process and then return to play is gratifying.”

Individualized performance improvement

They also assist athletic teams by helping to identify opportunities to improve performance, and they work closely with coaches to set up workouts so that each individual athlete is being challenged.

100 to 150 students

Number of students the strength and conditioning coaches see each season/term

The common thread among all those who work in the Wachsman is how much genuine satisfaction they derive from helping young people. They talk about the importance of building character through overcoming injury or adversity, or through developing a commitment that requires some self-discipline, or the lifelong impact of developing healthy exercise, diet, and sleep routines.

“The strength of any program lies with its leaders,” remarks Howe, noting that during his tenure, he has seen Deerfield increase its level of commitment to the cocurricular program by broadening its scope and seeking out extraordinary coaches and supervisors. “When Deerfield talks about its ongoing mission to promote and facilitate the community’s well-being, health, and safety, it starts with good hires, and in these five you can see what a difference they make. At Deerfield, we hire well and then give them the space and the support to be excellent!”

And at the close of each day, Breault can be seen walking around the fitness center—straightening out the plates, making sure the barbells are perfectly aligned, and the dumbbells are readable and organized. He says it’s a gentle reminder to the community: “Whoever comes in the next day sees that we take pride in what we do here.” //

FACULTY FEATURE

TREVON BRYANT

ASSISTANT DEAN OF RESIDENTIAL LIFE

by Lori Ferguson

Trevon Bryant arrived at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) with a football scholarship and an eagerness to explore. He enrolled in an introductory human development course, and something clicked. “The class sparked my interest,” Bryant recalls. “I’ve always been curious about why people are the way they are, and I enjoy helping people.”

Realizing he had found his niche, Bryant earned a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies, followed by a master’s degree in adolescent development. Today, he is an author, motivational speaker, and Deerfield’s Assistant Dean of Residential Life, a new position that is a part of the Academy’s ongoing plan to support overall student health and well-being.

Bryant came to the position with solid experience and a desire to make a difference. A four-year stint as a residential hall director at UNH honed his skills in managing personal interactions among students, and freelance speaking gigs refined his ability to communicate. He is drawing on both skill sets at Deerfield, enhancing dorm programming and serving as a mindset coach for the student body with a particular focus on athletes.

Meghan Hoagland

To enrich the dorm experience for students, Bryant focuses on character development, a subject he knows well. “My approach springs from ‘Character is Your Ticket to the Promised Land of Success,’ the chapter I contributed to Michael Ayalon’s book From Letters to Leaders,” he explains. “We’re building activities and conversations around pillars of character (respect, caring, integrity, and citizenship) and Deerfield’s Core Values.”

My approach springs from ‘Character is Your Ticket to the Promised Land of Success,’ a chapter I contributed to Michael Ayalon’s book From Letters to Leaders,” he explains.“We’re building activities and conversations around pillars of character (respect, caring, integrity, and citizenship) and Deerfield’s Core Values.”

Outside of residential life, Bryant’s passion project is mindset coaching. “I’m happy to work with any student,” he says, “but as a former high school and college athlete myself, that population is particularly appealing.” A football standout who received offers for six Division I scholarships, Bryant knows the importance of having your head in the game. “The goal is to help students to become better leaders and teammates by cultivating a mindset that will take their skills to the next level,” he notes. Bryant is working with all of Deerfield’s teams, through all seasons, addressing issues such as temperament, responses to criticism, and skill enhancement. “I want to teach students how to apply the skills and discipline they learn in sports to the rest of their lives,” he adds. “I also want them to learn that you don’t need success overnight—it’s okay to slow down and take the time to make gains and see improvements.”

Bryant’s colleagues in the Student Life Office are delighted at the difference he’s made on campus in just a few months. “We’re committed to doing more programming in the dorms, so we needed someone who had dorm experience in a residential setting, and Trey fit the bill,” observes Dean of Residential Life Becca Melvoin. “He brings a wealth of experience from his time at UNH and is great at connecting with kids from various backgrounds. Brian Barbato told us that Trey would be amazing, and he was right. There’s much to be done with 17 dorms, over 600 students, and 45 different halls,” says Melvoin. “And Trey has hit the ground running.”

Melvoin and Bryant have also developed a series of character development discussion points for faculty to share with students in the dorm. The focus is on traits inspired by some of Deerfield’s Core Values: “care” for ninth-graders, “respect” for tenth-, “integrity” for juniors, and “citizenship” for seniors and post-graduates, and group discussions provide ways for students to connect their experiences at school with an appreciation for the Deerfield community, including the skills that are taught in and outside of classrooms.

Each term, Bryant assists coaches in promoting sportsmanship and leadership skills to student-athletes. Mindset coaching enables healthier outlooks on life, he says. “Some students might have moments where they doubt themselves on and off the field. I focus on working through adversity, the idea of ‘good competition’ and self-esteem,” Bryant says. “I want to help them see that they are more than just athletes, and build a mindset that can help them succeed after Deerfield.”

“Kids are constantly in his office,” Melvoin says. “Trey is a trusted adult that students can speak to; he has provided another space for them to be heard. We had many wonderful talks before the school year began, and it was clear Trey would be an asset. He’s ‘all in’ on everything he does—he’s warm and kind, and I feel extremely fortunate to have him on my team.”

Associate Head of School for Student Life Amie Creagh is similarly enthusiastic. “There are so many things I like about Trey,” says Creagh, “but most importantly, he brings positive energy and optimism to everything he does. He’s only been here a few months, but he’s been everything we hoped he would be and more—and we had high hopes!

CHARACTER TRAITS BY GRADE: NINTH: CARE TENTH: RESPECT JUNIORS: INTEGRITY SENIORS + PG’S: CITIZENSHIP

Each term, Bryant assists coaches in promoting SPORTSMANSHIP AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS to studentathletes. Mindset coaching enables healthier outlook s on life, he says.

“We’re supercharging our commitment to residential education,” continues Creagh, “and we recognize that Trey’s a connector who could be an accessible resource to many students. He is furthering our efforts to create a fulfilling student experience by helping kids to develop the tools and skills they need to be resilient, curious, open-minded, empathetic individuals.”

As for Bryant, he is grateful for the support and eager to make his mark. “My job here is to get students to think about improving—if only by one percent each day,” he says. “I want to teach them that they can take small steps to go long distances; this is how I can help Deerfield students excel in life.” //

FURTHER READING

Michael Ayalon is the author of the series of books From Letters to Leaders , including Creating Impact on Your College Campus and Beyond, Redefining New Member Education and Leveraging Belonging to Eliminate Hazing , Leveraging Your Fraternity or Sorority Experience to Land Your Dream Job and the recently released Perseverance and How to Be a Great Fraternity or Sorority Alumnus . He is a g raduate of the School of Management at the University at Buffalo, and has a master’s degree from Cumberland University in Public Service Management. Ayalon is currently pursuing a doctorate in assessment, learning, and student success (higher education concentration) at Middle Tennessee State University and anticipates completion in 2025. He received the 2022 Ronald H. Jury Interfraternal Friendship Award from Phi Mu Delta National Fraternity.

Meghan Hoagland

Process & $ entiment

The Value of Supplemental Aid at Deerfield

When Melissa Persons began working at Deerfield in 2008, first as the accounts receivable coordinator and then as manager of operational accounting, one of her responsibilities included distributing cash allowances to supplemental aid recipients. On the first day of every month, students would form a line at her door to receive $50. That line made an impression. Then, in the fall of 2015, Persons became director of financial aid, and so began a deep dive into what life looked like for financial aid students at Deerfield.

By any measure, Deerfield Academy has a robust financial aid program. Today it’s based on a system much more sophisticated than Headmaster Frank L. Boyden’s famous adage to “pay what you can,” but the spirit of the program—to attract and support the best students from across the nation and socioeconomic landscape—remains the same. For the 2023 - 24 academic year, the Academy will spend more than $14.5 million to provide financial assistance to 40 percent of the student body. That assistance includes financial aid to cover tuition and fees, support for global studies (travel) and athletics trips, and supplemental aid.

Deerfield’s commitment to access and inclusion is perhaps best illustrated on a daily basis by “supplemental aid,” but what does that look like? It’s support for students who cannot otherwise afford such things as clothing, dorm furnishings, travel to and from school, campus activities, and events or programs that are considered fundamental to the Deerfield experience. In short, financial aid makes it possible for students to attend Deerfield, and supplemental aid makes it possible for them to fully participate in Deerfield life. As Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Chip Davis says, “Financial aid is the resource muscle that brings students in the door, but supplemental aid is what gives them a true Deerfield experience.”

“We’re not going to standardize the experience for every Deerfield student,” he adds. “That’s not the objective. But we do want to ensure a comparable experience, for example, to all the kids on a team or in a class together. There’s a needle we’re trying to thread to allow everyone access to some of the options on the menu of incredible opportunities available to our students.”

It’s taken some time to find the right balance—and it took the right person to call attention to the imbalance.

“Financial aid allocated for tuition and fees had been growing so much, and that was important,” Persons says, “but the numbers didn’t tell the very personal story of students in their daily lives—just trying to belong, to have what they need, and to make their way.”

Persons looked at academics, athletics, and arts opportunities; at SAT testing, AP exams, and college visits; at annual social events on campus and study abroad; at health insurance and dorm-life necessities; at leisure activities and downtime. It was eye-opening, and she asked to share her findings with the Board of Trustees. In January 2016, Persons presented a 22-slide deck capturing and quantifying every student event or experience over the course of a year—from the DeNunzio Disco

Financial aid is the resource muscle that brings students in the door, but supplemental aid is what gives them a true Deerfield experience.

—Chip Davis

in the fall to Commencement in the spring. She included a study of the Greer Store that revealed how few students on financial aid were spending time there. Her presentation made it clear that the $50 monthly allowance that defined supplemental aid at the time was not enough to bring a student into the fullness of a Deerfield experience.

“I’ll never forget that day,” Persons says of her meeting with the Board. “Every person in the room listened to me, and every person in the room wanted to help.”

The trustees asked Persons to design a program that would anticipate student needs and offer more support to navigate them. At the time, the supplemental aid budget was $233,000. The Board immediately increased it by an additional $100,000, which doubled monthly allowances and expanded the scope of the program to include things such as prom costs and travel expenses for some families to attend events, including Family Weekends and graduation. Aside from additional aid for travel programs, the supplemental aid budget currently stands at $430,000, nearly double its amount just eight years ago. And outside of financial aid for tuition and fees, nearly one million dollars is directed to students’ broader Deerfield experiences on an annual basis.

In 2016, Persons also happened to be on the committee for Deerfield’s new OneCard system, which enables access to campus buildings and purchases at on-campus stores and cafes. She was able to structure the program so that most supplemental aid would go through OneCards; today, all monthly cash and bookstore funds are deposited automatically to OneCards. For the 70 students currently receiving these benefits, it’s meant more privacy and dignity—no more waiting in line for a monthly allowance— as well as the freedom, and responsibility, to manage their funds as they choose.

I’ve thought so much about process and sentiment; how does it feel to get fitted for a tuxedo with a line of students behind you when you don’t have ample payment? How does it feel to not have enough money to buy a dress that you feel comfortable in? How does it feel to want to invite someone to the prom but not be able to afford the ticket for either you or your date?

Melissa Persons

Prom is a good case study in how to reimagine an annual event in a way that diminishes financial stressors and serves all students. In the past, students needed to bring cash to the Finance Office to purchase their ticket, and they needed money to buy a dress or rent a tuxedo directly from a vendor. Prom is now ticketless and free. There is funding to help with attire, and tuxes no longer require upfront payment. Deerfield partners with a local tailor who sends one bill to the school, which charges families accordingly or applies grants as needed. “I’ve thought so much about process and sentiment,” says Persons. “How does it feel to get fitted for a tuxedo with a line of students behind you when you don’t have ample payment? How does it feel to not have enough money to buy a dress that you feel comfortable in? How does it feel to want to invite someone to the prom but not be able to afford the ticket for either you or your date?”

The curiosity and concern that Persons brings to her work makes a material difference for students. One memory that stands out for Angela Osei-Ampadu ’21, a recipient of supplemental aid and now a junior at Brown University, is the 2021 prom. Because of strict Covid safety regulations, seniors were unable to leave campus for their prom prep, and the school arranged for hairstylists and barbers to come to Deerfield. “The other Black girls in my

grade were worried about not being able to go home to get their hair done,” says Osei-Ampadu. With Persons’ help, they found a hair salon in Springfield and organized a van to take them to the salon at a time when they could be the only clients in the space.

“Her commitment to helping us find a salon that could do Black hair for our prom meant the world to me,” says Osei-Ampadu.

Sometimes, supplemental aid has an impact on a student’s Deerfield experience before they even set foot on campus. Dasha Lukyanenko ’25 was born and raised in Kherson, Ukraine, and came to Deerfield as a new tenth grader in 2022. “Deerfield was the first boarding school I learned about,” says Dasha. Working with Ukraine Global Scholars, Dasha applied to twelve schools. “Deerfield was my top choice because of its strong science and music departments,” she explains. “When I learned that I was accepted to my dream school, I did not hesitate to enroll.”

Saying yes to Deerfield was the easy part. “When I first got in touch with Mrs. Persons, I was working on getting an F-1 visa in Slovakia—my mom and I spent the spring of 2022 there when the war in Ukraine had started and we couldn’t go back to our hometown, which was under occupation. That was when I realized how caring and supportive Mrs. Persons is, for I imagine she spent hours and hours trying to help me work out how to get the documentation I needed.”

Persons then suggested that Dasha apply to summer school in the United States so she would have a place to stay and could adjust to boarding school life and the American education system before the academic year began at Deerfield. “Mrs. Persons even helped me get the essential things for my dorm room—something my family couldn’t afford.”

That personal touch has become a hallmark of Deerfield’s supplemental aid program. “A shift in attitude happened when Melissa Persons got involved,” says Victor Wright ’84 P’20, a Superior Court judge in Los Angeles County and a trustee in 2016 when Persons made her presentation. “Students and families became the focal point of efforts to maximize the impact of our financial aid programs.”

Supplemental aid was essential to Wright’s own Deerfield experience. It paid for airline tickets from California, attire that complied with the dress code, and clothes for New England winters. But in the early 1980s, the scope of the program was narrower. “My parents never attended a Family Weekend,” Wright says. “We could not afford the cost of travel or the cost of missing days of work. Only my mother attended my graduation —and only because my older siblings pooled their money to pay for her travel—because the cost for both my parents to attend was prohibitive.”

A significant number of Deerfield families today face similar challenges, and the supplemental aid program now ensures that as many families as possible can attend these events. “When people say Deerfield is a ‘family school,’ well, this is part of being a family,” says Wright. “You recognize the need, and you share what you have in a way that can help.”

Persons comes by that way of thinking naturally. “When I am working with students and families, I begin to feel like they are part of mine,” she says. That deep level of care can be felt. “As a new Deerfield parent, you have so many questions, apprehensions, and financial anxieties,” says Tyra McBeth Simon P’22, ’24. “Melissa Persons is extremely helpful but, as important, she’s understanding and available. It wasn’t just about money—she cared about my children’s emotional stability, how they were settling into school, any barriers they may have had, and their academic success.” Angela Osei-Ampadu concurs: “Her acts of kindness, both small and large, are what made my Deerfield experience feel like home.”

When people say Deerfield is a ‘family school,’ well, this is part of being a family. You recognize the need, and you share what you have in a way that can help.

—Victor Wright ’84 P’20

We are a leader among independent schools, and to keep that position, we want both our financial aid and supplemental aid budgets to be fully endowed to ensure that these crucial supports are available to all Deerfield students for generations to come.

Melissa Persons

One thing that Persons hopes to instill in students is a good sense of budgeting as well as problem-solving skills. “I enjoy when students come to me and propose something they might need and we can work together to create a solution.” She recalls a school-sponsored trip to Six Flags where a group of students wanted to attend but none of them could afford the tickets. Supplemental aid covered most of the cost of the tickets and the students budgeted their monthly allowances to cover the remainder. We all felt good about the solution. We all contributed to it—these are good life skills for our students, and good teaching moments,” says Persons.

Although the current supplemental budget is $430,000, Persons also works with other budget holders across campus to facilitate the granting of more than $500,000 for critical student activites and experiences, including pre-season and post-season athletics trips, standardized testing fees, and more. A good example of her involvement is her partnership with the Center for Service and Global Citizenship (CSGC) and its travel program. Students who apply for a CSGC trip merely check a box to say if they are interested in financial aid. Persons then works wi th the CSGC team as they select applicants, and makes sure that all eligible financial aid students receive necessary funding. Similar relationships with all student-focused offices on campus help to ensure that students don’t face financial barriers.

“Thanks to supplemental aid,” says Dasha Lukyanenko, “I had a chance to go on a Washington, DC, trip with the CSGC during a Long Winter Weekend, which was an eyeopening experience in terms of my future career path.” And last summer, thanks to a combination of supplemental aid and a Hodermarsky Summer Study grant, Dasha attended the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Vocal Program, where she spent six weeks in the Berkshires training with the best American classical singers.

“I even got to perform on the same stage with John Williams and the Boston Symphony Orchestra!” Dasha says. “Deerfield’s supplemental aid really helps to enhance my Deerfield experience in multiple ways, and I can’t even begin to describe how grateful and privileged I am to receive it.”

As for Melissa Persons, she is proud of how far that supplemental aid program has come and all that it makes possible. And she’s not done thinking about the well-being of today’s Deerfield students and their families—as well as tomorrow’s. “We are a leader among independent schools,” Persons says, “and to keep that position, we want both our financial aid and supplemental aid budgets to be fully endowed to ensure that these crucial supports are available to all Deerfield students for generations to come.” //

T apping Into Our Strength:

TEACHING AND LEARNING IN PARTNERSHIP

by Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. Anne Bruder

Teacher observation is one of the old standbys of faculty evaluation. Anyone who has spent time inside a classroom knows its tired rhythms: an administrator pops into a teacher’s class, parks himself awkwardly in the back, jots some notes, and retreats to his office to write up a report that will then be used to make critical decisions about promotion, tenure, and even termination. The best one can say about this kind of teacher observation is that it somehow manages the difficult feat of being at once stodgy and terrifying.

Our new program turns this stale process on its head. “What do you see when you watch your partner teach?” This modest question is the North Star of Deerfield’s new Teachers as Partners (TAP) program, which pairs eight veteran teachers from across disciplines in a year-long—and deliberately slow—process of mutual observation and discovery.

First, teachers observe each other and do so not at random intervals but for ninety minutes each week across an entire school year. Second, we take our “What do you see?” question quite literally, replacing instant evaluations with careful, objective observations that produce something close to a stenographer’s transcript of each week’s class. Third, we use these “transcripts” to launch discussions in which teachers ask each other open-ended questions instead of issuing final judgments.

Consider for a moment what a TAP-per’s classroom observation notebook looks like and how it captures all aspects of class rather than just the lesson on the board. In a single period, a teacher might record the language their partner uses in the first fleeting minutes before class begins, as students lug their backpacks into the room. They might map a discussion, noting how many times each student offered a comment or posed a question. Or they might spend an observation period looking exclusively at where their partner moves in the classroom. And if the program’s guiding question is “What do you see when you watch your partner teach?” the answers could look like this:

8:23 am: You greeted the early arrival (Lauren) with a wide grin and asked about her cross-country race. She jumped into an animated minute-by-minute recap.

8:32 am: You write two goals on the board for the day. Immediately, David asked you to define “propinquity.” You pointed him to the dictionary on the table. He read the definition to the class.

8:49 am: Eleven minutes into this discussion. So far nine students have spoken. Cecelia flips through her book, but she hasn’t said anything yet. Anna has spoken seven times. Eight times.

8:54 am: Tim W. goes to the bathroom again.

8:59 am: The discussion has quieted. You ask: “But how does the author know what she knows?”

9:00 am: One whole minute of silence. Students look at each other. David flips through his notes. You take four sips of tea, waiting them out.

9:01 am: Cecelia raises her hand.

Observer’s Takeaway: Students experience full immersion and follow along with understanding.

Observer’s Takeaway: “Low-tech” Handwriting connects the hand and mind in a single circuit.

PROGRAM GOALS

• To cultivate a community of joyful reflection and generous conversation about teaching and learning;

• To gain perspectives about our teaching that we cannot achieve on our own;

• To help us clarify our pedagogical commitments and follow through on them each day;

• To develop and model a culture of giving and receiving formative feedback on teaching;

• To recognize good pedagogical practices and make them more intentional;

• To deepen our understanding of student engagement in our classrooms;

• To reflect relentlessly and generously and seek understanding of self and others in our teaching practice;

• To break down academic silos that prevent interdisciplinary conversation and collaboration;

• To form a solid foundation for future program years, adapting to challenges along the way.

This approach to teacher observation captures an entire classroom in minute detail, and, as math teacher and TAP participant Sam Leiterman-Long says, it involves “unlearning what observation entails.” When we read a class transcript like this, the classroom slows down and opens itself up for contemplation. Our partner’s notebook becomes a mirror, and we begin to see our teaching in ways we couldn’t see on our own.

I developed TAP’s blueprint last year, my first at Deerfield, after faculty routinely asked for more opportunities for collaboration, community, and time together to talk about teaching and learning. These objectives brought to mind the possibility of a partnership to cultivate fellowship and best practices for our students. Fifteen years ago, as a post-doctoral fellow at Bryn Mawr College, I participated in my own pedagogical partnership with an undergraduate student who observed my teaching and provided me with weekly feedback. That experience was transformative to my pedagogy, and so when I took up a post at Berea College in Kentucky, I worked with a colleague to develop a similar program there. In both experiences, students and professors worked together to provide the latter insight into their teaching. After speaking with Deerfield teachers, I felt an analogous program could work on our campus, with a few necessary changes to accommodate our schedule and class structure.

One might wonder why we don’t simply rig up our classrooms with video cameras and require faculty to watch themselves teach, like the football team reviewing plays before the big game. Some answers are simple: a video recording can’t ask teachers questions about their choices, and if they don’t know what they’re looking for, they still won’t see it.

But there’s another more important answer, and I’ve seen it take shape across the first half of the year: When we TAP-pers ground our discussions in the precise and objective language of a notebook’s transcript—or, “mirror,” if you want to be more poetic—our conversations become venues for exploration and growth rather than arenas of snap-judgments or quick fixes, however well-intended. Someone asks their colleague, “Why do you think Olivia hangs back in every activity?” instead of offering the corrective, “You need to call on Olivia first thing to get her talking.” These moments build community and strengthen the durable fibers of connection between teachers.

When we read a class transcript like this, the classroom slows down and opens itself up for contemplation. Our partner’s notebook becomes a mirror, and we begin to see our teaching in ways we couldn’t see on our own.

The support, feedback, and opportunity for reflection that TAP meetings afford allows me to be my best teacher— my best self—with my students, by providing me with new ideas and a different perspective that I can build into my teaching, and by renewing and reinvigorating me.

— Spanish teacher Haley O’Neil

By sitting together each week in steady and slow reflection, participants allow their previous, firmly held ideas about teaching to begin to change. “One of the great surprises of participating in TAP has been the unexpected creative bloom in my own thinking about teaching and learning,” says English teacher Justin Romick. “That comes as a direct result of being in sustained and thoughtful dialogue with colleagues who have devoted time and energy to considering how we might do better.” And when our teaching deepens and our pedagogical creativity blossoms, Deerfield students get an even better education. As Spanish teacher Haley O’Neil explains, “The support, feedback, and opportunity for reflection that TAP meetings afford allows me to be my best teacher—my best self—with my students, by providing me with new ideas and a different perspective that I can build into my teaching, and by renewing and reinvigorating me.”

We TAP-pers are discovering that teaching— real teaching, transformational teaching, the kind of teaching that Deerfield is known for—can never be reduced to technique. Teaching is a partnership first between teachers and their students. But stitched through the TAP program’s work like a

thread is the knowledge that partnership between faculty is just as important. Teachers grow in supportive communities of sustained inquiry. And the practical solutions we seek, those new pedagogical techniques, emerge through deep connection and true community.

And ultimately, we aim to build a learning community marked by generous reflection and joyful communication, where we deepen our understanding of student engagement and gain perspectives on our teaching that we could never achieve alone

With several months still remaining in our pilot program, we are already drawing up plans to weave TAP into the fabric of Deerfield’s approach to professional learning. Next Fall, eight more teachers will learn to observe and reflect in partnership, disseminating the TAP spirit and strategies ever wider in our community. Over the next ten years, we aim to provide the same opportunity to nearly all of our classroom teachers. Along the way, we will continue to reflect on, refine, and share our novel approach to professional development at Deerfield. //

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2019

the Common Room

FIRST PERSON / JOHN WYATT, CLASS OF 1984

As a landmark 40th Reunion approaches our Deerfield Class of 1984, six of us have come to appreciate that we have shared an experience that is rare, if not unique. For 34 consecutive years, dating back to our mid-20s, led by our host, Will Mathis, and including Michael Bradley, JD Delafield, George Loening, David Scaife, yours truly, John Wyatt (though I write for all of us), and honorary non-Deerfield members, Manly Boyd (Woodberry Forest ’84) and Stan Stratton (St. John’s ’85) to make eight—we have gathered for a four-day weekend in late January deep in South Texas.

Like much of history, the beginning of this story is not quite so neat as can be summarized in a sentence. We date our beginning to 1990, when the vacation retreat where we gather—Isabela—near the small town of Falfurrias, was first purchased. The idea was generously conceived by our host, and the first guests—traveling lengthy distances, and flying into Houston or San Antonio or Corpus Christi and then driving a long way south— arrived for an extended weekend in January. A template was set that year. By 1995, after a few fits and starts, the group and tradition were firmly established.

It is fair to say that at first we didn’t think much about the “tradition” of this Texas gathering. In the 1990s, we were unsettled, as people often are in their 20s; picaresque, establishing identities, careers and marriages, moving often. But we certainly had a youthful (“hell, yes!”) commitment to what we called our “Deerfield Weekend.” We joke that, because this gathering began before our marriages, we wrote into our wedding vows as a fait accompli, “to have and to hold, for better, for worse,” and, “for four days of the year in late January, we shall be parted for a men’s trip to Texas.” That precedent saw us safely through the fraught years of young children and fledgling careers as we annually recused ourselves for four days from diaper-changing, basketball practices, and the “critical” marketing meeting, to wing our way to such remoteness that we dropped off the cellular grid for poker, steaks, and incessant talk.

In the late 90s and early aughts, some of us, with far-flung working obligations, crossed oceans to make the weekend: from Beijing, from Singapore, and from London for multiple years, raising the standard of commitment. We arrived jet-lagged but accounted for at the opening Thursday evening dinner, all of us around the dining room table in the land of cactus, cattle, and yapping coyotes. After those first ten to fifteen years, missing the weekend required a lot more than a poor excuse. We now fly from Seattle, from New York and New Jersey, from Virginia, from Florida, and from elsewhere in Texas. When the rare absence does occur (for health emergencies, death in families, or business crises), we Photoshop a life-sized pasteboard cutout of the absent guest to stand at the dining table and Zoom the truant to ensure he truly is bedridden with a herniated disc as claimed.

There came a time (was it in our late 30s? our early 50s?) when it dawned on us during our interactions with others throughout the year, that what we shared—this annual gathering with the same set of Deerfield friends—was entirely unique. Sure, people had traditions. But stretching back this far? With the same eight friends? And with such unshakable consistency? >>>

2000: Stan Stratton, George Loening, Manly Boyd, Michael Bradley, Will Mathis, David Scaife, JD Delafield, John Wyatt

2024: Stan Stratton, John Wyatt, JD Delafield, Will Mathis, Michael Bradley, David Scaife, George Loening, Manly Boyd

Although the setting has become beloved to all of us as the years and then the decades passed, the most meaningful quality of this annual Deerfield gathering is its duration and timelessness, such that what matters most is not the landscape but the act of showing up and being accountable, and, to substitute for a more generalized abstraction, we will point to the dining room table, which could be anywhere. Ours happens to be a simple Shaker-style rectangle of worn wood that seats eight, exactly our number. We each take a seat there for meals six times over our long weekend. Break bread, pass the salsa, pour a glass of wine or a sparkling water (depending on our varied commitments to sobriety). And we have done so—sat at the table—for 34 years in a row, through divorce, births, deaths, surgeries, triumphs, wars, booms and busts. Recall, if you will, our seated meals in the Dining Hall at Deerfield, where we first met one another. While we no longer wear coats and ties as we did then, the spirit of give-and-take is comparable.

We acknowledge now, as we turn 57 and 58, that we have reached a “maturity” that dates us as the graying figures under the Reunion tent at the clambake back in the Pocumtuck Valley. We reflect our era and our Deerfield class, which may be more “bygone” than we care to admit; our teachers long since gone, some of our dormitories torn down. Six men—for our class was still “all boys” before Deerfield began admitting young women in 1989—and we reflect the composition of our class, which was overwhelmingly white.

Our diverse political affinities range from left to right on what any outside observer would deem an unusually elastic band.... Yet, and here’s what becomes interesting about our experience and worth noting: We have lived through this together, and survived, to love and respect each other, for 34 years.

But, such a surface sketch underplays the fractious diversity of thought that any six individuals—six headstrong Deerfield alums, no less, with ambition, curiosity, and an appetite for the world—can bring to any seminar, any discussion group, any boardroom or counsel—or any annual reunion. Our interests, incomes, geography, political and religious beliefs are diverse. Our careers have been built in energy, finance, journalism, real estate, and sales. We are now in our ninth (ninth!) presidential election cycle, reaching back to 1992, each one of which we have debated tooth and nail, and where we quickly learned finding consensus can be a chaotic and occasionally useless exercise in herding cats. During one primary season, as we went around the table choosing our champion, among the eight of us, we chose seven—seven!—different candidates. Our diverse political affinities range from left to right on what any outside observer would deem an unusually elastic band. Along with the rest of the American electorate, we can be as emotionally heated on any hot button issue that divides our country today or tomorrow.

Yet, and here’s what becomes interesting about our experience and worth noting: We have lived through this together, and survived, to love and respect each other, for 34 years.

FIRST PERSON / JOHN WYATT, CLASS OF 1984

Sunset and moonrise over Isabela, near Falfurrias, Texas / photo by John Wyatt Legend has it that the highest point on the ranch is 1797 miles from Deerfield, Massachusetts.

In our 20s and 30s, our conversations ran hot, often with a gleeful rancor. We stood up and shouted. We taunted. We were offended and flabbergasted by the obtuseness of one another. Feelings were bruised. In today’s climate and under certain circumstances—at a cocktail party, or on social media, or during a political caucus, maybe the words we hurled at each other would be hurtful enough to burn a bridge; walk away, fed up, be done with it.

But that is not who we are, and never how our weekend has worked. Each year, we pick up where we left off, without missing a beat, even if we have not seen each other since the previous year, we’re delighted to be back and to renew our friendships. Four days gives us ample time to catch up on kids, spouses—and their challenges and opportunities—as well as our own. We have raucous dice games of liar’s poker, we compete in backgammon, bridge, and Scrabble. We build big fires in the fireplace. We share morning and afternoon excursions in the great outdoors in rotating groups of four amid the prickly pear cactus and the motts of oak trees; we see javelinas and white-tailed deer, bob-white quail and red-tailed hawks, and we are awed by the spectacular sunsets, which fill the huge Texas sky over the wide and flat horizon.

Our seated meals, of course, with eight of us at the table, are the center of our more serious conversations. We keenly value the most important topics of the day. We want to know where each of us stand. It is valuable to each of us to know. We will not shrink from the most difficult topic; in fact, this is our weekend to dive in headlong, for we have come to trust that we will make it through to the next meal with our affection intact.

As life happened and as we shared more, as we became older, taunts became fewer, or at least less ad hominem, and our affection for one another endured and grew more stubbornly than any political impasse. Humor has always been a hallmark of the weekend: Every year we laugh at our follies and the times we fell flat on our faces because our friends—rather too zestfully—won’t let us forget what foolishness we committed when we were 15 and at Deerfield, or 51, for that matter. Life and the passage of time are the greatest equalizers, as the bluesmen knew. Time and age chasten all of us. Now that we are in our late 50s, it is a fact that we have all moderated. We may be no less sure of our commitments, but we are less prone to vitriol, and we are experienced enough to appreciate the power and lasting value of compromise; we are keener to find it. Why? Because we respect each other, and we are accountable to each other. We have a more enduring bond than political expedience: We have friendship.

If we had a group takeaway from our experience to share, it might be this respect for heterodoxy. Not a new thought for all of us who value education, but a sneakily rewarding one, especially over time, when wisdom is born, often (usually?) contra to our prevailing assumptions. It is anchored in the decorum we share at that dining room table, at a sit-down meal, sharing food, and the civility, really, of asking your counterpart to pass the salt and pepper even as you might discuss . . . well, pick your inflammatory topic. And when you find yourself still at that table, affectionately, ten or 30 years later, (and, umm, perhaps with more heart-healthy food than the steaks and whiskey of our 20s), of course it harkens back to Deerfield. We might not have appreciated it quite the same way back in those adolescent days, when we first pulled up under the towering sycamore trees in front of the Main School Building on Boyden Lane.

We learned a lot during those formative years, growing up together at Deerfield Academy; breaking bread, arguing, joking, and razzing one another—an unruly group of boys drawn from all across the country and from overseas, from different backgrounds and with unique idiosyncrasies—plunked down to learn and coexist on Western Massachusetts farmland, and to begin navigating our own way on this journey of life. Today, with instant communication, with the ease and convenience of unprecedented mobility, and with the ability to quickly source news from where we wish, it has never been easier to “get away” from disagreement and, thus, risk falling into the trap—the lazy convenience—of being able to dismiss and demonize those who have opinions contrary to your own. But the price of excusing oneself from the table is the lost chance for something more valuable than an easy political score: It is the opportunity for wisdom and for enduring friendship.

The eight of us have already blocked out our calendars to be back at Isabela late next January, ready to take our seats at the table, which—before the sparks fly— will surely begin with raised glasses and a toast to one more year. //

Philip “Sam” Chase was recently honored by the Forest Society. Pictured here, Senior Outreach Manager Nigel Manley (right) presents Sam Chase with the Trish Churchill Volunteer of the Year Award at the Forest Society’s annual meeting in September.

1948

“Grace H. Wilson married Brendon H. Donoghue at Twilight Park in New York on September 9, 2023. Brendon’s grandfather was Win Hindle, treasurer of the Class of 1948. Grace’s grandfather is Tom Wilson, a proud member of that same class. It is only 75 years ago that they were ‘Boyden Boys.’” —Tom Wilson

1955

Bill Morton shared the following sad news, “I’m sorry to report that our ardent and beloved classmate John W. Spurdle passed away on April 24, 2023. Spurts lived a full and active life. At Deerfield, he was involved in all sorts of activities, from Glee Club and Cum Laude to two undefeated teams in varsity football and lacrosse. After Deerfield, it was on to Wesleyan, marriage to Cyndy after graduation, and then to Harvard Business School. He began his thirty-year career with Morgan Guaranty Trust in 1961 and spent long periods in both the New York and London offices. He retired as Executive Vice President. Spurts had a busy retirement, but we had plenty of opportunity to renew our friendship that began at Deerfield. A high point, of course, was co-chairing the Class of 1955’s 50th Reunion in 2005. We spent a lot of time at it, and were pleased with the attendance, our financial contribution to Deerfield, and the very festive Reunion itself!! We continued to see quite a bit of one another—mostly during our many trips to New York City. We always had great times together, and even managed a trip with our wives to Italy ten years ago. Spurts was wonderful to spend time with. He had a great sense of humor and an always-positive and enthusiastic attitude on anything he got involved in. He’ll be sorely missed!”

At Deerfield, he was involved in all sorts of activities, from Glee Club and Cum Laude to two undefeated teams in varsity football and lacrosse.

l to r: Bill (Moose) and Meg Norton, and Cyndy and John Spurde .

THE COMMON ROOM

1956

Joseph Twichell passed along the following updates: Jonathan (Jocko) Knowles reports that his lovely wife, Pat, passed away in May of 2000 after almost 60 years of marriage. We had remained friends with another couple from Colby. He was in my class, and she was a class behind. We used to take them to our Maine house, and when he passed away several years ago, we continued to take her to Maine. I continued to take her to Maine after Pat died—with no ulterior motive until she intimated something or said something that made the light go on over Marblehead—now we are a couple. I have been twice blessed to have the love of two beautiful women. Both families have been very supportive, which makes life a little easier. I have a son and his wife, two remaining daughters (my daughter Callie passed away in 2016), and their families. I greatly enjoy my eight grandchildren, who are all within a two-hour radius.

Gerry Carrick reports that he is glad to be retired after nearly 45 years as a real estate broker. “I enjoyed the days when you interacted with clients personally—now it seems everything is via the internet—not my cup of tea. At our age it’s just nice to wake up in the morning.”

A Deerfield reunion: Four ’58 classmates on Lake Champlain l to r: Brian Rosborough, John Mendelson, Porter Wheeler, Dave Knight

“My big news is the publication of a book I first conceptualized about 40 years ago.”

— Phil Stevens ’59

1959

Phil Stevens shared some exciting news: “My big news is the publication of a book I first conceptualized about 40 years ago. It proved too complex to complete during my time as a professor of anthropology at SUNY, Buffalo. After my retirement in 2019, it became an ideal project—and a great distraction from the pandemic! It confronts two widely discussed topics: Rethinking the Anthropology of Magic and Witchcraft: Inherently Human (Routledge 2024). It presents an entirely new theory of what are, in fact, universal human beliefs—as expressed in the subtitle. It is a textbook but easily readable by all.”

1961

“I am a member of the Churchill Society of Tennessee. In early November, we had our annual gala. I played piano during cocktail hour and was seated at the head table with our speaker, General David Petraeus. It was an exciting evening for this old fart! BEAT CHOATE!” —Douglas Gortner

1964

“Not too long ago, I sadly learned of the passing of Jeff Kriendler I will long remember our “wild and crazy times” (to quote Steve Martin) on Plunkett. One of my fondest memories of Jeff was when, many years later, I was in NYC for some corporate training. I asked him to arrange for a female companion and me to have dinner at the “Numbers.” Arriving there, we proceeded to order one of almost every item on the menu. A fabulous meal! The waiter proceeded to bring a check, which was enormous. When I said that Jeff had set up this dinner, the waiter told me that he’d made the reservations but only to take care of the drinks—not the whole dinner!

I learned a valuable & expensive lesson. Thanks, Jeff.”

—John Baumann

1965

We agree with Sam Weisman’s sentiment: “The Holdovers is a great film, and it’s a thrill that Deerfield was such a big part of it! The work of Dominic Sessa ’22 is just incredible! After seeing it, a kind of ad hoc 1965 small Zoom group has been regularly convening consisting of me in West Newton, MA, Frank Reynolds in Hanover, NH, Richard Gluckman in New York, Jed Dietz in Baltimore, Jack Davis in New Orleans, and Mike Baker in Berkeley, CA. It’s been so much fun dredging up the craziness of the early 1960’s, but also talking about the Boydens, our teachers, The Scroll, the Dining Hall, and some stuff that can’t be quoted here. We have also loved hearing about Richard Gluckman’s architectural practice, which is busier than ever. Our little group will continue to connect monthly after the Holidays.”

1968

“Charles Laughinghouse was a one-year senior with a broad smile and an inquisitive mind. He passed on October 1, 2023, in Las Vegas, NV. Sorry and saddened to announce this news to the Class. Hope you are well.” —John

“Wali” Walbridge

1971

John Embree sent in some life updates: “After 50 years in the tennis industry—the last 11 as the CEO of the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA)—I announced my retirement at the end of December 2023. I am looking forward to playing the third set of my life and saying “yes” to doing things that I have previously had to say “no” to because of my work. I am blessed to have made a career out of a sport I have played since I was six. Few people can say that. My wife, Dagmar, and I will remain outside of Orlando for now and look forward to playing more golf, some competitive age group tennis, and travel while my health is still good.”

1977

Matt Petri shared that, “In February, my wife Nell and son Chase and I traveled to Steamboat Springs, CO, to ski for a few days with a college friend. Jim Gilbane met us there with his wife Fraser and sons Jami and Ryan. We had a blast skiing and eating together over a few days. Nell and I reconnected with Jim and Fraser in June at their home in Rhode Island to share lunch and a beautiful, long walk in Newport.

I am looking forward to playing the third set of my life and saying “yes” to doing things that I have previously had to say “no” to because of my work.

—John Embree ’71

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Matt Petri and Jim Gilbane

77

RIDERS IN THE STORM

The Triumph and Tragedies of a Black Cavalry Regiment in the Civil War

by JOHN D. WARNER JR. ’79

Stackpole Books (2022)

Warner, an archivist for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for more than two decades, sheds light on a forgotten chapter of the American Civil War, the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment, the only black cavalry cadre to serve in the Union Army. Well-researched and documented, Warner’s book will fascinate readers eager to learn more about African American soldiers and race relations during our nation’s most fraught era.

THE RAINDROP CROSSING

by KRISTOPHER HULL ’92

HMD Publishing (2023)

In his first novel, Hull has penned a thriller that begins with the kidnapping of a young concert pianist and soon becomes a conspiracy that simultaneously addresses the topical concern of artificial intelligence and humanity’s passion for the fine arts. Passages often have descriptions with an artistic flair that elevates the everyday.

DYLAN

by DAVID J MATHER ’64

Peace Corps Writers (2024)

A pair of father-son relationships is at the heart of Mather’s newest novel, which begins with a young writer living his best life in the Caribbean much to the chagrin of his domineering sire. When a tryst yields a surprise almost a year later, the son finds himself coping with being a father himself—and unsure whether he even wants to raise a child. The story moves through adversity and animosity to acceptance and a lesson in paternal devotion.

“A PAST WORTHY OF STUDY: THE CLASSICISM OF PEABODY & STEARNS”

New England No. 20 (2023)

by Aaron M. Helfland ’01

Institute of Classical Architecture & Art

In his article focusing on Peabody & Stearns role in the “creative synthesis that belongs distinctly to New England,” Helfland (of Knight Architecture LLC, a firm founded by George Knight ’85) offers as example the (no longer extant) 1878 schoolhouse for Deerfield Academy and Dickinson High School. Striking photographs accompany the piece. Helfland’s Deerfield Academy: An Architectural Tour, published by Princeton Architectural Press in 2020, remains a must-read book for those wanting a more in-depth experience returning to campus.

Things change over time.

Please consider leaving a legacy at Deerfield.

Include the Academy in your will or trust, or designate Deerfield as a beneficiary of an IRA or insurance policy. Enjoy the satisfaction of investing in future generations of Deerfield students and faculty. Thanks to you, Deerfield will endure.

To become a member of The Boyden Society, simply notify the Office of Advancement that you have included Deerfield in your estate plans. The society honors the legacy of the legendary Frank L. and Helen Childs Boyden.

JEAN-BRIAC ‘JB’ PERRETTE

President & CEO / Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming and Games

/// by Lori Ferguson ///

It’s the first week of the new year, and JB Perrette ’89 is reveling in the quiet.

Considering his responsibilities, he knows it will be short-lived. In April of 2022, Perrette became President & CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming and Games, tasked with leading strategic growth for these areas in the US and internationally. His top priority is positioning Discovery’s new streaming brand Max (formerly HBO Max) as one of the top three global leaders in streaming services. He is also set on continuing to grow and scale Warner Bros. Discovery’s gaming business with the development of more mobile games and always on live services around its core franchises, such as Harry Potter, Games of Thrones, Mortal Kombat and the DC universe. If you think this sounds like a lot, you’re right. But a quick review of Perrette’s resume shows he’s more than up to the task.

Although a major player in media for more than twenty years now, Perrette admits he didn’t initially envision himself in this sector. After completing a degree in public policy from Hamilton College, he embarked on a traditional career in banking, beginning his professional journey as an analyst at Credit Suisse. However, after a couple of years on the job, he realized his interests lay in more direct, operational work.

JB’s TO-DO LIST:

With that in mind, Perrette secured a position with GE Capital and entered the Corporate Audit Staff program. This initiative allowed him to rotate through the company’s divisions and hone his leadership skills. “When I completed the program, I was offered three job opportunities: one with a reinsurance company, one with a white label credit card, and one with NBC,” he recalls. The calculus for selecting a position was quick. “By that point in time, I knew that I enjoyed the process of running a business that produces something. The NBC job was in New York, and I’m a native New Yorker, and my wife reminded me that working in an industry you really love matters. All roads led to New York.” The decision was prescient. Perrette flourished at the network, spending just over a decade in senior leadership at NBC Universal and stewarding North American television and film content distribution across various platforms. Then, in 2011, Discovery Inc. offered Perrette the role of Chief Digital Officer and the opportunity to establish the company as an industry leader in the digital media space. Perrette leaped at the challenge, met that goal, and two years later was promoted to President and CEO of Discovery International.

✔ Position MAX

as a top-three streaming service.

✔ Gro w and scale

Warner Bros. Discovery’s gaming business with the development of more mobile games and always on live services around its core franchises, such as Harry Potter, Games of Thrones, Mortal Kombat and the DC universe.

“In my generation, entertainment was two-dimensional, sight and sound, but it’s progressively moving toward three-dimensional.” And the focus is shifting as well. “Gaming is increasingly experiencing a lifestyle evolution, not just an entertainment evolution,” says Perrette. “The gaming world is becoming more about sport—for example, leagues are forming around games—and elements of lifestyle like those found in multiplayer, virtual world games such as Roblox and Fortnite.” Add in headsets like Apple’s Vision Pro and Meta’s Quest, and the lines between the real world and the virtual world are further blurred.

Perrette finds it all incredibly exciting. “Digital media is all about change and disruption—it’s exhausting but also exhilarating to have a front-row seat on change. As an industry, we’re witnessing multigenerational, technology-driven disruption, and it’s exciting to know that I can play a role in re-architecting how media consumption works for multiple generations.”

Over the next eight years, Perrette transformed Discovery’s international operations, expanded the company’s reach across Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Europe, and quadrupled the size of its online video business. In his newest role, he focuses on expanding this reach in global streaming and gaming. And he couldn’t be happier.

“It’s fun to be in a consumer business where you can personally relate to the content,” Perrette enthuses. “Discovery was founded with the goal of igniting curiosity with content that entertains and informs, and like so many others, I’m a consumer of this content—I love stories—so this work is great fun.”

Witnessing the industry’s rapid-fire change—while simultaneously helping to guide it—is heady work, Perrette admits.

Perrette credits his ability to meet the moment partly to his time at Deerfield. “My two years at the Academy stoked the intellectual curiosity that propels me through my days,” he says. “I also gained a level of self-confidence, tempered with humility, which has proven invaluable.”

Family and friends played a crucial role in shaping his character as well, he quickly adds. “My family instilled a sense of how fortunate I am to have these opportunities, together with an understanding of the importance of doing right as much as doing well,” says Perrette. “Deerfield reinforced those messages.”

This potent blend of curiosity and confidence has allowed Perrette to excel in a competitive environment for more than twenty years. “Having the chance to influence how an entire industry operates is incredibly exciting,” he observes. “The media experience has been evolving for more than 20 years, and I’m fortunate enough to have a hand in shaping that experience for the next generation of consumers—it’s gratifying.” //

My two years at the Academy stoked the intellectual curiosity that propels me through my days . . . I also gained a level of self-confidence, tempered with humility.”

Eight members of the Class of 1979 gathered in Wilmington, DE, to honor and celebrate the life of our classmate, Rich Diver.

1979

“Great to see Adam Reeves and his wife, Maggie, in San Francisco.”

– Art Dwight

1980

Bayard DeMallie shared an exciting update: “Spent a special week in western Canada with our youngest son, Cooper ’22, this August and had the opportunity to watch the U21 USA Indoor Lacrosse Team go undefeated at the World Junior Lacrosse Championship. The USA defeated Canada in the gold medal game. Cooper, a sophomore at Middlebury College, was captain of the team. Not only was this the first gold medal for the USA at any level of international box lacrosse competition, but it was also the first time Canada had lost a game in their ‘Summer National Sport’ during an international competition. Go USA!”

1981

Jeffry Louis shared that Deerfield is always there no matter where he goes. “No, Jeff Louis didn’t pull a sled to the South Pole, but he did manage to get there in January of 2023 in an unpressurized 1943 DC-3 (on skis). We spent 16 hours flying over the continent of Antarctica, setting down in some of the most remote places on Earth.”

l to r: Art Dwight , Eric Sachsse , Barnes Darwin ’77 , Jim Bloomer , Dan Goss , Reed Webster , Geordie Lunt , Tee Rowe , and Hank Smith .

Art Dwight anb Adam Reeves

1983

John Knight shared several updates, as usual!

Leave it to Hank to stroll to a neighborhood watering hole in Miami and sit at the bar next to a gentleman in a green hat. Turns out it was his classmate, Eric! Thanks for taking and sending the photo! Going to be a Happy ’83 New Year!

Celebrate ’24 by connecting with DA classmates, just like Doug and John did! And remember to send the evidence to John, please!

Grateful for all the classmates who keep in touch. Here’s the latest from Chris Lotspeich with an intro by his wife, Amy, all via Facebook. “Hi, everyone! As this year comes to a close, I wanted to be sure to thank you all so much for your generous contributions of meals and financial support toward them. Chris wrote the note below to update everyone on how he’s doing. As he says, these meals have provided an invaluable source of ease in an otherwise complicated balancing act. Thank you, and Happy New Year!!

P.S. – The picture above is of Chris and his brother Matt, who was here from Australia for the holidays.

From Chris: I’d like to thank everyone who has joined Team Chris via Food Train. Life is getting more challenging. ALS has affected my hands and arms, gait, balance, speech, and swallowing. I have lost ~75 lbs. of muscle mass. I have regular fatigue and nap frequently. I drool, which is annoying. I have a feeding tube, but I can eat and

drink most things that others feed me. The whole thing remains a bit surreal. Yet I am very happy; my positive attitude is almost effortless and can only help me in my predicament. I am highly fortunate to be progressing very slowly, and eight years in from my earliest ALS symptoms, I remain mostly independent. Half of the poor souls who get this terrible and capricious affliction don’t live more than two years. My relatively slow progression puts me in the ~10% most favorable cohort of people with ALS (pALS). I have an embarrassment of riches in support from family and friends, foremost from my wonderful wife, Amy Dunn. She is very busy with her successful independent consulting practice and holding the household together. I don’t know how she does it. She is amazing, yet her powers are not unlimited. This burden grows as my ability to pitch in and pull my weight diminishes. I am mindful that 80% of caregivers end up in the hospital before the person they are caring for, and I don’t want that to happen to Amy. That is why Food Train is a perfect way to support our family. Amy runs hard all day and is tired by evening. A tasty, nourishing meal delivered is a great help to the whole family, especially to Amy, who doesn’t have to pull dinner together at the end of a long day. Your generosity has a direct beneficial impact on our family. Thank you!”

Hank and Eric

83

83 Chris and his brother Matt; Chris with his family

Doug and John

Congrats to David Morley ’83 on his recent trip to Egypt!

Doug Schmidt saw John Kikoski at a recent Deerfield event in NYC. John had been in Taipei during the Covid pandemic and is happy to be back in New Jersey.

THE COMMON ROOM

1991

Julie Deffense sent along fun news from Portugal: “From July 30 to August 6 of 2022, my husband and I hosted a group of DA alums for a week full of adventures and culinary delights! Ashley Greene and her daughter, Elizabeth Cooper ’92 and her mother, Jessica Steffensen P’25, Jonathan Bardzik and his husband Jason, Timo Weymouth and his wife Kate, Kristina Hess ’92 , Maija Muncy and her son, Philipp Pieper, Shameem Awan ’92, Tara Faupel and her husband Andy came to Lisbon to experience some of “our world.”

“Curated programs filled each day—visits to museums, palaces, and experiences—including tuk-tuk tours, gin and port tastings, a sunset catamaran cruise, a classic car rally, two private black-tie dinners in national palaces, and one night at a Michelin star restaurant. It was a dream come true to plan such an epic get-together, looking forward to the next one! Anyone from the DA community who would like to visit Portugal, please get in touch; I would be more than happy to send you a list of things not to miss.”—

Julie Deffense ’91

NICOLE HENDRICKS

Effecting change through education

/// by Lori Ferguson ///

As a young Deerfield student, Nicole Hendricks ’96 entered Karinne Heise’s English course on Black women writers with little inkling of the profound impact it would later have on her life. “That class was my first in-depth academic exposure to Black women as thinkers, writers, and intellectuals, and as a student, I internalized the experience,” Hendricks recalls. “The course planted a seed in me—to see the words of these women centered in this way gave me a sense of my own voice.”

It’s a voice that Hendricks has used tirelessly in the years since. Now a professor of criminal justice at Holyoke Community College (HCC), she has dedicated her entire professional career to advocating for others. After earning a bachelor’s in anthropology and African American studies from Wesleyan University and a master’s in policy analysis from New York University, Hendricks accepted a job as a research associate at New York’s Vera Institute of Justice. “I did a lot of work there around police community relations, and led a large project focused on the experiences of Arab American communities community after 9-11,” she observes. “Then, in 2006, I moved to Massachusetts and saw an advertisement for a tenure-track teaching position at Holyoke Community College. I had never taught before, but the job appealed to me, so I applied and got it.”

Hendricks teaches criminology and women’s studies courses and has served as chair of HCC’s Criminal Justice Department. After nearly two decades as a teacher, she remains delighted by the wisdom of that decision, which has allowed her to pursue her interests in examining criminal legal systems, justice, and social change reform while simultaneously preparing others to meet the challenges and opportunities in our society.

Hendricks has also extended educational opportunities to the larger community, assisting incarcerated individuals through her work as co-founder and now director of Western Mass CORE (Community, Opportunity, Resources, Education), an organization dedicated to helping people impacted by the criminal justice legal system attend college. Through CORE, Hendricks leads college classes and book groups in local jails. “The work gives me a lot of hope,” she observes. “Seeing these students on the inside energized by sharing and analyzing a text is incredibly rewarding. We are realizing one another’s humanity. In a jail, there is a place of light.”

Hendricks admits that teaching wasn’t always her goal, a confession that’s somewhat surprising coming from this 2023 winner of an Inspiration Award from the African American Female Professor Award Association, an acknowledgment of her exemplary work in education. “Winning that award was unexpected,” she admits, “but it’s incredibly gratifying.”

Hendricks welcomes every opportunity to highlight education’s role in moving the needle on social justice initiatives. “We cannot reduce the harms of the systems of punishment and law enforcement without understanding the social, historical, and political underpinnings of these systems, and a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences gives students that background,” she asserts.

Hendricks witnesses the transformation effects of education year after year. “After a semester of grappling with issues of criminality and injustice, I hear the thoughtful ways my students process difficult conversations on things like police violence in communities of color or disparate rates of incarceration,” she observes. “People who work in the criminal justice system must be

aware of the challenges and bring their core values to work to see the humanity of the populations they serve. I have students interested in diverse careers—from police officers and domestic violence advocates to lawyers and scholars of critical legal studies—so a sound education is critical. We tell our students early on, ‘If you’re interested in thinking about justice in all its guises, we can support you.’”

Hendricks has also remained active outside the classroom as a consultant on criminal and social justice initiatives. She has researched and reported on police use of force for the Mayor’s Pledge Initiative championed by The Obama Foundation, examined efforts to advance services for at-risk youth for the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps, and consulted with the Holyoke Police Department on police assessment policies and practices.

In retrospect, she points to her years at Deerfield as the nexus of her interests in criminal legal systems and issues of social justice. “While in school, I engaged in numerous activities around organization and advocacy that helped me to recognize injustices and organize coalitions to address them,” Hendricks says. For example, Hendricks was a founding member of the Academy’s inaugural Diversity Task Force, which encouraged students to organize around issues like Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Her student years also fostered enduring leadership skills, Hendricks continues. “I was the first captain of the women’s crew team and a peer counselor, positions that allowed me to engage in leadership roles that have impacted my professional life.”

Leading efforts to advance social justice, mainly through her work with CORE, has only strengthened Hendricks’ belief in the incredible power of education. “Even within the literal confines of a jail, you can step outside yourself, reach across the divide, and connect on a human level,” she observes.

Despite this optimism, one can’t help but wonder if the country’s ongoing struggles with social justice have dampened Hendricks’ belief in the ability to affect change on a large scale. In a word, no; every encounter has the potential to enrich, she argues. “I’ve learned that you can have meaningful and transformative interactions with others even while struggling to change the system,” she insists. And that’s a lesson she learned at Deerfield, says Hendricks. In 2022, she returned to the Academy for Reunions and reconnected with old friends, many of whom continue to address societal issues they first tackled in high school. “It was exciting to see my classmates continuing to live the values we nurtured as students,” she concludes. //

Hendricks displays her 2023 Inspiration Award from the African American Female Professor Award Association

Courtesy of Nicole Hendricks

“I recently traveled to the French Alps to climb Aiguille du Moine and Aiguille du Peigne. Really enjoyed learning more about alpinism and staying in the epic valley town of Chamonix. Hoping to explore the Italian Alps next summer!”— Emily Pell ’01

Campbell Johnson was married last fall. The happy event occurred on September 16, 2023, in Newport, RI. The reception was at Newport Country Club with 14 Deerfield alums in attendance!

2011

l to r: Blair Johnson ’14, Gordon Johnson ’17, Alex Chapin ’11, Mary Rocke Reuter ’11, Brian Browne ’11, Tanner Larson ’11, Campbell Johnson ’11, Scott Johnson ’71, Sophie Dick Johnson, Emmett Knowlton ’11, Annie Johnson King ’08, Marc Johnson ’74, Joe LaSala ’12, Alannah Nesbet ’11

THE COMMON ROOM

Ashley So ’13 and Kevin Tang ’12 (now So-Tang) celebrated a beautiful wedding in Girona, Spain, on October 14, 2023. The two have been together since Deerfield and could not have been more grateful for all the DA friends who attended, including officiant Emily Ng ’14, Ashley’s sister and maid of honor, Chloe So ’15, and groomsmen Jake Barnwell ’12 and David Morales-Miranda ’12.

l to r: Zahra Rawji, Ji Soo Ryu, Tan Sertthin, Michelle Kelly, Sharon Tam, Jae Baek, Kristy Hong, Jade Moon, Stefani Kuo, Chris Lin, Chloe So, Chris Miao, Emily Ng, Jake Barnwell, Andrew Bishop, David Morales-Miranda, and Trevor Anderson-Salo. Justin Xiang and Ashley’s uncles, Edmond and Tony Yue are not pictured.

HIGHLIGHTS ALUMNI-ATHLETE

Deerfield alumni-athletes scored big at colleges and universities across the nation in recent seasons. Congratulations to all on their successes! For stories about some of our collegiate athletes and curr ent Deerfield students: deerfield.edu /athletics

Geoffrey Jamiel ’22 & Nick Peltekian ’22

Stone Anderson ’23

University of Michigan (Football)

•Member of the National Championship and Big-10 Championship team

Elic Ayomanor ’22

Stanford University (Football)

Awarded the Jon Cornish Trophy

•Appeared in all 12 games, making starts in the final 11 games

•Paced the Stanford offense with 62 receptions for 1,013 yards and six touchdowns

•Ranked seventh in the Pac-12 in receiving yards and yards per catch (16.3), while ranking fifth in yards per game (84.4)

•His 1,013 receiving yards on the eighth most in a single season in Stanford history

•Set the Stanfor d program record for receiving yards in a game (294), in the double overtime victory at Colorado; second most single-game receiving yards in Pac-12 history; most receiving yards by an FBS player; his 13 receptions are tied for the second-most in Stanford history; and first player in the Pac-12 with multiple touchdown receptions of 60+ yards since 2016

•Named the team’s Irving S. Zeimer Award recipient, given to the team’s offensive most valuable player

Peter Aznar-Klein ’23

Williams College (Golf)

•In rookie season, he carded one round in the 70s, one round in the 80s and one round in the 90s

•Recorded a semester-low round of 79 during second day of the Williams Invitational on way to scoring a two-round total of 170 at Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown, MA

Wedner Cadet ’22

Georgetown University (Football)

• Member of Patriot League Pr eseason All-League Team before injury cut season short

Sam Carlson ’20

University of Pennsylvania (Football)

Pla yed all 10 games, spending time on special teams

Darien Chiang ’23

Bates College (Men’s Rowing)

Coxswain as first varsity eight placed 12 th out of 42 crews in the collegiate eights race, pacing the Bobcats at the Head of the Charles Regatta

Sydney Cresta ’20

Connecticut College (Field Hockey)

•One of 60 student-athletes from 44 different Division III institutions to earn a spot on the 2023 NFHCA Senior Team

•Played in 46 games and made 32 starts in three seasons of competition—this season finishing her collegiate career with four goals and seven assists for 15 points and ranked second for the team in scoring (three goals and a pair of assists)

Katrina Csaky ’21

Georgetown University (Women’s Rowing)

•In the Hoyas’s Collegiate 4+ A boat finished in second place at the Navy Day Regatta •Finished in fir st in the open weight Collegiate Varsity 8+, with the “A” at the Head of the Occoquan Regatta

Claire Cummings ’21 Yale University (Women’s Rowing)

•Member of the Bulldogs boat that captured the club eight title, posting a time of 16:10.900 at the Head of the Charles Regatta

Cor tland Dicks ’21

Brown University (Football)

• Pla yed in four games for the Bears

Ben Diffley ’20

Williams College (Men’s Soccer)

•Named to the 2023 DIII Academic

All-District® Men’s Soccer Team, selected b y College Sports Communicators

•Earned the United Soccer Coaches

All-Region I Team for the second consecutive year, this year named to third team

•Star ted all 16 games for the Ephs; in 1,403.4 minutes in goal, he allowed 12 goals, posted a goals against average of 0.77 and recorded eight shutouts

•Made 51 sa ves for a save percentage of .813

•All-NESCAC Academic team for the third consecutive year and NESCAC Championship Quarterfinalist

George Fauver ’22

Bates College (Men’s Rowing)

•First varsity eight placed 12 th out of

Mufaro Mazambani

THE COMMON ROOM / ATHLETE HIGHLIGHTS

Abby Fernald ’22

Connecticut College (Women’s Cross-Country)

•Helped team finish 28 th at the NCAA DIII Championship in team’s first-ever appearance at the event

•Team finished third at the 2023 NCAA Mideast Regional, its best-ever finish at the NCAA regional event

•Named to the 2023 NESCA C Fall All-Academic Team

•Per sonally finished in 5 th place at the NESCAC Championship with a time of 22:24.2 helping team to fourth place overall finish—the team’s best finish at the NESCAC Championship

•Earned All-NESCAC first-team honors

Daphne Gavros ’23

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Women’s Volleyball)

•Captured the NEWMAC Championship

•Advanced to the first-round of the NCAA DIII Championship

•Named to 2023 NEWMA C Fall Academic All-Conference Team

•Led the team with 118 sets played this fall and second on the team in total digs (306)

Zoe Gavros ’23

Carnegie Mellon (Women’s Volleyball)

•Played in all 32 matches for the Tartans, led the team with 45 service aces and recorded 205 digs in her rookie campaign

•A dvanced to the first-round of the NCAA DIII Championship

•Finished 5 th place in the UAA Conference Championship

Donnie Gray ’21

Northwestern University (Football)

•Member of the championship Wildcats who won the Las Vegas Bowl over Utah

Alexander Grosse ’22 Carleton College (Men’s Soccer)

•Named to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Fall 2023 Academic All-Conference honorees

•Recognized by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) on the Academic All-District Team

•Selected to the MIAC’s All-Playoff Team as the Knights extended their own conference record with a 16 th consecutive trip to the MIAC Playoffs

•Started and played all 20 games this season

Alex Haight ’22 University of Pennsylvania (Football)

•Played in 10 games for 42 receptions and 442 yards, scoring two touchdowns

Quinn Hampson ’22 Tufts University (Men’s Cross-Country)

•Received US Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Academic Honors; helped the team achieve a 3.52 GPA and finish second at the 2023 NCAA Division III East R egional.

•Contributed to the Jumbos team 24 th place finish at the NCAA DIII Championship

Matt Hickey ’22

Trinity College (Football)

•Played in first game for Trinity vs. Bowdoin

Raegan Hickey ’20

Stonehill College (Field Hockey)

•Started and played in all 18 games of senior season

•Named All-NEC second team, finishing third among Conference leaders with 19 points and eight goals, also dishing out three assists

•A two-time NEC Prime Performer selection over the course of the year, named a NEC Offensiv e Player of the Week

Ainsley Hubbard ’22

University of Vermont (Field Hockey)

•Saw action in three games this season

•Received the team’s most-improved player award at the conclusion of the season

Geoffrey Jamiel ’22

Lehigh University (Football)

•Received the James P. McConologue Award, given to the player that is “all-football,” and represented the department’s Coaches Award

•Assumed a leadership role in his second season and enjoyed a productive sophomore season, ranking second on the Mountain Hawks with 43 receptions, gaining 327 yards, and tying for the team lead with four touchdo wn catches

Karim Kane ’20

Northeastern University (Men’s Rowing)

•Closed out the fall rowing season in Huskie’s third boat at the Foot of the Charles Regatta

Brendan Kish ’20

Pomona-Pitzer College (Men’s Soccer)

•Played and started 14 games, recording one goal and three assists

Joe Lochiatto ’22

Bentley University (Football)

•Played in 10 games and this year named to the All-NE10 First Team

dvanced to the CSC Academic All-America ballot and received SC Academic All-District honors

Elic Ayomanor

Jane Mallach ’20

Colorado College (Women’s Cross-Country)

•Member of the team that earned the 5 th highest team GPA in NCAA DIII

Mufaro Mazambani ’20 Amherst College (Field Hockey)

•Earned All-Region First Team honors for the third time in her career (this year marking her second All-Region First Team accolade)

•R eceived All-NESCAC Second Team honors for third time in her career

•NESCA C Semifinalist

Joe Metzger ’22

College of the Holy Cross (Football)

•As a sophomore for the Crusaders, he helped team capture the 5 th Patriot League Title in a row

Yusuf Muhktar ’20 Middlebury College (Football)

•Member of the 2023 NESCAC Championship Team

Liam O’Brien ’22

University of Pennsylvania (Football)

•Saw action in 10 games, scoring six touchdowns

Lauren O’Donald ’22 Bowdoin College (Field Hockey)

•During her sophomore season, played in three games and recorded shutouts in each

Chigozie Oge-Evans ’23

Georgetown University (Football)

•Completed freshmen season for the Hoyas

Jimmy Patton ’20

Harvard University (Men’s Rowing)

•Finished second in the B-race at Head of the Charles Regatta

John P atton ’20

Yale University (Men’s Rowing)

•Rowed in the 1V boat at the Head of the Charles Regatta

Nick Peltekian ’22 Lehigh University (Football)

•Named second team All-Patriot League honors

•Lead the team with 91 tackles, tied for the team lead with five pass breakups

•Had a career-best 14 tackles at Colgate and made 10 tackles, including three tackles for loss against Georgetown

•Received the positional award for best defensive back for his outstanding season

Sage Piekarski ’23

Harvard University (Field Hockey)

•Advanced to Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and was crowned IVY League Champion

•Named the Ivy Co-Rookie of the Year and earned All-Ivy first team honors

•Led the Ivy League in goals among r ookies after potting eight goals on the season, adding two assists for a total of 18 points in 16 games

•Named the Ivy Offensive Player of the Week after scoring three goals in two games, including two goals in 30 seconds against Boston University

Christian Reavis ’23

Williams College (Football)

•First-year member of the Ephs football team.

Casey Reynolds ’21

Army (Football)

•Had a breakout season at wide receiver, making receptions in almost all games played

•Hauled in a 69-yard reception (career-long) vs. Holy Cross and was marked down the far-right sideline at the one-yard line

Sekou Roland ’22

Princeton University (Football)

•Played in nine games for the Tigers

Leonard St. Gourdin ’20

Dartmouth College (Football)

•Made the Ivy League third team as well as fourth team

Nina Tanaka ’21

Georgetown University (Women’s Rowing)

•Coxswain for the Hoyas Women’s 8+ lightweight division that placed 21 st at the Princeton Chase

Eleanor Wenners ’21

Wellesley College (Field Hockey)

•Named 2023 NEWMAC Second Team All-Conference

•Played in 13 games with 11 starts as a junior and led her team with six defensive saves

Maddy Zavalick ’22

Yale University (Field Hockey)

•Played in 15 games this season for the Bulldogs

Derek Zhang ’22

Haverford College (Men’s Soccer)

•Centennial Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll

•Made four appearances and one start in 2023 for the Fords

NICK BLIXT

Angler With an Eye to Conservation

/// by Lori Ferguson ///

In the spring semester of his senior year at Deerfield,

Nick Blixt ’06 joined ten or so of his classmates and enrolled in English teacher Jamie Kapteyn’s ’79 renowned course, The Literature of Fly Fishing. “Taking that class was a rite of passage for seniors,” Blixt recalls. “We read A River Runs Through It and a couple of other books, studied a bit of river entomology, and learned how to cast and tie flies. It was an interesting course, but I never anticipated the longterm impact it would have.”

Fast forward to today: Blixt runs marketing and communications for Patagonia’s fly fishing and equipment divisions, a perfect fit for this branding specialist and enthusiastic angler. Blixt admits he cast about a bit before arriving in this position. After graduating from Yale with a degree in economics at the height of the recession, he realized that a traditional career in New York’s financial world wasn’t likely. He pulled up stakes, moved to southern California to explore other options, and soon landed a marketing job at the subscription streaming service Hulu. “At the time, the company was a small tech start-up, and even though I had no marketing experience, I pivoted and found a great niche in brand strategy and marketing,” he says.

Blixt spent the next eight years with Hulu, developing content partnerships and shaping content and brand marketing. Although he had initially planned to enter graduate school after a couple of years at the company, Blixt quickly realized the education he was receiving on the job was just as valuable. “I was working at the intersection of technology and entertainment and discovered that branding was a holistic pursuit I could apply in many different environments and industries,” he explains.

Flyin’ off the coast of California

Meanwhile, in his off hours, Blixt began exploring his adopted state. “I was single with lots of time on my hands and looking for something to do that wasn’t so hard-charging,” he says. “I had been a long-distance runner at Deerfield and Yale, so my extracurricular activities were very results driven—it was always about speed or a goal or points—and I decided I wanted something different.”

It was then that Blixt remembered how much he had enjoyed fly fishing at Deerfield. He decided to pick up a rod and reel again and quickly found himself immersed in the sport. After fishing all over California on his own, he became certified as an instructor and boat captain and began leading fly-fishing charters out of Los Angeles. He also joined a coalition of partners, including a group of Patagonia employees, working for offshore fishery conservation. “I realized that I could take my knowledge of brand strategy and apply it to an outdoor industry that I was passionate about, so when an opportunity opened up at Patagonia, I jumped at it.”

Now, Blixt shares his love of fly fishing on and off the job. As a marketing specialist for Patagonia’s fly-fishing division, he promotes the sale of gear and equipment, leads community engagement and product marketing, and works closely with the company’s NGO partners, including 1% for the Planet and California Trout. “We try to use our reach to amplify the message of smaller, grassroots organizations helping people enjoy and protect our world,” he explains.

“I love fly fishing because it doesn’t matter whether I catch a fish; it’s more about the experience than the result,” he says. And it also allows him to travel to beautiful places he might not otherwise see. “The sport has led me to gorgeous spots in northern British Columbia, Russia, and South America. It’s been said that ‘trout don’t live in ugly places,’” he continues with a chuckle. “That’s not always true, but happily, they are found in many stunning places.”

Determined to protect these locales for future generations, Blixt recently joined the board of California Trout. “I was a member of the organization long before I began working at Patagonia,” he observes, “but it’s great to be able to give back in this way.” Blixt explains that, as the climate changes and the pressures on our environment increase, the pressures on cold water fisheries— particularly in the West—are especially onerous. “These factors drive wild fish to extinction, so a rapid, widespread response is critical. California Trout has repeatedly demonstrated that it’s great at scaling and driving substantial changes at a time when the stakes are so high,” Blixt asserts. “Whether dealing with ranchers or water districts, this organization does a wonderful job addressing the needs of various stakeholders and affecting meaningful environmental changes. I’m happy to be a part of it.”

Nick’s NGOs:

California Trout & 1% for the Planet

Thus, in a wonderfully symbolic way, the hook set in Jamie Kapteyn’s class nearly twenty years ago has remained fixed in Blixt. “I have had a tremendous education all the way through—from Deerfield to Yale to on-the-job experiences—but the outsize impact that Deerfield has had on everything I do, both inside and outside of work, continues to amaze me,”

Thus, in a wonderfully symbolic way, the hook set in Jamie Kapteyn’s class nearly twenty years ago has remained fixed in Blixt. “I have had a tremendous education all the way through—from Deerfield to Yale to on-the-job experiences— but the outsize impact that Deerfield has had on everything I do, both inside and outside of work, continues to amaze me,” he confesses.

“The skills I gained at the Academy were invaluable. I honed my ability to communicate in the written and spoken word, developed my critical thinking skills, and cultivated a healthy level of comfort in expressing myself. I also received close mentorship that helped me to address my weaknesses and identify my passions. I took it for granted then, but looking back, I realize how incredible it all was. Deerfield is a special little corner of the world,” Blixt concludes. “I grew up a couple of miles from the Academy, but I didn’t fully appreciate the place until I was 3,000 miles away.” //

REGISTRATION IS OPEN

We have a great weekend planned for you, with lots of flexible time for you to reconnect with your classmates and friends. See you in June!

G R AT I- T U E S D AY

In November, our community showed appreciation for Deerfield donors during the second annual “Grati-Tuesday” event by writing thank-you notes, recording videos, and decorating posters. These activities allowed our community to practice an “attitude of gratitude” and reflect upon the unique ways that donors make a difference in our lives. Thank you to the students, faculty, and staff who participated in the event, and, of course, thank you to our donors for helping to make Deerfield a wonderful place!

ALUMNI OF COLOR

YOUNG ALUMNI CHOATE DAY

’06

BRITT WILLIAMS BAKER

Dow Janes Founder

When one thinks of a Harvard Business School graduate and entrepreneur in the personal financial education space, the image of a West Coast bohemian with an affinity for weekend van life and festivals such as Burning Man doesn’t necessarily come to the fore. Britt Williams Baker ’06, founder of Dow Janes, a company that offers financial education to women, breaks the mold. The self-described spiritual minimalist is on a mission to make investing accessible to all women. The myth that women are particularly bad when it comes to their finances is not one that Baker wants to perpetuate. “I think that across the board, all genders have trouble with money,” says Baker, who has been the beneficiary of a solid financial education from a very young age. “It’s a thing we use every, single day, and yet, we’re never really taught how to use it.”

/// by Daniella

Vollinger

Baker also credits Deerfield for putting equal weight on academics, athletics, and citizenship without emphasizing one over the other, the outcome being a more a well-rounded student. ‘I can show up at a Harvard Business School alumni gathering and feel at home, and I can go to a witchy, solstice gathering and feel at home.’

Baker’s financial education began as an eight-year-old when her father, an Exeter graduate, had been introduced to the concept of the “Daddy Bank” by his friend, Deerfield graduate Peter Palmedo ’73. “If we saved our allowance and invested it, we could earn a 5% monthly compounding interest. But the trick was that we had to calculate it ourselves in order to earn the interest,” recalls Baker, who still has her first financial journal from those early days. “It taught us a lot of different lessons from a young age: arithmetic, multiplication, compound interest and the idea that your money could grow; ultimately, what it means to invest instead of spend.” Likely the sort of child who would have aced the marshmallow test, Baker saved all her birthday and holiday money for years. In the fall of 2007, while still a sophomore in college, Baker’s professional-investor grandfather took her under his wing and began teaching her how to invest, just in time to get battle -tested by the Global Financial Crisis. “All my investments went to nearly zero, and I had to learn the hard practice of holding on, knowing that the market would eventually return.”

After graduating from Harvard Business School in 2016, Baker found herself back in San Francisco surrounded by other young women in their twenties who felt that they should be investing but didn’t quite know where to start, so she organized Zoom meetings where she would teach the basics of investing, covering diversification and asset allocation, or how to think of the stock market. What she found was that the financial education these women needed was much more foundational, and overall, they weren’t ready to invest. “[Investing] is actually the third step: First you need to pay off your high-interest-rate debt, then you need to save enough money to invest, and then you invest,” says Baker. “It required taking this group back a few steps and teaching them personal finance principles, like budgeting, before I could teach investing.”

The meetups spread by word-of-mouth, and it wasn’t out of the ordinary for women to inquire about joining. With all the organic momentum behind the Dow Janes meetups, Baker wondered what would happen if she brought the program online as a course. She reached out to her business partner in the summer of 2019 and launched the business in January of 2020, right before Covid. Within the year, Dow Janes had 1,000 customers enrolled in their flagship program: Million Dollar Year. “One of the things I realized is that the financial education I got growing up wasn’t standard; most people don’t get that,” observes Baker. “With Dow Janes, I’m trying to democratize financial education and make it something that is accessible to anyone regardless of their upbringing.”

Baker lives a life centered on minimalist values with her husband and infant son, Archie. Her consciously small, Bay Area bungalow is dotted with affirmations and crystals and other natural elements. It’s where Archie was born in the fall of 2023, a day when Britt summoned up the warrior spirit from her Deerfield days as a crosscountry-runner (she captained both the track and cross-country teams). “When I was giving birth to my son—at home, standing up, on no pain meds—I channeled my deepest reserves of stamina, which reminded me of running cross-country races for Deerfield,” says Baker, recalling how her experience as a Deerfield athlete taught her to overcome any self-imposed limits in pursuit of a higher level of excellence. “I pushed myself harder than I ever pushed myself in those races and learned my capacity for enduring pain.”

Baker also credits Deerfield for putting equal weight on academics, athletics, and citizenship without emphasizing one over the other, the outcome being a more a well-rounded student. “I can show up at a Harvard Business School alumni gathering and feel at home, and I can go to a witchy, solstice gathering and feel at home,” says Baker, noting how Deerfield encouraged her to explore multiple interests, resulting in her ability to connect with many different people on many different wavelengths. The ability to be a conduit, straddling across worlds, bringing people together and along is a gift and a calling, and one that allows Baker to reach across many generations of women from a multitude of backgrounds, providing them with the financial education they need in order to flourish. “The way that I have come to see it is that I exist to be a bridge.” //

Courtesy of Britt Williams Baker and poetsandquants.com

1942

Henry B. Dewey

October 23, 2023

1943

John P. Bennett

October 23, 2023

1944

John F. Coffin III

December 7, 2023

1946

Samuel A. Lawrence

November 3, 2023

Harry L. Winston Jr.

December 1, 2023

1947

John H. Skavlem Jr.

November 20, 2023

Jon Van Winkle * No Date Found

1949

George S. Bass

November 5, 2023

Addison P. Cook III *

October 22, 2023

1950

Christopher T. Rood

November 7, 2023

1951

Richard E. Aldrich

January 5, 2024

Ralph A. Lowenfield Jr.

October 9, 2023

1952

Richard F. Boyden * November 1, 2023

David C. Davies * November 12, 2023

Peter C. Lewis

November 27, 2023

Peter B. Rosenwald

October 2, 2023

Whitelaw Wilson

November 21, 2023

1953

Donald J. P. Swift

November 14, 2023

1954

Walter J. McMurray

November 12, 2023

Frederick F. Monroe

September 10, 2023

Philip J. O’Hara

November 24, 2023

Arthur C. Thorner

January 19, 2024

Alfred S. Tyler

May 4, 2022

1955

Erik C. Esselstyn

December 23, 2023

Dudley A. Ferrari

January 15, 2024

Barclay O. Wellman

October 8, 2023

1956

Peter Easter November 7, 2023

Matthew M. Gardner Jr.

January 12, 2024

Philip Preston November 16, 2023

Richard J. Redmond

December 16, 2023

1957

Joseph A. Powers

September 18, 2023

1958

Peter S. Latham

February 16, 2023

John P. McWilliams Jr.

July 23, 2023

Erwin H. Miller * December 5, 2023

Peter B. Tisne

October 29, 2011

1959

John S. Behlke

September 1, 2022

Henry T. Meneely Jr. July 19, 2023

1961

David P. Bourbeau

August 22, 2009

Thomas P. Hyde

November 27, 2023

1962

Michael S. Bassis January 9, 2024

1965

David F. Click May 18, 2021

1967

Richard B. Hill

September 29, 2023

1968

Charles Levonne Laughinghouse

October 8, 2023

1969

John R. Moore

June 15, 2023

1979

Richard L. Diver *

November 15, 2023

1983

Whitney C. Sheppard December 27, 2023

1985

Russell T. Wall October 22, 2023

2021

Shane Michael McCarthy November 30, 2023

* Boyden Society Member

In Memoriam as of January 31, 2024. Please go to: deerfield.edu/commonroom for the most up-to-date information on classmates, including obituaries.

OBJECT LESSON / 1929 Eaglebrook Winter Carnival Invite and Program to Mr. Boyden