The Doane Stuart School - The Pennant Fall 2017

The Fall 2017

Pennant

ALUMNI/AE SPOTLIGHTS

Oh, the places they’ve gone

A LOOK AHEAD

What ‘s new in 2017-2018

LOOKING BACK Student reflections from our 164th graduating class

missio n

b oard of trustees

The mission of Doane Stuart is education for students from every quarter.

In a college preparatory context where the joy of discovery is valued, Doane Stuart emphasizes serious study, educates to social responsibility, and lays the foundation for a strong faith.

Sharon Duker, CPA, President Ginna M. Roeding, Ph.D, Vice President Thessaly Bullard ’92, Treasurer Terrence P. Flannery, MD, MS, CPE, Secretary Noel Hogan, Ed.D, CPA, President Emeritus John B. Robinson, Jr., President Emeritus Alan Boulos, MD Pamela J. Clarke Sr. Meg Canty, RSCJ Marjorie Gorelik Karen Hitchcock, Ph.D Ellen Jakovic, Esq. ’78 Seth Powell Winifred A. McCarthy ’66 Patrick Turley, Esq. ’79 Dandan Wu, Ph.D Andrew Rose, Esq., Counsel

The Fall 2017

F

Pennant

eatures

6 ALUMNI/AE SPOTLIGHTS

Oh, the places they’ve gone!

18 LOOKING BACK

As members of the graduation class, the 164th Commencement’s graduation speakers knew just how to leave their mark.

22 A LOOK AHEAD

22 27

28 30

STRATEGIC PLAN 2015-2025 SHIP (Senior Honors Interdisciplinary Project) OLD FRIENDS AND NEW ROLES STEAM AT DOANE STUART

32 IN THEIR OWN WORDS

These unique and thoughtful essays helped these members of the Class of 2017 find their college matches .

D

epartments

2 FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

3 IN MEMORIAM

39 2016-2017 ANNUAL FUND REPORT

4 164TH COMMENCEMENT

Layout and design by Elizabeth Grayson, Advancement and Director of Publications

A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear Doane Stuart Family: This issue of the Pennant is much like Doane Stuart itself; rooted in a rich history, yet excitedly planning for the future. It looks back on the year, and offers a glimpse of what’s to come.

A school is an organic entity; there is no such thing as stasis. Just as our students are growing mentally and physically, a school must evolve to remain vibrant. Members of the Class of 2018 started Kindergarten in 2005. In the intervening years, they have learned to explore, think, play and lead. The world has changed with them, and so has their school.

Faculty crave new technology and professional development to help them implement it. Students want powerful computers, 3D printers, and interactive TVs. The little ones want iPads (yes) and chocolate milk (no).

Yet some things remain the same.

Everyone still enjoys the occasional snow day!

Our strategic plan is the result of much collecting of data, hours of defining educational excellence and many daydreams of an even more exciting Doane Stuart. We received surveys from all corners of our community especially parents, faculty and alumni/ae, and our trustees spent many sessions debating the balance of academic excellence, arts, music and athletics.

Most prominent in all our wishes is increased compensation for our faculty and continued financial aid for our students. We all know that a solid endowment is the best way to insure a robust future for “students from every quarter,” as our mission dictates.

Please enjoy reading about our accomplished graduates (older and very recent) and our starry-eyed plans for the future.

“ In the intervening years, they have learned to explore, think, play and lead. The world has changed with them, and so has their school.”

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IN MEMORIAM

BISHOP BALL AND REVEREND SMALL Bishop David S. Ball

The Doane Stuart School is sad to report the death of The Right Reverend David Standish Ball on April 18, 2017. Bishop Ball was ordained a deacon on June 14, 1953 and a priest on December 21, 1953 in Albany.

Bishop Ball was instrumental in the merger of St. Agnes School and the Kenwood Academy of the Sacred Heart to create Doane Stuart. He served on the Board of Trustees for more than three decades (1975 – 2008). In addition to his dedicated support of Doane Stuart, Bishop Ball was known for his support of hospitals, nursing homes, schools, St. Margaret’s Center for Children, in addition to the poor and the homeless.

Bp. Ball was elected Dean of the Cathedral of Albany Saints in 1960.

He served the Cathedral as dean for 23 years. During that time, he was filled with compassion for the increasing number of poor and homeless on the streets of Albany.

In October 1983, he was elected Bishop coadjutor of Albany. In

February 1984, he was consecrated by Presiding Bishop John Maury Allin, Bishop David E. Richards, former suffragan of Albany, and the sixth bishop of Albany, Bishop Wilbur Emory Hogg. Upon Bishop Hogg’s retirement, in October 1984, Bishop Ball was installed as the 7th Bishop of Albany at the Cathedral of All Saints.

He served as Bishop of Albany until he reached the mandatory retirement age in 1998. In 2004 Doane Stuart established The Right Reverend David Standish Ball Distinguished Trustee Award in his honor and he was the first recipient of this Distinguished award.

Bp. Ball’s life was dedicated to the service of God; he served God willingly and humbly, with a heart for the needy and the marginalized in the community. He often said the secret to ministry was, “to say your prayers and love your people.” He will be sorely missed.

He was a co-founder of The Doane Stuart School in Albany and was co-founder and Vicar of St. Boniface Church. Rev. Small was Chaplain and then Headmaster of St. Agnes School from 1963 – 1975. He served as Executive Vice President of Doane Stuart from 1975 – 1980.

The pursuit of justice and peace and his participation in the Civil Rights movements included 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom at which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his now famous “I have a dream” speech. Reverend Small also organized and led a number of medical and construction missions to the Dominican Republic. He was a genuine leader and a caring man.

Reverend William D. Small

The Doane Stuart School is sad to announce the passing of Reverend Canon William D. Small on April 23, 2017. Rev. Small was a Priest of the Episcopal Church.

During his ministry, he served as a college chaplain, as headmaster of an independent church school, served on the staff of the Metropolitan Council of Churches and, carrying out his commitment to Christian unity, was a leader of many ecumenical church organizations.

A service was held at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Saranac Lake on April 28, 2017 and at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Johnstown on May 3 and 4, 2017. Doane Stuart will forever be grateful for his dedication and commitment to Doane Stuart and its mission.

The Pennant - Fall 2017 | 3

Congratulations to the class of

2017

The 41 members of Doane Stuart’s 164th graduating class applied to a group of schools as diverse as they are. Acceptances include: (N o t e : S c h o o l s i n BOLD i n d i c a t e Goucher College

Alfred University

a school that one or more students have chosen to matriculate to this fall)

The University of Scranton Union College (New York)

Allegheny College

Hamilton College - NY

Purchase College State University of New York

Assumption College

Hampshire College

Queens College of the CUNY

Bard College

Hartwick College

Bates College

Haverford College

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Bennington College

High Point University

Rochester Institute of Technology

University at Buffalo The State University of New York

Bergen Community College

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Roger Williams University

University of Bradford

Binghamton University

Hofstra University

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

University of Connecticut

Case Western Reserve University

Hunter College of the CUNY

Rutgers University-Newark

University of Hartford

Castleton University

Iona College

Saint Anselm College

University of Illinois at Chicago

Cazenovia College

Ithaca College

Salve Regina University

Champlain College

Johnson State College

Siena College

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Christopher Newport University

Juniata College

Skidmore College

University of Maine

Clark University

Lasell College

Clarkson University

Le Moyne College

Colgate University

Lehman College of the CUNY

College of the Holy Cross

Long Island University, Post

Columbia Greene Community College

Loyola University Maryland

Connecticut College

Manhattan College

Lyndon State College

Cornell University

Manhattanville College

Drew University

Marist College

Drexel University

Marlboro College

Elmira College

Marymount Manhattan College

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach

Monmouth University New York Institute of Technology

Emmanuel College

North Carolina State University

Endicott College Fairfield University Fairleigh Dickinson University Florham Campus Florida Institute of Technology Fordham University Gettysburg College

PG. 32

4 | The Doane

Quinnipiac University

Smith College St Mary’s University, Twickenham, London St. Cloud State University St. John Fisher College St. John’s University Queens Campus

Trinity College Unity College

University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Massachusetts, Boston University of New Hampshire at Durham University of New Haven University of Pittsburgh

St. Lawrence University

University of Rochester

State University of New York - Plattsburgh

University of San Francisco University of Vermont

State University of New York at Albany

University of Washington

State University of New York at New Paltz

Utica College

Stonehill College

Northeastern University

Stony Brook University

Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences

SUNY College at Geneseo SUNY College at Oneonta

Pace University, New York City

SUNY College at Potsdam

Paul Smith’s College

Temple University

Pennsylvania State University

The College of Saint Rose

Providence College

The George Washington University

Ursinus College Vassar College Wagner College Washington College Wesleyan University Western New England University Wheaton College MA Wittenberg University Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Learn more about our most recent graduates, their thoughts on their time at Doane Stuart and the eloquent essays that college admission officers were lucky enough to read.

Stuart School

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ALUMNI/AE spotlights

Oh, the places they’ve gone!

What do Doane Stuart alumni/ae do after graduation? Let’s just say it’s impressive.

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ALUMNI/AE spotlights

Kayleigh Truman DS ‘07 Can you start by giving an overview of what you do, and how you came into this career?

Currently I’m a Union Stage Hand in New York City. I’m at the tail end of my Apprenticeship with IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) Local One, which is the oldest Entertainment union in the country.

During my apprenticeship I’ve been house crew for the American Airline’s Theater with the Roundabout Theater Company for 2 years.

Presently, I’m on props for Marvin’s Room by Scott McPherson. Leading up to my apprenticeship, I was freelancing across the greater New York/New Jersey area. I was a Crew Chief and Stage manager at the Shea Center of the Performing Arts at William Paterson University and a Props Artisan with several Broadway production prop companies.

What is your day-to-day work like?

Currently I’m working show calls 8 shows a week, 6 days a week right in the heart of Time Square. But generally being a Stage Hand, the coolest part of the job is that there rarely is a “day-to-day.” Every call, every shift can be something different and completely new which makes everyday a learning experience and keeps you on your toes. One day you can be doing automation on Broadway and the next pushing

boxes at a concert in central park.

The opportunities are endless!

What kinds of shows do you work with/on?

For the past two years I’ve been fortunate enough to be full time in a Broadway venue. The AA (American Airlines Theater) and The Roundabout tend to have limited run shows with bigger names to draw the crowds and have plenty of quick turnarounds between shows. So just in the past two years I’ve been directly involved in six Broadway shows in every technical department.

Not to mention, I’ve gotten to work with celebrities and some of my idols from theater history.

I’ve done everything from being an A2 (Assistant Audio/Deck Audio) for Clive Owen and Jessica Lange to having Prop hand offs with Diane Lane and Joel Grey, to programming scenic automation for a play’s Broadway debut.

Can you share one or two professional achievements of which you are especially proud?

The first that comes to mind is, Joel Grey (Master of Ceremonies, Cabaret) one of my idols, once said I’m incredibly good at my job. I was doing Props and set changes for The Cherry Orchard last fall and one night I noticed Joel staring at me, and I couldn’t figure out why, so when I asked him, he replied, “Just watching you, it’s obvious how good you are at your job. Well done.” Coming from one of the most important theater icons of my generation, it really meant the world.

Another would be being able to program automation on a Broadway show. Automation is the incredibly complicated and tech-heavy process involved in moving and flying scenery via computer control. While Automation is fairly common at this point on Broadway, I’d never heard of an Apprentice getting the chance

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ALUMNI/AE spotlights to learn, let alone program a show before, so I’m incredibly honored. My Technical Director simply asked what I wanted to learn on my last show and when I answered ideally automation, he decided to give me the chance.

It’s one of those gold stars everyone wants to see on your resume.

Any funny anecdotes from your work you could tell us? Or set design/prop challenges?

The funniest things are when the actors settle into their roles enough that they feel like they can goof off a bit. I’ve seen two blockbuster actors prank each other during a live performance, including one hiding a whoopie cushion under the other’s chair. I have never seen an actor so angry and amused at the same time. Another funny occurrence, on that same show we had massive environmental hazers and foggers to create this whispy, ethereal look onstage. To the audience, it looked beautiful but required several massive

What would surprise people about the work you do?

It’s both one of the most physically and mentally exhausting things I’ll ever do, but in the end, also one of the single most rewarding things I could ask for. I’ve never felt more at home and in a community than as I do with my Brothers and Sisters of my Union.

We really are a big family and look after each other. Only together are we able to accomplish such incredible things as the Tony Awards, the Superbowl Halftime Show, putting up and taking down events en mas.

At its core it’s teamwork and a lot of hours. You’ll commonly (if you’re lucky) work 16 hour days, weeks on end, no days off. But when you’re done, you’ve created a unique masterpiece, which will likely never be seen again once you take it down.

As technical and physical as a lot of my job is, there are always massive areas of creative thinking, and trouble shooting. Every day is truly

“ As for skills, DS let me be a part of everything and didn’t make me specialize too early... I was never forced into one box which really served me well in college and in life.” machines in the trap, all connected with hoses, Mylar and hope. What the audience didn’t see, was whenever something sprang a leak (which was fairly frequently), suddenly 8 to 10 stagehands would be running around with fans and extension cords trying to keep the fire alarms from going off.

In the end, the audience was always clueless to the chaos, so just another day on the job.

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something new. Frequently stage hands can be looked at as “grunts” or nothing more than labor or “box pushers” but we truly have to work like a well oiled machine to create what we do.

Reflecting back to your time at Doane Stuart, are there any favorite memories you have?

I’m still grateful to Coach Light for giving me the opportunity to play on the varsity sports teams. I played soccer for two years and softball for four, an opportunity I definitely wouldn’t have had anywhere else. I was always the stereotypical really really enthusiastic, but really bad athlete. I remember the best season I had was when I fractured my pinky right before softball started, and when I could play again, I had to change my bat grip and swing.

Suddenly I was getting hits and it kind of made my year despite the injury.

Is there anything from your time at DS that helped you get to where you are? And/or, are there any skills you learned at DS that have proved valuable in your career/ life?

With no exaggeration what so ever, I would not be here if it wasn’t for Ms. Diane O’Neill the theater teacher during my time there. She single handedly allowed me to finish high school and flourish going forward.

The detailed story folows but in essence when I was homeless for most of my Sophomore and Junior years, she opened her home to me, saying I needed and deserved the stability to concentrate on getting into college.

I still owe her everything and will never be able to thank her enough.

ALUMNI/AE spotlights I also think mentally I owe how I perceive the world to Mr. Kay. He was that inspirational spark I needed to conquer a lot of my personal demons and my difficult class load.

Whenever I had a problem I couldn’t solve, Mr. Kay would just tell us to step back and always go back to the problem. Step out of your box and trying looking at it a different way.

Little did I know but this idea is what attracted me to Anthropology later in college. He would always smile and poke fun at me and my lab partner in AP Chem because whenever we figured out an issue on our own we would do a happy dance singing, “We did something right!”

footsteps and have been a Union Stagehand, I’d probably fall out of my chair.

Please share anything else you’d like to add!

As for the circumstances of my life outside of Doane Stuart, they were less than ideal. I was raised by a single mother who, unfortunately developed mental and physical health issues starting around my freshman year. She also sadly found herself in

As for skills, DS let me be a part of everything and didn’t make me specialize too early. I was able to compete on Master Minds, act and stage manage shows, lead clubs, play sports I was never forced into one box which really served me well in college and in life.

an abusive relationship, which only further accelerated her declining health issues. By sophomore year I was having a hard time getting to school consistently, and I began to fear for my own safety from my mother’s significant other, so I did everything I could to avoid going home. I confided in my closest friends about what was happening and together for around six months we were able to convince their parents to let me stay for a day or two at a time claiming homework, projects or running lines etc. I was lucky enough this worked most of the time. On the rare days I couldn’t find anywhere to stay, I would actually hide backstage and sleep in the green room for the night. I hid what was happening from my friends’ parents out of fear that they’d report me to Child Protective Services, and I’d be forced to move and leave Doane Stuart. Doane was the only stability I had left in my life, and I planned on clinging to it as long as I could. Eventually though, the truth came out and once I explained my fear of losing my school and friends, the parents went above and

Are you in touch with DS classmates?

I actually live with one of my best friends from DS. She was one year behind me and is currently in law school. When I was looking to move closer to NYC from more central Jersey, she was also looking to move for school, so it worked out perfectly.

She’s also come to a few shows, which has been great to share with her. I’ve also stayed pretty close with a few others who are scattered all over.

What do you think your high school self would think of 2017 Kayleigh?

I’d be shocked I’ve made it! I never really thought I’d finish college, if I’m honest, let alone be living the dream, so to speak. I thought I was going to go to college for Classics, so to find out I’ve followed in my dad’s

beyond anything I expected. They came together and created a schedule for me, months in advance so I could start staying in one place for a week or two at a time instead of jumping around every night. It gave the little stability I so desperately craved and enabled me to concentrate more on school again. It was one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for me, second only to Ms. O’Neill welcoming me into her home later that year. At the end of Junior year

“No matter what you think you’re capable of, double it, quadruple it...”

Ms. O’Neill decided I’d been nomadic long enough and opened her home to me, letting me live in her spare room to finish out my Senior year. During which I was able to get into my top choice college, where I finished with a Double Major in Theater and Anthropology from Kenyon College.

If I was to take something out of all that happened, I’d say that no matter what you think you’re capable of, double it, quadruple it, get rid of the perception of there being a limit to what you’re capable of, because you never know how strong you are until you have to be. With hard work and the drive to learn, anything is possible. I never would have thought I’d be working on Broadway at any point in my career let alone just a few years out of college. Anything is possible if you don’t limit yourself and trust that you can make it.

Because you can.

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ALUMNI/AE spotlights

Can you start by giving an overview of what you do, and how you came into this career?

I retired on July 1, 2017, but the following is an overview of what I have done in my career. In my senior year at Sarah Lawrence College,

Joan Girgus SA ‘59 of Psychology at The City College of CUNY. In 1972, I was granted tenure, promoted to Associate Professor, and appointed the Dean of Social Science. In 1977, I moved to Princeton University as Dean of the College (the undergraduate academic dean) and Professor of Psychology.

In the 40 years that I have spent at Princeton, I have also served as Chair of the Psychology Department and as Special Assistant to the Dean of the Faculty for faculty dual-career situations and diversity issues. I also have served on a number of Boards of Trustees and on many committees both at Princeton and elsewhere.

What is your day-to-day work like?

Over the years, my day-to-day work has varied considerably as you might surmise. A partial list would include: teaching undergraduates and graduate students, advising students on their

“St. Agnes was, for me, an incredibly affirmative academic experience. It helped me believe in myself and my abilities, which proved crucial as my career/life path has not been the usual one for a woman of my generation.”

I decided that my major interests lay in Psychology. (I majored in Literature.) I attended graduate school at The Graduate Faculty of The New School as they did not require an undergraduate background in Psychology. After I received my Ph.D. in Psychology in 1969, I became an Assistant Professor

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research, doing research and writing up the results for publication, chairing and serving on committees, writing reports on administrative matters and projects, searching for and hiring personnel, and, in recent years, helping the spouses and partners of Princeton faculty find professional opportunities in and around Princeton.

Any funny anecdotes from your work you could tell us?

When I came to Princeton as Dean of the College and Professor of Psychology, I knew that I was the first women to hold the Dean of the College position, and I expected that to be noticed. However, I didn’t

realize that I was the first Dean of the College who had not been a faculty member at Princeton until The Daily Princetonian announced my appointment with the following headline: “Outsider Appointed Dean.”

What would surprise people about the work you do?

I think most people understand that being a Professor means teaching students, but relatively few understand that there are many other responsibilities as well.

Reflecting back to your time at St. Agnes, are there any favorite memories you have? I have many vivid and wonderful memories of St. Agnes. It was truly a second home for me. I can, even today, close my eyes and see the classrooms and dining room (as well as the locker room

ALUMNI/AE spotlights

THEY’RE BACK! Doane Stuart welcomes 2 new faculty

and Miss Pittman’s office), and recall the names and faces of many of my teachers and most of my classmates.

members that look awfully familiar.

Is there anything from your time at SAS that helped you get to where you are? Are there any skills you learned at SAS that have proved valuable in your career/ life?

St. Agnes was, for me, an incredibly affirmative academic experience. It helped me believe in myself and my abilities, which proved crucial as my career/life path has not been the usual one for a woman of my generation.

How often are you in touch with your classmates?

I am in not in touch with my classmates as much as I would like to be. My two closest friends from St. Agnes and I stay in sporadic, but reasonably regular, contact.

What do you think your high school self would think of 2017 Dr. Girgus?

When I was in high school, I couldn’t have imagined the life/career I would lead as I didn’t know anyone who had led such a life. My life and career have truly been learning by doing.

A

2005 graduate of Doane Stuart, Mr. Bradt earned a B.A. in English & Government from Skidmore College and an M.A. in English from Bucknell University.

At Bucknell, pursuing his passion for books, Chris became the editorial assistant at Bucknell University Press, a leading publisher of scholarly monographs. While at Bucknell, he was an active member of the tennis and chess clubs, two interests he looks forward to sharing with the Doane Stuart community.

A passionate teacher and writer, Mr. Bradt has worked in education at Siena College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. During his free time he enjoys photographing nature and playing the piano.

S

ince graduating in 2010, Mr. Stewart earned a BS at The University at Albany. While a college student, Adam was a volunteer for the Police Athletic League

program tutoring students in math and science. He also volunteered at the YMCA Achievers program providing workshops and mentorship opportunities for high school students who are preparing for college. Further, Adam was an education intern on the Hudson River Clearwater sloop and worked as a camp counselor for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation teaching about the environment, ecology and outdoor skills.

After graduating college in 2014, he was employed

by N .Y. S. D.E.C. as an Environmental Educator’s Assistant, leading teacher workshops, organizing activities for the young people of Albany, Troy and Schenectady and spearheading community events, including an after school program to get more students outside and into science. He helped his students go to educational summer camps located in New York State. We are delighted to have two alumni back at DS!

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ALUMNI/AE spotlights

Matthew was knighted by Sultan El Hajj Ibrahim Mboumbou Njoya of the Bamoun people of Cameroon, and he was given royal robes, collar, sword, bell and the title of Nji, which is a royal advisor to the Sultan. We could call him Nji Matt, but he says Matt will do just fine. The occasion was the 546th Nguon Festival in Foumban, Cameroon in 2016. The Bamoun Royal Dynasty dates to 1394.

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Matthew Smith, DS ’86

ALUMNI/AE spotlights

In Cameroon, we grew U.S. commercial contracts from $300 million to $2.3 billion in just two years, creating hundreds of great jobs for Americans and Cameroonians.

In 2011 in Jordan, I developed an air service that supported all of the U.S. government agencies working in Iraq.

I basically had to learn how to start and operate an airline. What a fun challenge that was!

Matthew Smith at the Marine Ball celebration. U.S. Marines protect most of our embassies around the world and share a tight relationship with American diplomats. .

Can you start by giving an overview of what you do, and how you came into this career?

I am a diplomat. I entered the Foreign Service in 2000 after passing a series of tests. In January of this year I was promoted into the Senior Foreign Service.

What is your day-to-day work like?

I am the Deputy Chief of Mission in Cameroon. Every day is different as I work with various elements of the U.S. and Cameroonian governments, diplomats from other nations, tribal leaders, political, business, media and cultural figures. I help the Ambassador and the country team devise an effective strategy to achieve U.S. policy goals in Cameroon.

What kinds of projects do you work with/on?

Our strategy is focused in three areas. We are helping our African

partners counter violent extremism from groups like Boko Haram and ISIS. We also assist the Cameroonians with protection of their people and the world against pandemic health risks like Ebola and HIV/AIDS. The third area is commercial engagement, where we seek to create a level playing field for American companies to create jobs for Americans while building critically needed infrastructure in Cameroon. We do lots of other work too including environmental capacity building, assisting Americans in need, gender equity efforts, strengthening civil society, humanitarian relief to people displaced from Cameroon’s neighboring countries by war and famine, cultural and academic exchange programs and more. Every day is full. I am never, ever bored.

Can you share one or two professional achievements of which you are especially proud?

Any funny anecdotes from your work you could tell us?

When I was serving in Paris, I knew the great singer and actress Julie Andrews would be coming to see us for a visa. I did not want to meet her because I was scared to imagine life if somehow the woman who played Maria Von Trapp and Mary Poppins turned out not to be a nice person.

I turned a corner on the way to my office and there she was, standing right in front of me! “Julie Andrews,” I stammered out. My fears were unfounded. She was so nice and, like Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way. I also got to attend the filming of the final episode of Sex and the City in Paris and meet and have dinner with the cast and crew after solving a visa problem for them.

What would surprise people about the work you do?

How dynamic it is. For some reason people think of diplomats as folks who attend cocktail parties, but that is a small part of our work. I have met with Presidents, international journalists, movie stars and just this week, NBA Rookie of the Year ’72 Joel Erbiid. Talk about someone to look up to! Benjamin Franklin was our first diplomat and if he

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ALUMNI/AE spotlights had not convinced the French to enter the Revolutionary War on our side, the country we know as the United States of America would never have happened. Diplomats generally do not make headlines, but their relationships are the basis for international cooperation. Even a nation as powerful as the U.S. needs diplomats to get anything done in the world arena working both bilaterally and multilaterally with all the other countries.

Reflecting back to your time at Doane Stuart, are there any favorite memories you have? Playing for Doane Stuart’s only undefeated Taconic Conference championship baseball team is a great memory. I loved the blue/

Matthew while he was serving as Charge d’Affaires. Charge d’Affaires are responsible for leading diplomatic missions in the absence of the Ambassador. Matthew is about to serve another stint as Charge d’Affaires as the next Ambassador to Cameroon awaits Senate confirmation.

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“Doane Stuart by its nature was a diplomatic achievement, uniting Catholic and Protestant schools.

Seamus Hodgkinson, being from Northern Ireland, was the living embodiment of the hope that the Doane Start experiment inspired. ” green competitions and the student/ teacher athletic competitions. Mr. H could dribble the ball the length of the soccer field in what seemed like 3 seconds flat.

Is there anything from your time at DS that helped you get to where you are? Are there any skills you learned at DS that have proved valuable in your career/ life?

DS by its nature was a diplomatic achievement, uniting Catholic and Protestant schools. Seamus Hodgkinson, being from Northern Ireland, was the living embodiment of the hope that the DS experiment inspired. He was also my favorite middle school teacher. Sally Jennings and Linda Daybell in the business office were also important to me.

Corny as it may seem, Mother Stuart’s Spirit Seeking Light and Beauty is still with me. I remember every word and it is such a beautiful tune. I learned to write well at DS and Armelle Tribot-Laspier (aka Mademoiselle) gave me a good foundation in French which I use every day for my job. She had such a beautiful singing voice too!

Are you in touch with DS classmates?

Ramon Guerrero (Class of ‘86) is still one of my dearest friends on the planet, even after my roaming the Earth for the last 20 years. Sister Canty gets the credit for taming two savage beasts and getting us to be friends. We were inseparable in high school and we go to DS reunions together whenever I am in the U.S. What do you think your high school self would think of 2017 Matt?

He wouldn’t believe any of it possible.

Confidence is a huge part of success in life and that shy kid definitely did not have the confidence to do what I get to do.

Please share anything else you’d like to add!

I am always happy to talk to young alumni about careers in the Foreign Service. I can be reached at SmithMD2@state.gov. Go green!

Margo Taylor, KA ’57

Can you start by giving an overview of what you did, and how you came into your career?

From an early age, I felt called to teach and acquired my first position as an elementary teacher upon college graduation. My husband and I were married in August of 1962 and I began my career that September.

I was a teacher for 35 years, with two six-month sabbaticals when both of our children were born. I found that many of my projects and achievements, as well as day-to-day classroom life, were greatly influenced by my thirteen years at Kenwood. At first my co-workers were quite amused that I expected perfect manners from my students. I often required them to memorize poetry, always standing when reciting and expecting everyone

ALUMNI/AE spotlights to stand in complete silence when an adult entered the room. It was several months before I got the message that standing was not necessary. No, I did not ask my girls to curtsy as we did at Kenwood!

What kinds of projects do you work with/on?

Among the Kenwood influences

on my life are my love of music, literature, history, all things French, and a flair for the dramatic. Over the years, I’ve sung in several choirs, directed a children’s choir, wrote and directed some plays and musicals.

Can you share one or two professional achievements of which you are especially proud?

I attribute my enjoyment of writing poetry to the innumerable poems we were required to memorize at Kenwood. My fellow teachers had some laughs over my re-writing of Kenneth Grahame’s poems from Wind in the Willows. These were written after we were finally allowed to return to our vacated building, following an “asbestos crisis” of three months. Teaching in an unfamiliar place with no desks, no books or other supplies was quite an adventure!

Any funny anecdotes from your work you could tell us?

Friends also laughed at my humorous essay “Mother of the Bride or Is It the Groom?” This was written after our two children were married a week apart one summer. There were some funny moments due partially because my husband officiated at both weddings Reflecting back to your time at Kenwood are there any favorite memories you have?

There are innumerable, mostly joyful

“I attribute my enjoyment of writing poetry to the innumerable poems we were required to memorize at Kenwood.”

After a few disappointing field trips to learn about old Albany, my fellow teachers convinced me that I could do a better job than our tour guides.

Thus was born my illustrated tour booklet on “Old Albany” which was used for field trips for several years.

memories of the years at Kenwood.

There were the congés, corn roasts, and feast days. We played loup and field hockey. We skated on the frozen pond in the old cow pasture.

The Pennant - Fall 2017 | 15

ALUMNI/AE spotlights Is there anything from your time at Kenwood that helped you get to where you are?Are there any skills you learned at KA that have proved valuable in your career/ life?

I am convinced that the kindness, discipline and love of learning displayed by the dedicated Kenwood sisters certainly influenced my teaching.

How often are you in touch with your classmates?

We had a small class of eighteen girls and the thirteen of us who are still alive keep in touch at least twice a year. Three of my classmates live locally and we get together three or four times a year. We all look forward to our Kenwood/Doane Stuart reunions every five years. It’s fun to share Kenwood memories. Congés, Goûters, oral exams and Monday morning “primes” are not easily shared with non-Kenwood friends.

Please share anything else you’d like to add!

Since my official retirement, I have kept busy, volunteering in several organizations, traveling, reading and enjoying our six grandchildren and two great grandchildren. My Kenwood education now passes on as I teach them songs, games, and stories from the old days at Kenwood.

Darlene Suto SA ’66 Can you start by giving an overview of what you do, and how you came into this career?

I am Director of Development and Community Relations at St. Anne Institute in Albany. The position consists of raising funds and dealing with corporate and individual donors through fund raising events, special projects, foundations and an annual campaign. I also market the agency through various venues. I came in to development while being involved with theatre on the production / artistic end. The group I was with always needed funding.

What is your day-to-day work like?

Every day is different depending on the need. There is never just one thing that you are working on. You may be organizing a special event and also have foundation/grant deadlines, marketing needs, meetings and research for new donors.

Stuart School

Stuart Head of School Pamela Clarke) was the recipient of the Head of School Award at the 2016 Reunion Weekend.

projects and a potpourri of agency needs that need funding.

Can you share one or two professional achievements of which you are especially proud?

I am a Paul Harris Fellow through Rotary International ( a member of the Rotary Club of Albany).

What would surprise people about the work you do?

I don’t think there is any surprise

“My high school self would be pleased with the 2017 Darlene. I made a good career choice and have been dedicated to it for 30 years.”

What kinds of projects do you work with/on?

Special Events: a golf tournament, an annual larger scale wine tasting for a spring event; funding for capital

16 | The Doane

Darlene (Right - with Doane

in development work. It needs to be focused and relevant to the mission and need of the organization you work for.

Reflecting back to your time at St. Agnes, are there any favorite memories you have? It could be interactions with classmates, a friendship, a SAS tradition, etc. Feel free to share more than one.

All Hallows eve is a nice memory of gathering with the Bishop , reading the notes that the former students sent, and breaking the piñata.

The Baccalaureate Ceremony was always nice because it was at the Cathedral of All Saints.

Is there anything from your time at SAS that helped you get to where you are? It could be faculty members, a class, advice, etc. And/or, are there any skills you learned at SAS that have proved valuable in your career/ life?

I believe the overall experience at SAS was a good one. It was a classic education that grounded you for college and beyond. The faculty was dedicated and always willing to help you. There was comradery between the students and a sense of pride in the school.

How often are you in touch with your classmates?

For the past two years I have contacted my classmates for reunion.

There are one or two that I have kept in touch over the years.

What do you think your high school self would think of 2017 Darlene?

My high school self would be pleased with the 2017 Darlene. I made a good career choice and have been dedicated to it for 30 years.

I

ALUMNI/AE spotlights

t is a great honor for us to enroll the children of our Alumni/ae.

Karla Carey Vasquez ’07

(Dante ’31) says:

“I chose Doane Stuart for my son because he is a quirky individual with a lot of energy. Having graduated from Doane Stuart, I knew the school was the right fit for him. He has a love for learning that I knew Doane Stuart would embrace and nurture as it does for all of its students. I did not want his individuality to be seen as a nuisance, but rather have him be encouraged and celebrated. I wanted an education that was tailored to his needs - affording him extra help where needed as well as pushing him further in areas where he may excel. I wanted a school that would teach him to be socially aware of the plight of others, that would teach him kindness and compassion, and that would demonstrate to him how he can make a difference in the lives of others and the world. Doane Stuart met my long list of wants, needs, and expectations for my child’s education and personal development.

Doane Stuart is a school that helps each student discover who they are whether that may be a physicist or an actor or a poet. Each student is afforded the time and attention they need to excel not only academically, but also as a member of the Doane Stuart community and a socially conscious individual. Every morning my son runs into the school excited to be there. Now, after only 5 weeks of the school year, the academic and social growth that comes with a Doane Stuart education is apparent. I am excited to see what the next 14 years of a Doane Stuart education hold for my son.”

The Pennant - Fall 2017 | 17

Looking

STUDENT REFLECTIONS FROM OUR For Heads of School, finding a graduation speaker is always a difficult chore. The students want someone very famous, and it is rare to find someone who fits their wish. In 2014, I asked the seniors if THEY

would be the speakers. I proposed that the 30 minutes usually devoted to a not too memorable speaker be given to the seniors. I asked that

they volunteer to speak and say something meaningful to their friends and parents. This has become a tradition, and the class of 2017 was marvelous! Here are some excerpts:

Jackie

Walking to Africa started with the idea of walking to Russia.

As we all have our roots here, together at Doane Stuart. This new idea goes way beyond the idea of Russia, to the end that where we are headed in life is beyond Doane Stuart.

Jack

H

igh school at Doane Stuart is like walking to Russia. At first it might seem impossible and out of the picture.

However, as time goes on and more effort is put into the idea, it seems more practical.

During May of our senior year, Mr. Wheaton not only told us it is possible to walk to Russia from Albany, but that one can walk from the tip of South America to the southern tip of Africa.

18 | The Doane

Stuart School

I

have spent approximately 720 days at this school. What will I take away from my experience?

The dramatic moments and funny anecdotes? No. I think what will make an impression, what will stick with me, are the ordinary days and weeks and months of my high school career.

Take mock trial. I’ll always remember the funny parts, like when a lawyer from another team asked us, “Why do we have trials?” or when a judge’s phone went off in the middle of a trial. I’ll also remember watching first-time lawyers turn into champions. I’ll remember my classmate, Serafina, who inspired me with her dedication and passion for even the minutest details of the case. Yes, there are some funny stories in mock trial, but what I remember is the family I’ve created. And not just my mock trial team - the entire school.

I know that “family” is a cliché, but it really does apply. Like a family, we’ve depended on

Back:

164TH GRADUATING CLASS each other more than once.

Like studying for the dreaded advanced biology final, or helping each other face personal struggles. This can’t be summed up with just one story, one funny anecdote...it is a mutual feeling of fellowship that is unlike anywhere else.

And this feeling of fellowship can cross all boundaries. For example, one of my best friends, Louise Metz, is pretty much my polar opposite. I’m a 6’4” politics nerd who couldn’t tell you which football team won the World Series. She is 5’5”, and a total sports maniac. So we’re not exactly carbon copies.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way. I admire her drive, her wit, and her intelligence. Even if I absolutely disagree with her taste in music. Really? Taylor Swift?

The everyday-ness of DS was also class, where I rapped about Sun Tzu and held real brains, and where I learned synthetic division and struggled through Spanish verb conjugations.

I’ve found that learning new things is like squeezing into a blazer that’s six sizes too small because (I forgot that it’s a dress uniform day. At first, it’s really uncomfortable. Any skill - whether it’s deriving a function or reciting the periodic table - takes time to get used to, like adjusting to not being able to bend your arms. But then there’s the joy of mastering a new subject - finally conquering

a formerly daunting obstacle.

Almost like taking a look in the mirror after struggling for 20 minutes to get that blazer on and thinking “hey, I don’t look too bad in this, and as bonus... I can kind of breathe!”

What my four years at Doane Stuart have taught me is that life isn’t just about the high moments and the low moments, it’s about the community you build in the process. Today, I woke up for the 72oth day in my high school career. I am proud to say that I am proud of every day I have spent here.

Sam

I

n my family, the person who holds the biggest fish is my grandmother. How this happened is a funny story. My father and grandfather had the entire high­tech fishing gear and rods at the time. My grandmother had a cheap K-Mart fishing pole.

My grandmother was relaxing and reading a book while my dad and grandfather were running around the boat trying to catch a fish. While reading, my grandmother’s line caught a fish!

My grandfather helped her bring it on the boat and it was the biggest fish anyone in the family has caught. I believe that this story has a good life lesson in it.

That is just relax and don’t rush, because if you do, you might miss the fish.

My time at Doane Stuart has come to an end but it has taught me a lot. Yes, I’ve learned how to use the quadratic equation in Math, or what enjambment is. But, Doane Stuart has taught me a lot more than that. It has taught me how to deal with failure and how to be a winner.

It has taught me that if I want to learn and succeed, I need to step outside my boundaries. And it’s okay if you do not make it on your first try, because nobody is perfect. I happened to learn that the hard way. I also learned that trying to do things by myself is not as easy as I thought, and that it is okay to go and ask for help because high school is hard. I also learned that the hard way in my first semester.

Doane Stuart has taught us a lot in the classroom, but I’ve learned more outside the classroom, for example, from reading in a hammock on my annual family camping trip and looking at all of literary techniques. Or from the trip to Cuba that made me stop and realize how lucky I

The Pennant - Fall 2017 | 19

g

raduation speakers

am. I don’t know what I would do without this school. I’ll miss walking in everyday and hearing Mr. Russell’s laugh; and I’ll miss the cookies I get at break. Even though we are leaving Doane Stuart and moving on to college or a gap year. No matter what we do, we know that Doane Stuart has prepared us very well and we will always have a place to come back to if our parents kick us out. To wrap this up, we need not to run around the boat trying to do everything everything at once; life is short, and we don’t want to miss our fish. Now, let’s go fishing.

make an announcement at our morning meetings. We can see it when we suffer and we grieve together to lift each other up.

So through all that time, my question has been what did I do to deserve this? What did I do to deserve to take Advanced Bio, to throw waffles at each other on the lawn, to remember Griffin Wood, to be the co-president Social Awareness Club, to start rowing, to read Salt, to go to Holly Ball, or to throw the school into chaos called Conge?

What did I do to deserve to spend my last three years with all of you here? For one last time, “EYYYYYO”, git ‘er Doane!

Ian

H

ello everyone.

What did I do to deserve Doane Stuart? I came to this school from a 1,600-kid high school, and from the first day, I have been struck by the kindness and generosity of this community. It is amazing that anyone here can say hello to anyone else here without it being seen as snarky. We can see our kindness in the way anyone is free to stand up and

20 | The Doane

Stuart School

I have had a lot of experiences here at Doane Stuart: I’ve had weird ones like the times when I’ve seen Will, Vince, or Gawain in Chubbies. I’ve seen classes where nobody had read for Mr. Wheaton’s Civil War (terrifying).

I’ve had the stressful experience of junior year, I’ve somehow picked up another language, and I’ve had some of the best fun of my life laughing in the school’s lounges.

Louise

I

can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the word “special” used to describe Doane Stuart.

Yes, Doane Stuart is special in the traditional way in that we get a first-class education and all that good stuff. But Doane Stuart is also, special in that other, offbeat way. That’s why we’re all here. All of us, from the athletes to the artists to the many, many nerds, are able to explore our own identities in this unique community.

I’ll try to make the trip down memory lane quick. We’re piling onto the bus for the freshman retreat; most of us focused on judging our new classmates and trying to make a stunning first impression, when in walks this flamboyant, 6-foot tall kid with floppy hair streaked with bright pink. I’ll never forget the first day I talked to Fabulon, aka Jack Ross­Pilkington, over Camp Chingachgook chicken.

Honestly, I didn’t know whether to smack him because he was so annoying, or cheer him on for being so unabashedly himself.

Today, I’m more than proud to call him one of my best friends.

Also, he’s probably going to be in the White House someday and it never hurts to start making connections early.

Now for the cheesy stuff. I’ve seen quite a few teachers walk in and out of these doors, and the majority of them have played a role in making my time here at Doane Stuart memorable. I’ll forever carry the tragic scars of being forced by Mr. Sacco to rap about Sun Tzu’s Art of War in front of the entire ninth grade.

g

raduation speakers

One class that will stick with me is Outdoor Field Studies. It was there that I learned what the true job of a scientist is: traipsing around in the snow collecting samples of weird plants, and killing maple trees by trying to tap them for sugar. And while we did those things over the course of the semester, we also did “real stuff’, like learn about New York State’s natural history, and memorize animal tracks.

Even though I dreaded taking birdcall quizzes, I think it’s fair to say that that class-and that teacher-unlocked my love of the natural sciences.

To all my classmates, whether I’ve known you since I entered this school in seventh grade, or I just met you this year, we’ve had a tremendous flight together. We rebuilt humanities project, introduced blue-green competition to the upper school again, and pulled off a legendary Conge. To all my teachers, whether I sat in your class or not, you’ve gone above and beyond in your duties, and worked diligently to help us mature into soon-to-be independent college students.

According. To the MerriamWebster Dictionary, special means, “Distinguished by some unusual quality, or being other than the usual”. And if our experiences as a class prove anything, it’s that Doane Stuart is 100% a special place that will stay with us to infinity and beyond.

Gawain

O

ne might say that it is expected of me to say something meaningful because it is the typical thing one does at graduation. I’m probably expected to say something along the lines of how I transformed into a young man of character and grace. But the truth is I am still a boy, both legally and emotionally. This speech is neither about me nor the school itself, but about my class, the class of 2017.

The greatest thing about this class is that I am able to love them regardless of what choices they make. When I think of my class, I tend to think of a children’s show made in the 90s. No one really understands what went into the minds of the creators when they made it, but at the same time you don’t really care, because it’s amusing. When you start watching the show you think, “okay a little weird, but I guess I’ll keep watching it.” And then after a couple of episodes you’re like “okay really weird, but I like where this is going.” And then

after a couple of seasons you realize how invested in the show you’ve become and how large of an impact it has made on a period of your life, and that is the point where it always stays with you, and you never want to forget.

And when think of it, every children’s show from the 90s needs a super villain to break another ceiling tile, a couple of superheroes to organize the entirety of Conge, that one wildcard character who shouts “EYYYYYO” every Monday morning, and last but not least the village idiots who show up to school in swim floaties and goggles and try to swim in the fountain (me).

And to the class of 2017, I will leave you with one last meaningful and sappy quote from one of my favorite books, The Great Gatsby, “They’re a rotten crowd. You’re worth the whole damn bunch put together,” meaning you guys are going out into the world and you will encounter some nice people and some not so nice people, but if you always remember who you are and how amazing you all are, you will get through anything.”

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STRATEGIC

Plan

2015 - 2025

A

Doane Stuart education is founded upon a tradition of integrity, responsibility, and excellence. The Kenwood Academy and The St. Agnes School began this tradition in the middle of the 19th century. Over the last forty years, The Doane Stuart School has honored its inheritance while creating a new community of learners. Ours is a community bound by a commitment to our interfaith identity, to effective and collaborative teaching, and to a culture of serious study and joyful discovery.

We are proud to graduate creative, analytical and critical thinkers prepared not only for the academic demands of their college years, but also for a life of meaning and purpose.

22 | The Doane

Stuart School

STRATEGIC plan Today, we prepare our students to be leaders in a rapidly changing and highly dynamic world. More than half of our current students will work in careers, industries, and institutions that have not yet been founded or invented. We know only that the future will require leaders of uncommon faith, integrity, and rigor.

They will need the ability to innovate and to excel in a world driven by creativity, communications, and technology.

The purpose of this strategic plan, initiated by the Board of Trustees, is to reinforce and ensure the traditions and values of generations past even as we build a Doane Stuart that will serve generations to come. By fortifying our many strengths and redoubling our efforts to seize important opportunities, Doane Stuart will be well positioned to achieve our mission far into the future.

ACADEMIC

Commitment: What sets Doane Stuart apart from other preparatory schools is our commitment to shaping an individualized, integrated course of instruction for every student. In the humanities, religion, STEM subjects, and the arts, we value small classes and inquiry-based learning.

Our greatest institutional strength is our faculty, and our greatest academic opportunity is to ensure teaching that challenges every student to interpret, to venture, to question, and to revise. This is not only the path to knowledge, but also the way to goodness, to faith, and to personal responsibility.

experience Supporting Actions:

• Continue to schedule small classes. The idea size would be 1214 students. In the high school one envisions students sitting at a round or oval table – a Harkness table. This seminar style teaching encourages participation, collaboration, critical thinking and academic rigor. There is no back row at a Harkness table; all students must be engaged and prepared to move the topic forward.

• Create a Senior Honors Project that will serve as a capstone to every student’s experience. Each project will be guided by a member of the faculty and will exhibit deep knowledge of a particular subject or field of study, while also demonstrating competency in all areas. A science-based thesis, for example, might include an experiment on the green roof, a well-written research paper addressing historical

and ethical implications of the project, and a multi-media presentation delivered by the student to the whole school. A history thesis might include relevant use of statistical data, rigorous online research, original drawings, and a thesis defense before members of the history department.

These interdisciplinary projects will guide the curriculum and prepare every student for the rigors of college academics.

• A curriculum committee will be formed, comprised of members from every division, to establish guidelines and best practices for the Senior Projects. The creation and implementation of these projects will help to steer broader curriculum development.

The Pennant - Fall 2017 | 23

STRATEGIC plan

USE OF

Commitment:

technology

If we are to continue to instill the values of study and discovery, of faith and responsibility, of self-reliance and communication, we must be leaders in the integrated use of technology, and we must be leaders in the ethical use of technology. We must teach students to use technology responsibly, and we must teach them to harness the power and exploit the opportunities of the digital age.

Doane Stuart was founded two years before the Apple II personal computer went on sale to the public. That first Apple had 4 Kilobytes of RAM. The iPhone that most of our students bring to school each day has 1x10^6 times more power.

Scientists hypothesize, research, collaborate, and model experiments on the computer; historians, humanitarians, and scholars research, collaborate, and publish their findings on specialized on-line databases.

Financiers, politicians, and sports

reporters alike create algorithms to track and project trends and outcomes.

Doctors use robotics to perform complex surgeries; entrepreneurs and small-business owners use robotics to streamline production, automate shipping, and maximize profits. Home movies and Hollywood blockbusters are shot, edited, and enhanced on the same computers and equipment.

Philanthropists, activists, and priests use social media to raise both money and awareness. Architects and engineers use CAD drawing to build skyscrapers, and poets form on-line writing groups and submit to electronic journals.

We at Doane Stuart have the opportunity and responsibility to prepare our students for a life of meaning and purpose in the digital age, and in a future world we cannot fully envision. We should be able to boast to the Capital District and the world not how much technology we have, but how fully and how responsibly our students use it

Supporting Actions:

• Become leaders in the ethical use of technology, including academic honesty, social responsibility, and when to unplug. • Use technology to redefine the way we teach and learn in every division: for example: - computers and tablets for learning games in the lower school.

- video blogs to document science experiments.

- international video conferencing in 8th grade religion course to interview students of different faiths.

- digital rendering in the fine arts.

- video editing -robotics - app development - CAD drawing in Physics, molecular modeling in Chemistry.

- use of JSTOR, LexisNexis Academic, ProQuest Research Library, and many other academic databases to deepen research in history, English, Science, Math and the Arts

24 | The Doane

Stuart School

STRATEGIC plan

FIRST CLASS

facilities

Commitment:

The Rensselaer building, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012, has been our home for almost ten years. The building has and will continue to serve us well. The building bustles with the energy of all three divisions, even as it allows room for the planned expansion of our student body. The Golub Interfaith Chapel is the sanctuary at our geographic and spiritual center, and now we are crowned with a stupendous green roof.

To continue to meet our mission, however, we require upgrades to our athletic facilities. Our gymnasium is not regulation size, and our undersized playing field needs renovation to remain safe and appropriate for interscholastic athletics and physical education. In order that we may continue to thrive in our home, these facilities must be improved.

Supporting Actions: - Construct a new gymnasium.

- Construct a new playing field.

WORLD CLASS

faculties

Supporting Actions: Commitment:

Academic excellence is established and maintained by our distinguished faculty. Individually and collectively, the faculty sets a rigorous curriculum and insists on a high standard of student performance. Our teachers are encouraged to explore a wide range of pedagogies, and to engage students in project-based, experiential learning.

While the day-to-day demands on teachers vary widely in the lower, middle, and upper schools, our commitment to our faculty is the same school wide: to provide the time, resources, and institutional support necessary to ensure that Doane Stuart remains a vital place of serious study and joyful discovery in an everchanging world.

• Increase salaries and benefits to retain and attract exceptional teachers and administrators.

• Create and support exciting professional development and curriculum development opportunities tailored to each division.

• Provide the equipment and training necessary to use technology to redefine the ways we teach and learn.

These ambitious goals depend both on a robust annual fund and a larger endowment. The tuition revenue at Doane Stuart (and all independent schools and colleges) does not cover the expense of educating our children; the annual fund and a draw from endowment aim to make up this difference.

The Pennant - Fall 2017 | 2 5

STRATEGIC plan

FINANCES &

Access :

Commitment

It is our mission to make a Doane Stuart education accessible to well qualified students from every quarter.

We are committed to growing our diverse, vibrant community of learners, and to providing state-ofthe-art technology and excellent facilities in which to work, play, and create.

Supporting Actions:

• Continue to encourage parent and alumni/ae outreach to increase participation in school life and to expand our donor base.

• Significantly enhance Annual Giving and increase endowment to seize the opportunities and honor the commitments set forth in this plan.

P

ast parent Melissa Davis (Ian ’17) reminds us of the importance of a strong strategic plan in order to serve generations to come, and of the impact a school can have, not only on just one student, but on an entire community.

“My son is not the same person he was three years ago, due in large part to the academic and social environment at Doane. Ian was immediately struck by the students’ investment in learning and their kindness. He, in turn, trusted the school, and his trust was returned many times over.

His college search had this basic tenet: “How can I replicate, at the collegiate level, my experience at Doane Stuart?” How many seventeen year olds say this?

The educator Paulo Freire says that education is social work, one answer to oppression. However, it often falls short of its charge. I think Doane Stuart is the rare institution which rises to that challenge, although I’m not sure exactly how this is done. It is probably complex, the result of skills, attitudes, and wisdom; as well as a longstanding philosophy of openness and inclusiveness.

Whatever it is, it is priceless to my son, our family, and society, which reaps the rewards of the social good done at Doane. I have come to believe that the staff and faculty were very in touch with my son, his needs, and his gifts. I know he thought the same.

Ian’s trajectory is forever altered, for the better, because of Doane Stuart. He has flourished in many spheres. I hope you are aware of your impact, and I know that, as scholars of teaching, you will care. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

26 | The Doane

Stuart School

STRATEGIC plan

SHIP

OUR STRATEGIC PLAN on

in

acti

Beginning in the 20172018 academic year, Doane Stuart seniors will have the opportunity to participate in the challenging new SHIP program. Successful applicants will propose and pursue a course of study of their own design.

Each project will be interdisciplinary, require sustained effort, and be intellectually rigorous.

For their selected topic, students will develop a plan of study that fully describes the year’s work. The course outline will be developed in consultation with at least one faculty mentor who is willing to help monitor the progress of the project. The SHIP committee will review each proposal and approve the most promising.

There have been 2 projects chosen for SHIP’s innaugural year. Dawsom Stone ’18 will be studying the composers and the compositions of the Romantic period (such as Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, and Dvořák). This course will study the late-Romantic period composers (more specifically: Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and

Liszt) and some of their compositions (including, but not limited to: Piano Concerto 1 in B flat written by Tchaikovsky, Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini written by Rachmaninoff and The Hungarian Rhapsodies written by Liszt). The goal of this course will be to compose music in their style and, more broadly, the late-romantic period style and to then integrate these compositions with visual arts (including, but not limited to: a 10 minute short film, a series of photographs, and a performance for the school).

This course will delve into the musical theory and history behind the music by reading the following books: Rachmaninoff: Life, Works, Recordings written by Max Harrison, Guide to the Practical Study of Harmony written by Tchaikovsky, Franz Liszt and His World written

by Christopher H. Gibbs & Dana Gooley, and Discover Music of the Romantic Era written by David McCleery. This course will also delve into the art of video making, photography, and performance.

Rebecca Liu ’18 will be studying the ancient Chinese instrument guzheng and its history. Rebecca will combine her interest in music, history and religion to bring in many different aspects to support her topic.

Senior Honors Interdisciplinary Project

The guzheng, a very famous instrument in Chinese culture was created two thousand years ago in Qin dynasty. Rebecca will study the different styles in different regions, how the instrument is and has been used in relation to the traditional religion (Buddhism, Confucius) in China, or during sacrifice ceremonies or ancestor worship and even ancient Chinese politics.

Rebecca’s project will include a paper, a series of slides, a performance of American songs with guzheng accompaniment as well as tradition Chinese music. She will also be working with musicians and historians in both the United States and China to gather the most comprehensive research and include both western and eastern perspectives.

VISIT DOANESTUART.ORG/SHIP to

learn more keep up with the progress of our students and their projects!

The Pennant - Fall 2017 | 27

old FRIENDS

Meet our new Assistant Heads Bill Russell and Jenna Barbary-Glovsksy

Last spring Pam Clarke announced two new, important positions for Doane Stuart. Starting in the 2017-2018 school year, she will have two Assistant Heads of school: Bill Russell and Jenna Barbary.

Both were current teachers at Doane Stuart; and they replaced Lisa Brown, who left us to be Interim Head at Saratoga Independent School.

A graduate of Williams College, Jenna Barbary has spent the past decade working in independent schools. Prior to Doane Stuart, she taught, coached, advised, and led dorms at both Conserve School in Wisconsin and Darrow School in New Lebanon, NY. She then traveled to her home state of New Hampshire where she worked at St. Paul’s School as Sustainability Director, biology teacher, and Head of House. She is a former NCAA All-American swimmer and an avid hiker, and her energy and love of the outdoors has served her well as our current Biology teacher.

A 1978 graduate of Saint Christopher’s School in Richmond, Va., Bill Russell has worked in four independent schools and also served as an instructor of World History at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He served as the History Department Chair at Saint Mary’s Academy in Englewood, CO and also at Heathwood Hall in Columbia, SC. Some of his other adventures include a decade+ on active duty in the Army and two stints in corporate life. Bill has been our Upper School Academic Dean since 2012.

Bill oversees the academic curriculum and pedagogy; he has long done the high school schedule and will now expand his academic duties to include the full curriculum and faculty. Jenna will concentrate on issues of student life; she is interested in teaching leadership; encouraging personal responsibility and good character.

As Assistant Heads of School, their interest and Pam’s is the full range of age groups and academics.

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&

Larry Yakubowski is now our Athletic Director, taking over for Coach Pat Light, who retired in June. Mr. Y, as he is known here, is devoted to our students and their physical health, their sportsmanship; their tenaciousness in practicing for athletic contests. He has coached many sports here – recently modified basketball and tennis. He looks forward to taking responsibility for our teams and our PE program.

Juan O’Campo, former

Librarian and Assistant Dean, is now teaching Upper School Spanish, and is already working with Senora Nieves to coordinate a seamless transition for students. He has many years’ experience teaching Spanish from the first year through the AP course; he’s from Colombia himself and has been at Doane Stuart for two years.

&

new ROLES

Board of Trustees Welcomes Two New Familiar Faces ~

Sister Margaret Canty and Current Parent Marjorie Gorelik joined the Board of Trustees this year. Learn about them and their impressive and fulfilling careers and contributions to Doane Stuart.

Sister Canty was the Administrator for the Kenwood Covent from 2002 until its closing in 2010.

At Kenwood she was the Director of the Boarding School; Assistant Head and Director of Students for Kenwood Academy; the Director of Boarding School for Doane Stuart and also Head of the Lower School.

for the Busy Persons’ Retreats given for faculty and staff of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools. In addition, she served as the Assistant Formation Director in Brussels and Rome.

In 1984 – 1988, she was the CoFounder of De La Salle Academy for gifted inner city students in New York City.

Sr. Canty was Head of School at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and she has served on five independent school boards.

But, most importantly, Sr. Canty is an RSCJ who loves education.

Sr. Canty is the current CoCoordinator for the Albany Area Associates for the Society of the Sacred Heart. She is part of a team of spiritual directors

at IBM, where she received multiple excellence and leadership awards.

Marjorie Gorelik joins the board as a current parent to Samantha, Class of 2020.

Marjorie earned her B.S. (summa cum laude) from University at Albany School of Business and has over 20 years of system engineering management experience

As a member of the Doane Stuart community since 2008, Marjorie has assumed the roles of Parent Association Grade Level Representative, New Parent Outreach Coordinator and Doane Stuart Uniform Exchange Manager among many other roles and contributions over the years.

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Science Technology Engineering Art Math What is STEAM?! Students in the lower school are diving into an updated version of the typical science classroom and curriculum. In STEAM Jr. room, students in early childhood to fourth grade will begin to understand that science, technology, engineering, art, and math are not often their own separate entities.

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STEAM @ DS

Meet Kate Skivington

Doane Stuart’s new Lower School Steam, Jr. Director Kate comes from ten years of teaching kindergarten and second grades at Maret School in Washington, DC. She is an accomplished lower school teacher whose special love is science and math, so re-launching our new STEAM program is the perfect job for her. She grew up in Rochester, NY and has family in the capital district in addition to her parents in Rochester.

These subjects are so often intertwined, which helps eliminate those phrases such as, “I’m really good at math, but I really don’t like art.” or, “I love using computers and iPads but I think science is boring.” We will also take a look at how STEAM is integrated into a variety of careers in the 21st century.

Our STEAM Jr. classroom is filled with an array of fascinating “tools and toys” from 3D printers and robots to bubble wrap and egg cartons. Students will learn through the engineering design process as well as the scientific method. They will encounter STEAM challenges that involve solving a problem with minimal materials, and working together as a team to reach the best possible outcome.

By using the design process, they will also have a chance to reassess and modify their designs if needed.

With the use of iPads and computers, students will learn to be responsible users as they navigate their way through research sites, understanding some social media, and taking care of the hardware itself. Some skills, such as coding, will begin in our early childhood and kindergarten classrooms with Daisy the Dinosaur, Kodable, and Code-A-Pillar.

Through the use of the scientific method and design process, students will engage in hands on activities and challenges that push them to think outside the box and try something new and exciting.

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College

Essays

We just had to share some of the eloquent essays from the class of 2017 that college admission officers around the country were lucky enough to read!

T

he college essay presents both an opportunity and a challenge. It is

the only part of an application in which a senior can use his or her own voice to make a case for acceptance. It is a chance for seniors

to tell their stories in their own words. Yet they are limited to 650 words – at

most – to accomplish this feat. Essays must tackle some serious questions.

Who am I? What matters in my life? When have I been challenged? What

can I bring to my next community? Each year, Doane Stuart seniors craft creative, compelling narratives that help them stand out in a sea of other

equally impressive candidates. For this issue of The Pennant, we wanted to share a few essays with the community. The writers have all bravely given

us permission to showcase their stories. They are unique, thoughtful, and helped these seniors find their college matches.

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ollege essays

Jack Ross-Pilkington ’17 Cornell University ’21

I

think I was eight years old when my grandmother told me that I should “never talk about religion or politics” in polite company. It was good advice, to a point.

Bringing up these often controversial topics can cause friction. However, what my grandmother would not live to see was that both religion and politics would become the main interests of my teenage years. I am drawn to them because they are forms of community and I’ve come to realize that only within community can you really make change and express your ideas.

My family was not a religious one. We attended church rarely, and I was never baptized. However, as I grew up, I became fascinated with all forms of religion. I’ve gone to a Jehovah’s Witnesses kingdom hall, a Buddhist temple and Islamic prayer services. I sat in on a Quaker meeting and a Catholic mass. But the first religion that really interested me was Lutheranism. There was a Lutheran church about a half mile away from my house. I would wake up every Sunday morning and bike there. It felt as though I was sneaking out...that this was someplace I had to get to. The church was tiny - about the size of a two-car garage - but I grew to love the group. It was almost exclusively elderly, and there was a palpable sense of community in their presence. For example, when one parishioner’s husband passed away, the congregation came together and held a special service for her. Though it was a religious community, what attracted me had nothing to do with religion - it was simple humanity. At the time, I was asking myself very important questions: Is there a God? What is the purpose of life? How do we know that we are real? And I was looking for answers. While those questions were

important, what was far more important was coming together as a group and helping people in their times of need.

Due to partisan rancor, politics may not seem like another form of community, but to me it is. It carries the same deep appeal. My first brush with politics was when I was 15 years old. Reading the local newspaper, I saw a help wanted ad for a freelance reporter. I thought it would be interesting, so I applied, with no resume, no experience and no formal education. I was called back the next week. My first assignment was to report on a town board meeting. It was not the type of politics you read about in the paper. It was seven people Democrats and Republicans - working long into the night to find a solution to a bridge that was falling into disrepair. It wasn’t a game, it wasn’t a competition, and it certainly wasn’t a fight; there was a rusty bridge and it needed fixing.

My search for religious and political truth continues to drive me, to dominate my life. But I know that my foundation is firm. In terms of religion, I look for openness and community. I need spiritual satisfaction, but I also want to help people in a deeply human way.

That, to me, is the core of any faith. In terms of politics, I try to stay away from horse-race mania and dig deep, keeping an eye on solutions, not problems. And I seek areas where all parties can be seen and heard. These are the foundations of true change. I want to devote my life to serving others, and making effective change is one way to do so. This is why I’m fascinated by it, now, and into the future.

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I

am strong. It’s going to be okay. Those are the phrases I repeat to myself as the cool, night air blows in my face as I trek up the hill. Single tears drip down from the corners of my eyes to my chin, and I cannot tell whether it’s from the stinging cold air or the fact that I feel like the stress on my back is equivalent to the weight of an elephant.

I am strong. It’s going to be okay. I repeat these phrases almost every time each foot hits the ground. Running is my muse, and I am strong. When I feel the impact of my foot hitting the ground, I can feel each ounce of stress leave my body. My anxiety is gone; I am a new person.

Early on, I was constantly balancing between different sports, whether it was soccer, softball, gymnastics, even horseback riding. Season after season, year after year, I cried to my parents about how much I hated each sport. “I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.” I remember telling them, as tears streamed down my face, when I received yet another knee injury during a soccer game.

My parents continued to push, and I pushed right back.

“Sports are a stress reliever,” they would tell me as I rolled my eyes. But these sports caused more stress than they were relieving. Yet this mindset changed after I found my muse in running.

My life, like anyone’s, has stressors. It is always evolving.

My parents divorced when I was fifteen. My sibling, who I once called “my sister,” came out to me as transgender when I was fourteen. Running is there for me. Running is my outlet; I can be myself when I’m doing my daily loop around the hills of the golf course. It is my constant when things around me are in flux. Running has given me a peaceful mind.

But the gift I value the most from running is my identity.

When someone sees me running, I imagine he or she must know I’m doing something I love. People who watch me run know only that identity I have chosen to share; they do not know which stressor I’m releasing as each foot grazes the ground.

At night, I sit on my bed as I tie my sneakers and throw my hair in a ponytail. I get ready to watch the sunset as I go on my nighttime run. I step outside and breathe in the fresh air.

“I am strong. It’s going to be okay,” I whisper to myself.

My feet start moving. The stress begins to leave. I’m at peace.

I was encouraged to begin running when the track coach at school pressured me to try out for the varsity track and field team. I reluctantly agreed, and began running each night to get in shape for tryouts later that month.

Anne Fraser ’17

Connecticut College ’21

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Josie Catalano ’17 Wesleyan University ’21

I

had never spoken to Brandon Walsh*, but he marched straight up to me with an air of authority as I stood outside my math class. Other kids had told me stories, about his family’s private chateau in France, or the time his parents rented a yacht for his thirteenth birthday.

Brandon, in a nasally, pre-pubescent voice, said, “This is fake,” as he reached out his hand and pulled on my scarf. My mother had gone to Italy and purchased the scarf at a street fair. Neither of us were aware that LV stood for Louis Vuitton. But Brandon knew. He took his hand off of my scarf and laughed, along with his friends. I was mortified. Brandon was above me on the social food chain. I did not know what to say other than, “My mom got this for me and-” I was cut off as Brandon explained, “Louis Vuitton scarves cost hundreds of dollars.”

Embarrassed, I did not try to defend myself. If anything, I felt more defensive about the counterfeit scarf around my neck. This was middle school.

It was “cool” to be branded, but as Brandon pointed out, only if done properly. It looked so easy. At thirteen, I could spend my babysitting money without parental supervision during my trips to Crossgates Mall. Alone with friends, no one raised an eyebrow at an eighty dollar “Abercrombie and Fitch” sweatshirt. Through the eyes of my middle school self, the mall was the ticket to security.

It felt safer to conform than risk a misstep in the middle school hierarchy. A label, the right label, was akin to a shield when walking through the crowded hallways. I was convinced I could buy my problems away. But in reality, what I thought was protecting me was actually isolating me more than ever before.

My mother hated the mall for the very reasons I was drawn to it. It pained her to watch me part with hardearned baby-sitting money in a fruitless search for belonging. She probably felt sad as she watched me struggle into ill-fitting, skinny jeans at Hollister. The only part of the mall my mother endorsed was the movie theater. Movies became a good distraction from all the racing thoughts of fitting in and appearing to be someone I was not. It was also a way for my mother and me to be at the mall together without bickering. In the darkness of a theater, my clothes did not matter. I could be engrossed.

Something about movies drew me in. So I experimented with making my own. I did not own a fancy camera or tripod. For the longest time I used a cell phone duct taped to a stack of cookbooks. It was stop-motion animation that got me hooked. I fell in love with the entire process it entailed. The repetition of adjusting my focal point and taking a picture of it three hundred times sounds tasking.

But for me, like watching a movie, I was captivated.

The process can be challenging. Once, my dog decided one hundred shots into a film that the figurine I was filming was her new chew toy. Sometimes my mother needs one of the cookbooks, and I have to start from square one. However, it’s the challenge that keeps me going, because I know I’ll have created something original that I’m proud of. The hours put into my art are worth every slight movement, click of the camera, frustrated roar, and impatient cry. I take pride in my collection of thirty-second videos - not in my wardrobe. Creation is powerful and so is sustained effort. Wise people know this already, but this is how I learned it. *Names have been changed.

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I

t was my second week at the pet store. Mostly I had been vacuuming the doggie day care. I was on my way to reunite a dog and his owner, when I noticed a customer who was obviously looking for assistance.

Being “the new guy,” I did everything possible to avoid eye contact. I failed miserably, because her eyes locked on mine. Still trying to escape, I shuffled away and tripped over a dog food wagon. She had caught me.

Her questions came one after one. She was carrying a 15-pound bag of kangaroo meat dog food (yes, that exists). “My dog has….” she began as she listed each of her dog’s allergies. I was too afraid to see the ridiculousness of my situation - talk about a first world problem. Instead I felt total panic. I had never been in a situation where people needed to know if a chemical in a food would be harmful, or even deadly, to a living creature. The dog on the leash was pulling my arm out of its socket. All I could manage was a long, “Ummmmmmmmmmm.” Eventually, I conveyed my ignorance to her, and she huffily went off and asked another coworker who knows how each ingredient in food affects a part of a dog’s anatomy. Did you know capers are bad for a UTI? They are.

the supervisor of somebody who is three times my age or calling someone twelve years older than me, “The rookie.” Even in these situations, feeling built up, reality has a way of kicking in when I get on my knees to clean up dog pee.

I may be making it sound awful, but I really do love my job. I love animals. I love spending time with people who really do care about their jobs and are willing to work hard to make things run smoothly. At work I meet people who are really interesting and sometimes inspiring. My boss built the store from nothing, and it is now a big success. We have a customer who spends 2 hours in the store each week to read cat food labels, who told me she brings her cat to telepathy class… For money.

I’ve come a long way from the stammering kid who didn’t know enough about kangaroo meat. I can advise dog owners about grain, poultry or protein sensitivities.

I can confidently steer customers to Orijen, the “Rolls Royce” of dog food. It feels good to help to people, but more importantly, it feels great to do so without wanting to hide behind a dog food wagon.

One of the first things I learned at work was how to redirect people without sounding like an idiot. Now I have been there for more than 2 years. Apparently I have proved my work ethic by doing things like taking out trash when asked, scooping poop promptly, arriving on time, and finishing lunch within the 30-minute allotted time. So now I have found myself in scenarios that no child could imagine, such as being

Mitchell Rigley’17

Univ. of New Hampshire ’21

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Shen Leng ’17

University of Pittsburgh ’21

E

ven with a net obscuring my vision, the jungle in front of me seemed endless. As a girl who grew up in a metropolis, I had never seen such forests before. I’m more used to the streets full of cars and people, and shopping malls full of delicate and miscellaneous goods. Stepping into the dark forest, I started to feel my heartbeat and hear my breath. Would I meet a jaguar, get bitten by a snake, or be covered with dangerous fire ants? I held on to my clipboard tightly, but that did not stop my hand from shaking. The two scientists and our guide were speaking Spanish, a language I do not understand.

Following our guide, we started the 3-mile transact walk.

Three miles seems like a normal walk, but this was the jungle. Each step I took was difficult, as if my feet were tied to balls and chains. I had to be careful, to prevent the long vines from running into my face or tripping over the branches on the ground covered by different herbaceous plants. I stepped on an unstable branch and almost fell. And the trees! We don’t have anything like them in China. One tree is about two-people wide.

I had come a long way to look for small animals in the forest in Peru. The scientists at Operation Earth had given me list of mammals to find as we conducted our biodiversity study. The only creatures I could identify were the mosquitoes that followed us. To avoid getting bites, I showered myself in insect repellant and wore a long-sleeved coat and pants. Nonetheless, I still was surrounded by mosquitos. They attacked my legs and fingers through my thin pants and gloves. I could hear their unhappy symphony through the net hanging from

my hat, covering my face and shoulders. The heat was stifling. I was dizzy and could feel the sweat collecting in my rubber boots.

We were all exhausted. Suddenly, the guide gestured us to stop. The biologists spotted a rat resting in a tree hole, about 3-meters from the ground. I was shocked, because looking up that tree, I saw no sign of a rat.

The biologist, trying to convince me, took a picture of the tree trunk. After she zoomed in the picture thirty times, I finally saw a tiny, yellow-crowned bush-tail rat resting in the tree hole, looking shy. I recorded it on my data sheet. Looking at my mostly empty data sheets, I started to have a tangible understanding of the crisis the animals are in.

We trudged home, facing a long walk and a longer boat ride. As I struggled not to itch my mosquito bites, I felt safer than I had before. I traveled a long way to study rat populations, but I was home. In Peru, in the lungs of the Earth, it was almost an extension of my own body. The biologists were talking in Spanish, but really, their language was science. If God is truth, and science studies the truth, this is my altar at which to worship.

Science is my faith, and it made the itchy insect bites on my legs seem trivial. My data sheets were empty that day, but I will keep searching.

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H

ave you ever mixed milk and orange juice together? What about soda and coffee? You know, on one of those days as a kid when you were obscenely bored and resorted to mixing anything you could find in the kitchen—be it gross or not— together. If you have ever done so, you have realized that these absurd kitchen mixtures are incredibly out of harmony with each other and repulsive. Right?

At the end of my sophomore year of high school, course registration forms were distributed. I signed up for Vocal Music, obviously as a joke. The thought of having anything to do with singing amused me and my friends as I checked the box on my form. Then we received our class schedules over the summer. To my great surprise, Vocal Music appeared on mine.

“I have not sung in public since my elementary school choir. I cannot actually go through with this,” I thought to myself. I decided that I’d go to the first class, everyone—including the teacher—would have their laughs, and afterwards I’d switch out. It was only ten minutes into the period when my vocal teacher said, “Ok everyone get up, it is time to make some noise!” He did not actually except me to sing? Did he? I hesitated to get up. “You, too, Gawain!” How bad could this be?

Everyone was individually going around in a circle and singing a specific riff. When it came my turn, I froze. It was as if my body could not allow any sound to come from my mouth. I felt light-headed and pangs of total embarrassment as I desperately tried to push the lyrics out.

“Do it again, Gawain, but this time louder!” said my teacher. My face reddened. “Louder!” he repeated.

I sounded like a low-volume hair dryer when I tried to go any louder. I left the class feeling humiliated.

Despite this, I decided I should try the class for another week, since I had a few more days to drop it from my schedule. That week-long commitment progressed into a month, and then eventually the whole year. I started to really enjoy singing. I even ended up singing in front of the entire school… By myself. Singing became an activity I progressively liked more with each class instead of something that felt humiliating. It has been a year and I can confidently say I have come to like my voice and improvement as a singer.

Am I milk and orange juice mixed together? That’s what I thought in my first vocal classes. Up until I sang, I felt dominated by my comfort zone. Sure, I could mix together strange liquids in my kitchen, but that was where I stopped my experiments. Now I see that a willingness to mix seemingly incongruent things together can lead to new insight. I am a singer, too.

Gawain Semlear ’17 Vassar College ’21

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ANNUAL

Giving Report 2016-2017

THANK YOU TO OUR

supporters The Pennant - Fall 2017 | 39

ANNUAL FUND 2016-2017

Giving Report

$20,000 - $40,000

Mr. William and Mrs. Sharon Duker Mr. and Mrs. Seth Powell Ms. Winifred A. McCarthy, KA ‘66

$10,000 - $19,999

Mrs. Elizabeth

Holliday Ramsey, SA ‘36* The McCarthy Charities, Inc Mr. Daniel P. Van Plew and

Ms. Jennifer Hess

$5,000 - $9,999

Ms. Pamela Clarke Mrs. Susan Cleary Morse ’89 Dr. Terrence Flannery and

Ms. Maria Holden Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Gorelik Mr. and Mrs. John B. Robinson, Jr. Dr. Ginna Roeding UHY Advisors, Inc.

$2,500 - $4,999

Drs. Alan and Maria Boulos Bullard, McLeod & Associates, Inc. Dr. and Mrs. John A. DiPreta Mrs. Darlene E. Gallagher &

Mr. Tom Gallagher Mr. Neil and Mrs. Jane Golub Ms. Mona Golub Mr. James Hanaway and

Dr. Katja Bock

“The drama “When I haveteacher a new asked meI to helpto make interest want choreograph a movie aboutthe it. My middle and friends school are supportive. upper school They help me plays… with my that’s going scripts.

And, to mybeteacher amazing encouragesfor memy to write resume!” more stories.”

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Mr. George and Mrs. Cynthia

Greeley Kavanagh, SA ‘70 Kenwood Class of 1966 Mr. David Lipson and

Ms. Ellen Jakovic ‘78 Mr. Robert Mains and

Ms. Amy Durland Mr. and Mrs. Patrick W. Turley, Esq. ‘79

Mr. Gregory and

Mrs. Tichie Langan Finin ‘77 Greenberg Traurig, LLP Dr. and Mrs. Stephen G. Hassett Dr. Karen Hitchcock Dr. Noel C. Hogan, Ed.D., CPA and

Mrs. Nikki Hogan Mr. and Mrs. J. Wesley Jakovic

“I really like coming back from the summer and seeing all my new teachers and my friends.”

Alexis ’25 - Albany, NY

$1,000 - $2,499

Albany Medical Center Hospital Mrs. Barbara Bock Boies, Schiller & Flexner, LLP Thessaly Bullard ‘92 Mr. Stephen and Mrs. Jean

Kosinski Cleary, KA ‘59 Mr. Daniel P. Cullen ‘09 Joanmarie Dowling, Esq.

and Joseph Dowling, Esq. Dowling Law, pllc Dr. Richard D. Enemark

Keane Alexis’28 ’18- -Albany, Troy, NY NY

Mrs. Gail Dibble Keeler, KA ‘66 Kirkland & Ellis LLP Mr. Steven Kroll and Ms. Tricia Asaro Lane Press of Albany, Inc. Mr. Robert McCormick Mr. and Mrs. Robert Nakushian Mr. and Mrs. David Nakushian Mr. John J. Nigro Mr. Derek Nolan Mr. and Mrs. David O’Leary Overit Media Dr. Joseph Polito II and

Ms. Karen Pahl The Lawrence I and Blanche H

Rhodes Memorial Fund Inc. Mr. Ian and

Dr. Kirsten St. George Trustco Bank Lee N. & Grace Q.

Vedder Foundation

$500 - $999

Anonymous Past Parent Anonymous Parent Mr. and Mrs. Frederic P. Atkins

ANNUAL FUND 2016-2017

Drs. Lev and Svetlana Barats Mr. M. Christian Bender Mr. Karl Bendorf and

Ms. Patricia Lacey Lt. Col. and Mrs. Lendell Boudreau Professor and Mrs. Paul Bracken Mr. George F. Carpinello and

Ms. Beth Davies Carpinello Dr. Michael Cullen Ms. Diana Gale, SA ‘58 Mr. Ben Gordon and Ms. Mary Taber Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. Jennings Dr. Timothy Kirby and

Ms. Denise Hartman Patricia Robinson

Komuniecki, Ph.D., KA ‘66 MagicWig Productions Benjamin Neidl, Esq. and

Cynthia Neidl, Esq. Nielsen Associates Ornamentum Mr. David Page and

Ms. Lore Stanziano Ms. Ann N. Rigley The Reverend Douglas and Mrs. Sterling Hull Remer, SA ‘70 Mr. and Mrs. Bill Russell Ms. Teri Pankin Schobinger ‘88 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Smith

Giving Report “The drama teacher asked me to help choreograph the Middle School and Upper School plays… that’s going to be amazing for my resume!”

$1 - $499

16 Handles Afrim’s Sports Albany Symphony Orchestra Ms. Elizabeth Alexander Mr. and Mrs. Robert Altman Mrs. Gretchen Armlin Austin & Co., Inc. Mr. Denis M. Bailey Ms. Erin Baillargeon Ms. Arpi Balgin ‘97 The Rt. Rev. David S. Ball*

“I just fell in love with the community...

The teachers love teaching and the students love learning...

I’m going to look back and Dalton ’17 - Saratoga Springs , NY miss that.”

University of Rochester ’21 Soundcheck Republic St. Agnes Class of 1966 Dr. David Wells Mr. Austin Woodward

Ms. Jenna Barbary-Glovsky Ms. Sylvia Barnard Beck Furs Ms. Elizabeth Bede Ms. Shawn Pennick Benton ‘83

Alexis ’18 - Troy, NY Professor and Mrs. Stephen Berk Mr. Tom and Mrs. Ann Berkman Mrs. Louise Willard Besch, SA ‘47 Mr. and Mrs. Chris P. Betts Mrs. Kathleen Hartigan

Bigelman, KA ‘66 Black & Blue Blaze Pizza Blue Sky Music Studios Miss Sybil L. Boardman, SA ‘61 Mr. and Mrs. Ken Bolarinwa Mrs. Jacqueline and Mr. Martin Boone Ms. Kathleen J. Bracken Ms. Katherine Brandow ‘86 Dr. and Mrs. Robert Brass Mr. Bryan Braun and

Ms. Karoline Harrington Mr. and Mrs. Richard Brewer Mr. Frederick Brodie and

Dr. Donna Van Alst Miss Jessica Brozek Mr. and Mrs. David R. Buran Burden Lake Country Club Mr. Nicholas Buttino ‘05 Mrs. Dorann Jacobs Cafaro, KA ‘66 Sister Margaret Canty, RSCJ Mr. Albert Catalano Mr. and Mrs. Michael Catellier Ms. Sherri Ceravolo and

Mr. Jason Peterson Cheesecake Factory Mr. Allan Chlastawa and

Ms. Valerie Gill Dr. Rak Koo Chung Circles

The Pennant - Fall 2017 | 41

ANNUAL FUND 2016-2017

Giving Report $1 - $499 cont.

Mr. Henry Clarke Dr. and Mrs. Keith W. Clement Mr. and Mrs. James Cole Colonial Cleaners Mrs. Patricia Rugh Condon, SA ‘56 The Cook’s Resource - Different

Drummer’s Kitchen Co. Mr. and Mrs. Jose G. Correa Mr. Jerry Cosgrove and

Ms. Judy Anderson Drs. Jakov and Anica Crnkovic Dave and Buster’s Mr. and Mrs. Fran Davenport Mr. and Mrs. Ernesto de Guzman Ms. Maria de Penuela Ms. Nancy Dearstyne Mr. Richard F. Decker, Jr. ‘91 and

Ms. Karen Lonnstrom Delmonico’s Ms. Marie DeSanto Mrs. Lesley Davie DeVoe, SA ‘59 Mr. and Mrs. Larry Drebes Sr. Carlota Duarte, KA ‘62 Mrs. Marcia Dudden Mrs. Gertrude Dunbar, SA ‘45* Mrs. Judith Duncan-Allen, SA ‘74 Mrs. Susan Beardsley Easter ‘83 Dr. and Mrs. Erik Eddy Ms. Sandra Eddy Mr. and Mrs. Jason Effman El Loco Mexican Cafe

Mrs. Sonjia Febrey Mrs. Diane Kelley Fenton, SA ‘60 Mr. Chip Follert Mr. and Mrs. Tom Forster Dr. John Foster Four Fat Fowl Frank Adams Jewelers Mrs. Joyce Haines Fraser, SA ‘54 Freihofer’s Run for Women

“It was broader at DS than what I had experienced. There were a lot of topics I hadn’t seen before.

It’s more about giving you the variety so you know what you Serafina ’17 - China / Troy, NY are interested in.”

Northeastern University ’21 Dr. Brian Freidenberg and Dr. Crystal

Rogers-Freidenberg Mrs. Deborah Dwelley

Gamber, SA ‘66 Garden Bistro 24 Mrs. Brittany Garrison GE Foundation Mrs. Johanna VanWormer

George, SA ‘58 Dr. Joan Stern Girgus, SA ‘59

“What I probably love most about Doane Stuart is the friendly faces...

It really does feel like a home.”

Sarah ’17 - Nassau/Hudson , NY Smith College ’21 Mr. and Mrs. Crawford Ellerbe Mr. John Evangelista and

Dr. Rebecca Cunningham

42 | The Doane

Stuart School

Gold Coin Chinese Mr. and Mrs. John M. Golde Good Karma Studio Mr. and Mrs. David Gordon Mr. and Mrs. Howard Gordon Mr. Edward Gorman and

Mrs. Liesl Zwicklbauer Gracies - Newton Plaza Mr. Worth Gretter

Mrs. Mary J. Hacker Glauber, SA ‘66 Glimmerglass Opera

Ms. Elizabeth Grisaru and

Ms. Debra Greenberg Mrs. Barbara A. Mc Fee

Gunshor, SA ‘56 Dr. and Mrs. Jonathan Halpert Dr. and Ms. Scott Halle Scott’s Hallmark Hampton Inn Mrs. Elizabeth Willard

Hannock, SA ‘43 Hannoush Jewelers Mrs. Claudia Harteck Hardy, KA ‘66 Mr. and Mrs. Richard Harris Mr. Charles Haviland and

Ms. Maryanne Low-Haviland Mr. Stephen P. Hayford ‘91 Ms. Lauree McMahon Hickok, KA ‘62 The Hidden Cafe Mr. Daniel Hodgkinson ‘12 Mr. and Mrs. Seamus H. Hodgkinson Ms. Teresa J. Hoffman-Ashley ‘84 Hoffman Development Corporation Mr. and Mrs. Frank J. Hogan Mr. Samuel House and

Ms. Heather Diddel Howe Caverns, Inc. Huck Finn Warehouse and More

ANNUAL FUND 2016-2017

$1 - $499 cont.

Mrs. Carolyn Pruyn Hudson, SA ‘49 The Reverend and Mrs. Leslie Hughs Dr. Andrew Hunter and

Dr. Andrea Smith-Hunter Miss Mary Hurley Mr. William Hurst and

Ms. Pamela Hadad-Hurst I Love Books Mr. and Mrs. Melvin R. Jackson Jai Albany Studio Mr. and Mrs. Jay H. Jakovic Honorable Kathleen M. Jimino

Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Keute Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Kirmss Mrs. Mildred Kling Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Knaggs Miss Amelia Koethen Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Konitski Mrs. Linda V. Jones Kopek, SA ‘66 Mr. Peter S. Kutchukian ‘97 Ms. Sheila La Falce, KA ‘71 Miss Emily Lagan ‘11 Lake George Steamboat Company Mr. and Mrs. Joel Lautenberg Ms. Karen Leary

“I am thrilled to be a part of this alumni/ae community.

I’ve seen the classes that have come before me and I have absolute faith they are going to be the same kind of supportive and loving community that I found as a student at Doane Stuart. ”

Ian ’17 - Ballston Spa, NY Haverford College ’22 Johnny Rockets Mr. Paul R. Jones and

Ms. Maureen Madden Mrs. Polly Jones Jordan, SA ‘59 Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Jornov Ms. Debra Josefchak, SA ‘68 Mr. and Mrs. William Kahn Ms. Alison Kaplan Mr. and Ms. Bret Kauffman

Mrs. Heather Van Loan Lee, SA ‘61 Ms. Melanie Lekocevic Mr. Luis Leon and

Ms. Birgit Asbornsen Mrs. Gelene Terpening Lewis, SA ‘53 Mrs. Patricia Light Mrs. Elizabeth L. Hume Lind, SA ‘66 Ms. Mary-Dorothy Morand Line ‘79 Mrs. Leila Linen

Giving Report

Mrs. Donna Ball Lombardi, KA ‘66 Mr. and Mrs. Richard Long Mrs. Johanna D. Phinney

Lynch, KA ‘66 Ms. Josie Madison ‘98 Mr. Justin and Mrs. Leanne

Robinson Maine ‘94 Make It Fit, LLC Mrs. Abigail Wolff Mariani ‘78 Mr. Matt Maron and

Ms. Carol Contois Mr. Jason Martinez Mr. Matthew McCluskey Ms. Colleen McGinty ‘78 Mrs. Regina Warren McGrath, KA ‘61 McKesson Foundation Mrs. Marcia Faust McNees, SA ‘41 Ms. Louise Metz ‘17 Mrs. Mary Welz Michon, SA ‘58 Ms. Pamela Minnick Mr. E. Andrew Mondore, SA ‘75 Mrs. Joline Hartman Mondore, SA ‘45 Ms. Rachel Morgan Mrs. Suzanne Eckhardt

Morgan, KA ‘51 Mr. and Mrs. John C. Murdock The Music Studio Mr. George Nagy Dr. Mark Napier and

Prof. Nicole Theodosiou Navona Mr. and Mrs. Robert Nielsen Mrs. Edna Nieves Mr. and Mrs. Earl Norton Northeastern Fine Jewelry Ms. Suzanne Nye Mr. and Mrs. George Nye Mr. and Mrs. Terrence M. O’Hare Palace Theatre Mr. Michael Panichelli and

Dr. Donna Mongeluzi Mr. Brian Perrotto ‘84 and

Mrs. Debra Kottage-Perrotto Mr. Michael J. Perrotto ‘89 Mr. and Mrs. Olanreju Peters Ms. Maria Pflegl Mr. and Mrs. Luke Potoski The Pottery Place Mr. John Raimo Mrs. Mariann Walk Rand, SA ‘59

The Pennant - Fall 2017 | 43

ANNUAL FUND 2016-2017

Giving Report

$1 - $499 cont.

Ms. Jennifer Regan and

Mr. Sean Moran Mrs. Linda Regan Ms. Gail Rheingold, SA ‘57 Mr. Norman S. Rice

Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Smith Mr. and Mrs. Carl Snavely, Jr. Mrs. Christine Morrissey Snow, SA ‘74 Spectrum 8 Cinemas Mrs. Lucy Elliot Squires ‘76 The Standard Restaurant and Lounge Mrs. Sheila Devitry Stephanis, KA ‘66

“In terms of openness of faith, the community is very diverse. We even have a Buddhist temple on our campus.

How many schools do you know that have that?!”

Isabel ’20 - Slingerlands, NY Ms. Jeanne-Marie Rimlinger Mr. Ken and Mrs. Abbe D’Ambra

Roberts ‘94 Mr. and Mrs. John Roche Roman Jewelers Mrs. Briana Henebry Rosen, KA ‘67 Rumors Salon & Spa Ms. Roberta Donehue

Arend Ryan, KA ‘43 Dr. and Mrs. John W. Sacca Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Sacco Mr. and Mrs. Frank Salluzzo Saratoga Performing Arts Center Mr. and Mrs. Tony Scalera Mrs. Yoko Segerstrom Mrs. Lisa Selden ‘76 Shalimar Restaurant Mrs. Wilma Sheffer Ms. Claire Sherwood Mr. Michael Shimazu &

Ms. Beth St. Dennis Mrs. Shigeko Shimazu Shogun Sushi and Sake Bar Mr. and Mrs. Peter D. Siciliano Dr. John W. Simon and

Dr. Susan Ferrary Mr. Robert Smith and

Ms. Elizabeth Devereux

44 | The Doane

Stuart School

Dr. and Mrs. David Stone Mrs. Susan Jane Van Alen

Sunanda, SA ‘53 Ms. Darlene Viall Suto, SA ‘66 Swifty’s Restaurant and Pub Mrs. Elaine Murray Tagliareni, KA ‘66 Tantrums Spa Boutique Target Corporation Mrs. Marguerite Tate Taylor, KA ‘57 &

Mr. Harmon Taylor Mr. Tyler and Mrs. Maggie

Brandow Thayer ‘87 Mrs. Henrietta Holton Thomas, KA ‘52 Ms. Maris W. Thompson, SA ‘58 Mr. Robert Scott Thomson Threshold Farm Congressman Paul Tonko Trader Joe’s Uncle Sam’s Health Foods The Van Rensselaer Garden Club Mr. Michael Van Winkle Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Varney Mr. Lee Vaughan and Mrs. Varada Pandya-Vaughan Ms. Susan C. Vernooy Dr. Conrad Vispo and

Dr. Claudia Knab-Vispo Vogue Nails and Spa Mr. Brian A. Wallingford ‘93

Mrs. Lucinda Boss Walser, SA ‘43 Ms. Erin Z. Weaver ‘01 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Weaver Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas Webb, SA ‘38 Mrs. Louise Blumenauer

Weschler, KA ‘65 Mr. Jim Wheaton Mr. Hugh Williams and

Ms. Hanna Bail Wine and Spirits of Slingerlands Mr. Larry Yakubowski Yankee Trails World Travel Yono’s Restaurant

*=deceased The report of gifts represents gifts made from July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017. We have made every effort to list the information correctly. Should you discover an error or omission, please contact the Development Office at (518) 465-5222, ext. 203 or dgallagher@doanestuart.org.

Did you enjoy reading what our students had to say about their life at Doane Stuart and what they will take with them on their next journey?

Well there’s so much more!

Watch our student videos at DOANESTUART.ORG/ TESTIMONIALS

ANNUAL FUND 2017-2018

give!

HOW TO AS YOU PLAN YOUR GIFT TO DOANE STUART, THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO GIVE:

TO MAKE YOUR GIFT ONLINE, GO TO WWW.DOANESTUART.ORG/ SUPPORT-US/GIVE-ONLINE

GIFTS OF STOCK

Your gift helps us to educate our students to be the responsible, respectful, accomplished leaders of our future.

YOUR SUPPORT ALLOWS US TO

celebrate OUR PROUD PAST AND ensure OUR STRONG FUTURE.

The Annual Fund reflects the strength of a community that is supported by trustees, current families, past parents, grandparents, teachers, alumni/ae and friends of the school.

By contributing to the Annual Fund, you strengthen your connection to Doane Stuart and you fortify the experience of a Doane Stuart education for its students.

Doane Stuart has remained true to our mission: "Education for

Stock certificates may be transferred to Doane Stuart to be sold by us. Transferring stock directly from broker to broker avoids personal income tax.

For stock transfer instructions contact the Development Office at (518) 465-5222, ext. 203.

CASH GIFTS

Cash gifts are the simplest, easiest gifts you can make. Doane Stuart accepts cash, personal checks, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.

If you prefer to send a check via U.S. mail, please use the envelope enclosed and make your check to “The Doane Stuart School” and mail it to: The Doane Stuart School Development Office 199 Washington Avenue Rensselaer, NY 12144

students from every quarter. In a college preparatory context, where the joy of discovery is valued, Doane Stuart emphasizes serious study, educates to social responsibility, and lays the foundation for a strong faith."

The Pennant - Fall 2017 | 45

THE

DOANE STUART S C H O O L

199 Washington Avenue Rensselaer, NY 12144 (518) 465-5222 | DoaneStuart.org

Parents of Alumni/ae: if this issue is addressed to your child who no longer lives at home, kindly notify the Development Office at (518) 465-5222 or at development@doanestuart.org..

k oo L

INSIDE A GREAT SCHOOL

VISIT US AT AN OPEN HOUSE NOVEMBER 18 @ 10:00 AM JANUARY 27 @ 10:00 AM MARCH 24 @ 10:00 AM Visit Doanestuart.org for a list of all admission events.

Just d or reg rop by ister doa nestu

a art.or t g/visi t