Hilltopper
Contents
Hilltopper
Officers of the Board of Trustees
President Megan O’Leary P’20
Vice President
Lawrence A. Gordon ’72, P’11
Treasurer
Michael J. O’Neil Jr. ’01
Secretary
Caroline Reich P’06,’08
Board of Trustees
Daniel H. Apelian, PharmD P’28
Daniel R. Bonnette, CPA
On the Cover
This special edition of the Hilltopper commemorates 50 years of coeducation at Worcester Academy. From the pioneering women who enrolled in 1974 to the Class of 2024 featured on the cover, the issue highlights the profound and lasting impact of coeducation on the Worcester Academy community.
PHOTO: KARLA CINQUANTA
2016 CASE DI Silver Award winner for General Excellence, Independent School Magazines
Nora Brooks, JD
Patrick S. Brosnihan ’05
Courtney N. Carr, Esq.
Wai Yan (Ronald) Chan ’98
Sarah A. Collins, JD ’06
Peter Cronin ’80
Henry Dormitzer III ’88
Jordan H. Eisenstock, MD ’94, P’23,’26,’31
Michal P. Grabias ’11
William A. Haddad ’92
Michael J. Mangaudis P’11,’14
Trent Masiki, PhD P’22,’25
Lt. Col. Thomas E. Meyer, USAF (Ret.) ’85
Eva M. Nazarewicz ’01
Jennifer H. Quinn ’87
Canaan T. Severin ’12
Michael T. Shannon, DMD ’73
Jonathan S. Stuart ’86
Fall 2024
Head of School
Kevin Breen
Hilltopper Editor / Director of Communications & Marketing
Sara Port P’31
Graphic Designer Good Design LLC, www.gooddesignusa.com
Photography
Karla Cinquanta
Assistant Director of Communications & Marketing
Megan Blomgren Burgess P’31
Advancement Office
Director of Advancement
Jennifer DiFranco P’26,’27
Assistant Director of Advancement
Melissa Ciociolo ’08
Director of Individual Giving Adam Wilbur
Leadership Giving Officer
Samuel Sadowsky P’26
Advancement Associate
Katy Hughes P’26,’28,’29
Advancement Assistant Caitlin Breen
Featured Writers
Christine Foster is an independent school fundraising and communications professional. An independent school parent and a frequent feature and contributing writer for colleges as well as independent schools, Christine has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Maura Sullivan Hill is a writer and editor based in Nashville, Tennessee, who has written for alumni magazines, college/ university websites, lifestyle magazines, and news websites. She previously worked as the assistant editor and interim editor at Holy Cross Magazine at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Maura graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor of arts in American Studies, along with two minors: anthropology, and journalism, ethics, and democracy.
The Hilltopper is published annually by Worcester Academy. Reader comments, as well as information of interest, is always welcome. Please write to Sara Port, Director of Communications & Marketing, at Worcester Academy, 81 Providence St., Worcester, MA 01604, or email sara.port@ worcesteracademy.org.
Mission
Worcester Academy exists to instill in its students the desire to learn throughout life, to engage passionately with the world around them, and to be honorable persons of strong and resourceful character.
Core Values
We are a community—curious, thoughtful, generous, and thriving in our diversity. We embrace each of our core values as essential to the mission of Worcester Academy and as testimony of our beliefs and commitments.
Trailblazers on the Hilltop
As we commemorate 50 years of coeducation at Worcester Academy, we honor the transformative impact of this milestone and recognize the women who helped shape a more inclusive, dynamic, and forward-thinking community.
Beginning in the late ’60s and early ’70s, many prestigious schools explored coeducation, partly out of necessity. Not all institutions reflect on this historic event in the same way. In this issue of the Hilltopper, our focus is less on the institutional decision and more on the intrepid women who chose to leave friends and familiar surroundings to join a school originally built for boys. At a school that prides itself on grit, it is only fitting to feature these indomitable and resilient trailblazers.
I took time over the summer to read firsthand accounts of coeducation at Worcester Academy, as well as at other schools and colleges. One thing I learned is that change can be both sudden and gradual. For example, I read about a college that began enrolling women during World War I, yet did not construct a women’s dormitory until 1975. Another enrolled women in 1972 but only allowed them to use the gymnasium for four hours a week for their entire four years.
Our trailblazers helped us evolve almost as soon as they arrived. By the second year of coeducation, Worcester Academy had a winning girls’ soccer team, and coeducation was enhancing the classroom experience for both girls and boys. Many accounts suggest that the theater program also improved immediately, and I am confident we will hear of many other successes as we welcome back alumnae from this era.
Duane Sargisson, the Board of Trustees chair in 1974, remarked, “Coeducation is more than just a trend of our time; it is necessary for superior education in our society.” Fast forward to 2024, and the appointment of women to leadership roles across all institutions remains crucial for our continued advancement. As a school, we are still breaking through the glass ceiling and evolving into a fully inclusive community.
In this issue, be sure to check out the profile of Julie Berberian, the first woman to lead our storied athletic department. Throughout all my years in
independent schools, I have never witnessed an appointment generate as much excitement among students, parents, alumni, and friends. Additionally, this issue of the Hilltopper features a letter from Meg O’Leary, the first woman to serve as president of our Board of Trustees in 190 years.
This year, we celebrate our rich history while embracing the future with renewed purpose—reaffirming our dedication to making Worcester Academy a place where every student not only thrives, but leads and contributes to a community that truly reflects our values of inclusivity, resilience, and excellence. W
“The appointment of women to leadership roles across all institutions remains crucial for our continued advancement.
¾ Kevin Breen HEAD OF SCHOOL
From the Head of School
Celebrating 50Years ofCoeducation
“Now the Academy has finally realized that the way to prepare students for the world is to make the school similar to the world.
The Pioneering Women Who Transformed Worcester Academy
By Megan Blomgren Burgess
A new school year always brings changes and opportunities, but in the fall of 1974, Worcester Academy took a step into a new era. In a significant departure from tradition, a group of young women joined the Hilltop as full-time students, establishing the Academy’s official status as a coeducational institution.
The school community largely supported the move, and it took little time for coeducation to take off, with more girls enrolling each year. In the September 1974 issue of Worcester Academy’s student newspaper, The Vigornia, a male student, when asked about the switch to coed, said, “Now the Academy has finally realized that the way to prepare students for the world is to make the school similar to the world.”
While Worcester Academy was a coed school in the 19th century, the decision to return to coeducation was influenced to some degree by legislation such as Title IX, a 1972 federal civil rights law that prohibited sex discrimination in educational programs. However, a closer look at the archives uncovers a more complex story. As early as 1959, Worcester Academy started admitting girls to its summer school program. By 1969, girls were enrolled in certain classes, as the diverse range of courses offered by the Academy exceeded those available at local public schools.
As the Academy stepped into the 1970s, it confronted challenges such as declining enrollment and reduced funding. A steering committee was established in 1973 to contemplate the consolidation of Bancroft School, Shepherd Knapp School, and Worcester Academy. Despite its brief consideration, this vision was deemed unfeasible and was swiftly set aside, paving the way for new opportunities and growth. On February 16, 1974, Duane Sargisson, the president of Worcester Academy’s Board of Trustees, announced to the media that the school would be going coed. Sargisson remarked, “Coeducation is more than just a trend of our time. It is necessary for superior education in our society.”
At the start of the 1974–1975 school year, Worcester Academy was not yet equipped with all the necessary facilities to support female students on campus. Yet the school pushed ahead, implementing significant measures to promote girls’ academic success
Coeducation is more than just a trend of our time. It is necessary for superior education in our society.”
¾ Duane Sargisson 1974 BOARD OF TRUSTEES PRESIDENT
and integration into the student community. In a previous interview about going coed, longtime school nurse Janet Macko commented, “With the girls, we were just happy that we could provide the opportunity and were delighted to see how quickly they jumped in and excelled in everything they did.”
Notably, Carole (Orkiseski) Hilton, Nadine (Bloom) Hill, and Donna Kayarian-Chiacchia were among the trailblazing students who formed the coeducation committee, a group tasked with helping to ensure a smooth transition. The three girls were determined to foster an inclusive community on the Hilltop. They embraced the opportunities that came their way, further enriching their individual experiences and contributing to the institution’s culture and history.
“I did think of myself as having a very special responsibility not only to my family and friends but to the other girls. We just felt we had to live up to very high expectations,” Hilton ’75, reflected on her experience. She made her mark as the first female chief editor for The Vigornia. Her exceptional mathematical and organizational skills also led Athletics Director Tom Blackburn to select her as the stats keeper for the basketball and baseball teams. These experiences proved invaluable in her later marketing and development career in the commercial banking industry.
I did think of myself as having a very special responsibility not only to my family and friends but to the other girls. We just felt we had to live up to very high expectations.”
¾
Carole (Orkiseski) Hilton ’75
Headmaster John Bloom’s daughter, Nadine Hill ’75, made history as the first girl admitted to the Academy in the 20th century. As a student, she challenged the status quo and demonstrated leadership by serving as the varsity track manager and later pursued a fulfilling career in healthcare. Hill’s deep connection to the Academy was evident when she chose to hold her wedding reception in the Megaron in 1980.
Donna Kayarian-Chiacchia ’75 pursued her passion for dance while at Worcester Academy. Gracing the Warner Theater stage on countless occasions, she became among the first of
Above: Carole (Orkiseski) Hilton (left), Nadine (Bloom) Hill (middle), and Donna KayarianChiacchia (right)
many female alumnae to achieve success in the performing arts. Kayarian-Chiacchia studied at the Royal Academy for Performing Arts in London and later performed with the national ballet company in Yugoslavia. She also leveraged her skills in business management consulting.
At the onset of coeducation, the Academy made deliberate efforts to recruit not only female students but also impressive female educators such as scientist Dr. Sonja Glazer and Coralie May O’Connor, a former U.S. Olympian. They were among the most highly educated and qualified faculty members at the school and became integral
Trailblazing Education
The Early Days of Women at Worcester Academy
In 1857, girls were first officially enrolled at Worcester Academy. Although women had far fewer rights than their male counterparts, the Academy provided educational opportunities for girls and hired a full roster of women who served as instructors and mentors. The female students actively pursued academic endeavors, such as competing in the prestigious Dexter Prize speaking contest.
Coeducational institutions started to emerge nationally as early as 1835. By the 1870s, there was a notable boom in the establishment of women’s schools, colleges, and universities. As a result, the female enrollment at Worcester Academy declined significantly, leading to the institution’s transition back to being an all-male school as the 19th century came to a close.
parts of the community, serving as mentors for generations of students.
Glazer, who earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry in the 1950s when the field was not very accessible to women, began teaching science at Worcester Academy in 1974 after completing a postdoctoral research fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. One of the first female instructors at the school, she remained on the Hilltop for 23 years before moving to Worcester Polytechnic Institute as an adjunct professor.
O’Connor, a gifted and determined swimmer who competed in the 1952 Olympics, made history by becoming the first woman to coach a boys’ varsity sport at Worcester Academy, paving the way for more opportunities for women in coaching. She also founded the Worcester Swim Club and dedicated over three decades to teaching physical education.
Right: Dr. Sonja Glazer (top) and Coralie May O’Connor (bottom)
In the early days of coeducation, female students enriched Worcester Academy’s athletic program by competing on successful softball, swimming, and track teams. Following a student-led initiative, the school soon established girls’ soccer and basketball teams. Notably, in their second season, the 1975–76 girls’ soccer team achieved the only winning record among all fall Academy sports. Elizabeth “De Dee” Fisher ’77 recalls her teammate Tracey Blackburn ’77 being so good that she needed only to “stand where Tracey told me, and she would ensure the ball would bounce off my foot into the goal.”
Girls’ soccer and basketball have since become premier, competitive teams among New England prep schools. A long list of female graduates has gone on to play in college and professionally. Among these accomplished women are Yvonne Goldsberry ’78, Stephanie Carlson ’80, Jacqueline
Odell ’92, Amanda Easley ’03, Meredith Davis ’03, Maddie Evangelous ’15, Aliyah Boston ’19, and Oluchi Okananwa ’23.
As we reflect on the last five decades of coeducation at Worcester Academy, it is evident that the integration of female students has profoundly shaped the school’s legacy. The pioneers of 1974 paved the way for a thriving, diverse community where today’s female students—now comprising about 52% of the student body—continue to excel and lead. This balanced representation underscores the Academy’s commitment to providing an inclusive and equitable educational environment, ensuring that all students are well-prepared for the complexities of the modern world. The story of coeducation at Worcester Academy is a testament to the school’s enduring dedication to progress, equality, and excellence. W
With the girls, we were delighted to see how quickly they jumped in and excelled in everything they did.”
¾ Janet O. Macko LONGTIME SCHOOL NURSE
Through the Decades
Meet the Women of Worcester Academy
By Maura Sullivan Hill
When female students joined the boys on campus at Worcester Academy 50 years ago, there were some growing pains. The only women’s bathrooms were for faculty. The dress code, which was a jacket and tie for the boys, needed to be adapted: What was the equivalent for a girls’ dress code?
Girls’ sports were added to the extracurricular offerings gradually, yet steadily. But the girls’ locker room, converted from a multi-purpose coach locker room and storage room, was a different story: “Heaven forbid someone dried their hair—the power would go out!” laughs Kristina Geenty ’81. “As we look back on it, it really was a bonding experience. We forged paths that made it easier for all the girls now.”
Yvonne Goldsberry ’78 was in the first graduating class of women: “You had to be really willing
to be in that first class. We definitely were mold breakers. And the boys were really funny, because they were not used to women being on campus, so they would open doors for us at first, acting like total gentlemen.”
The experience at Worcester Academy has changed over the past five decades. Here, you’ll meet five alumnae and one current student whose Worcester Academy experiences vary across the generations, but who are united in their quest to achieve the honorable beyond the Hilltop.
“We forged paths that made it easier for all the girls now.
¾ Kristina Geenty ’81
Through the Decades
Yvonne Goldsberry ’78
Keeping New Hampshire Healthy
We frame all our work from the long view. Systemic change doesn’t happen in two years.”
Yvonne Goldsberry ’78 enrolled at Worcester Academy because her brother already went here.
“When I was finishing eighth grade, it opened up to girls, and my dad said, ‘Let’s put both kids in the same school,’” Goldsberry recalls.
The daughter of two physicians, Goldsberry enjoyed math and science as a Worcester Academy student and was encouraged in that interest. Soccer was one of the sports offered to girls in those early years, and Goldsberry played well enough for the Hilltoppers that she went on to play at Brown University. Beloved Worcester Academy athletic trainer “Doc” Samko helped her with weight training, which wasn’t typical cross training for women at time, Goldsberry recalls. He gave her access to the weight room and locker rooms, both when she was a student and when she was home for the summer during college.
Goldsberry studied biology at Brown, thinking that she’d go to medical school like her parents, but took a break from school after graduation and taught biology. That’s when she realized her true interest was in public health, which she was familiar with from her grandfather, who had a master’s
degree in the field. Goldsberry earned a joint degree in urban planning and public health from Columbia University and a PhD in public policy from George Washington University.
These days, she lives in Walpole, NH, and heads the Endowment for Health, a nonpartisan foundation that awards grants to health-related programs and projects and advocates for health-related policy change, with a focus on the vulnerable and underserved. She’s spent her career helping others live healthier lives, at the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and at medical centers in the state, and also created the Healthy Monadnock Alliance, a regional community partnership of organizations for health equity.
After a decade as the president of the Endowment for Health, she’s seen the impact of their advocacy efforts, like when Medicaid expansion passed in New Hampshire in 2014 and has been reauthorized in the years since. “We frame all our work from the long view. Systemic change doesn’t happen in two years,” Goldsberry says. “There are the urgent needs versus the policy change that can be incredibly impactful.”
Kristina Geenty ’81
Teaching the Next Generation at Her Alma Mater
When Kristina Geenty ’81 thinks back on fond family moments—like her wedding, or her two sons’ birthdays over the years, or moments with her parents—the backdrop is often the same: Worcester Academy.
Geenty is the daughter of legendary Hilltopper football coach Bob Macko and Janet Macko, who worked on campus as a nurse for almost two decades. Geenty grew up in the dorms when the Mackos were dorm parents, enrolled as a student herself once the school went coed, and then came back to work on campus in 1990. She and her husband, John, held their wedding reception in the Megaron.
“We have a great photo of kids, my advisees, students we were close to, who attended the wedding—it was like a school event,” Geenty says. “It just showed how you were a member of a community and like a family. Some of those kids
who were there that day, I still keep in touch and see them with their kids growing up.”
When her sons, Conrad and Turner, continued the family tradition and enrolled, Geenty found herself in a new role: Worcester Academy parent and football mom.
And not only was Geenty around when Worcester Academy welcomed female students, but she was one of the teachers leading the way when it added a sixth grade in 1996. She’s taught many classes over the years, from history to Latin, and is the current chair of the world language department. She’s also served as an advisor and dorm parent.
“I want to give back what I was given and to share that with the kids, the educational opportunities that I had,” Geenty says. “And to make sure I’m giving my kids in class the best chance to learn. You want students today to realize it’s cool to want to learn.”
I want to give back what I was given and to share that with the kids, the educational opportunities that I had.”
Iris Panos ’98 Serving Her Country Through Dental Medicine
In 1997, Albania was in the midst of a civil war, and Iris Panos ’98 and her parents were evacuated by U.S. Marines. Her parents were U.S. citizens but had never lived in the U.S., and Panos arrived in Worcester at the age of 18, speaking very little English.
“I arrived with a backpack. I only had some documents, a change of clothes, literally, and a bottle of water,” says Panos, who had difficulty finding a school where she could earn a high school diploma with her credits from back home in Albania.
“There was so much help coming for medicine, but what made the impact for me was that there was never a dentist,” Panos says. “A lot of people will come in with abscesses or tooth pain, and there was never a dentist.”
They shape you and teach you that women can be amazing. That changes your life as a woman.”
But then a family friend recommended Worcester Academy, which, Panos says, changed her life.
She spent two years on campus, learning English and earning a high school diploma, and playing on the volleyball team. “That place, it’s above and beyond, not only your academics, but they invest in the students, as long as you show dedication, integrity, and what they stand for,” says Panos.
After the life-saving impact the U.S. military had in her own life, Panos enlisted in the U.S. Army Dental Corps, retiring from active duty with the rank of lieutenant colonel in 2023. She’d wanted to be a dentist since she was a teen, when she would go along with her mother, an OB-GYN physician, on missions with Doctors Without Borders.
She served with the U.S. Army for 13 years, including a deployment to Afghanistan, where she started a pro bono project treating local children in need of medical care. She still serves in the Massachusetts Army National Guard Reserves, and is back in the Worcester area these days, teaching future dentists at her alma mater, Tufts School of Dental Medicine, and seeing patients in private practice. Panos specializes in periodontics and laser surgery to treat gum disease. In the military, she often performed facial reconstruction surgeries for injured servicepeople.
In her work as a professor and mentor to other dentists and military personnel, two male-dominated fields, Panos often thinks of her mentors at Worcester Academy, most of whom were women. “They shape you and teach you that women can be amazing. That changes your life as a woman. I could not have been in a better environment, being there, at Worcester Academy.”
Sarah Collins ’06
Behind the Scenes at Netflix
Before Netflix shows like Outer Banks and Ginny and Georgia end up on screen, there’s a lot of behindthe-scenes work. Some might seem obvious, like writing scripts or auditioning actors. But there’s also running the business side of shows, which is where Sarah Collins ’06 comes in. As a director on the original series business affairs team at Netflix, Collins has worked on those two Netflix hits, among others, and spends her days negotiating deals that bring talent on board to a production. A typical day could involve anything from securing a script for a future show to working through scheduling issues with an actor’s agent.
When she sits across the table for a negotiation, Collins’ Worcester Academy education is still top of mind: “There is a real focus on and spirit of integrity that runs through the veins of the school; it was a big part of education there. It gets into your DNA, and I approach all my business dealings keeping that in mind. There can be somewhat of an adversarial nature to that interaction. But at the
end of the day, we’re trying to make art together here. I try to bring a collegial and collaborative spirit to the deals I’m making.”
Collins studied English, art history, and Italian at Georgetown before attending law school at Boston University, where she was involved in Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, which set her on the path to a legal career in the arts. Collins ended up in entertainment law after moving to Los Angeles with her husband almost 10 years ago, and she’s been at Netflix for seven years.
“The legal field in general, and entertainment specifically, have traditionally been male-dominated, and the vestiges of that still exist today,” says Collins, who also serves on Worcester Academy’s board. “There are a lot of rooms I’m in that still feel male-dominated, but having women around me at Netflix and in prior jobs as examples to look up to means a lot. And it’s something I think about and hope to be for a younger generation of women coming up.”
“There is a real focus on and spirit of integrity that runs through the veins of the school; it was a big part of education there. It gets into your DNA, and I approach all my business dealings keeping that in mind.
PHOTO BY PATRICK STRATTNER
“I’m grateful for the experience that I had at Worcester Academy that was given to me as a gift by alumni who paid it forward. And I hope to be a gift to the world.
Deqa Aden ’14 From Somaliland to the Obama Foundation, via Worcester Academy
The first time Deqa Aden ’14 saw snow, it was in the middle of her AP Calculus class at Worcester Academy.
“I told the entire school that I had never seen snow,” laughs Aden, who came to the Hilltop from Somaliland, in East Africa. “We’re in class, facing the teacher, taking notes, and then my teacher stopped and said, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s snowing.’ And I left class and went out to the quad to play!”
Aden attended the Abaarso School of Science and Technology in Somaliland, which was founded by Jonathan Starr ’10, who was instrumental in getting Aden to the United States, quite literally. He traveled with her and several other students from Somaliland, helping them navigate the complexities of the U.S. immigration system. Aden was not able to go home for visits because of her status on a student visa, and says she found a family atmosphere in Worcester. Classmates invited her to their homes so she could have some time off campus during the week, or to stay with them during school breaks.
“Everybody really tried their best to make sure that I felt at home and less lonely,” Aden says.
“Some of the faculty really kind of took me in as their adopted daughter, in a way.”
Aden spent two years at Worcester Academy
before attending Grinnell College in Iowa, and then got a job at the World Bank in Washington, DC, working on economic development projects in Central Asia. With that experience in hand, Aden wanted to return to a more local, grassroots focus and went back to Somaliland to work at a business incubator that supports startups owned by women.
In 2022, Aden was named an Obama Foundation Scholar, which brought her to Chicago, where she still lives. She earned a master’s degree in international development, met President Obama, and gained access to mentors and peers who can help her in her continued quest to support women in her native country and around the world. She hopes to be an agent of change who stays connected to the communities she wants to serve, starting with her work as a board member at the Common Good Institute, a nonprofit to combat gender-based violence, and GirlForward, a nonprofit that supports girls who have been displaced by persecution.
“I’m grateful for the experience that I had at Worcester Academy that was given to me as a gift by alumni who paid it forward,” says Aden, who was supported by Harold Emmons ’60 and his wife, Laurie. “And I hope to be a gift to the world.”
Sabina Gill ’25 Worcester Academy for Women Today
As a senior in the class of 2025, Sabina Gill’s experience at Worcester Academy looks quite different from that of Goldsberry or Geenty in the first years of coeducation. Those early challenges have been addressed, from bathrooms and locker rooms to dress codes. Gill is a Head Ambassador, students who assist with Admissions events, and the president of Model UN. She’s also written and produced her own shows performed in Worcester Academy’s black box theater.
As she heads into her final year on campus, Sabina is looking forward to “making as many memories as I can,” and plans on applying to liberal arts colleges where she can study computer science.
“I definitely feel prepared, the way campus is set
up, going from building to building to go to class, having to manage your own time. That’s going to serve me really well in college,” Sabina says.
And she says there is a thriving community of women on campus, but there is always more that can be done for full equity.
“The first woman classes set the trail, but I think that makes people think, oh, just because we have all these things, that means sexism is over. There’s still work to be done, but we wouldn’t have gotten here without the work of those early people,” Sabina says. “And the faculty is really supportive and you have outspoken student voices. There is work to be done but work is being done.” W
There’s still work to be done, but we wouldn’t have gotten here without the work of those early [women].”
Julie Berberian Now Heads Athletics at Her Second Home
By Christine Foster
Julie Berberian never expected to stay at her first job after college for more than three and a half decades.
“I’m from Boston—born and raised there. My family still lives there,” Berberian says. “They come out to my house once a year for Easter, and they get out of the car, and they’re like, ‘It’s taken forever. You’ve got to move closer to home.’ My intent was to spend a couple of years here and then go back.”
But Berberian found a second home on the Hilltop. And over the summer, she took on a job that would likely have been unthinkable for a woman when she began—Director of Athletics.
Berberian was a fresh-faced graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Boston when she arrived at Worcester Academy to teach physical education and coach volleyball and softball. Within a month, she showed she would step in where needed, taking over the girls’ basketball program when the coach left.
In 1996, Berberian was promoted to associate athletic director and chair of the Physical Education department.
Berberian had opportunities to leave along the way, but she loved the people and the chance to influence Worcester Academy students. During one interview for another job, the interviewer made a pivotal statement to Berberian. “She said one thing that really resonated and stayed with me,” Berberian recalls. “She said, ‘You have to decide whether you’re going to make a bigger impact coaching college-age kids or if you’re going to make a bigger impact coaching high school kids.’ End of story: I stayed.” She has been a huge part of building Worcester Academy’s girls’ teams into powerhouses. “The level of girls we’re getting here to compete is incredible. Tops in New
England. I’m proud of that,” Berberian says. Even the number of opportunities has expanded. When Berberian arrived, the Academy had girls’ teams in six sports, mainly at the varsity level and strictly for high schoolers. Now, the offerings include 12 sports, many with teams for a variety of abilities, and robust offerings for middle schoolers.
Along the way, Worcester Academy even brought her a husband. In 1997, Michael Berberian visited campus as a pool inspector for the city of Worcester. The lifeguard certification wasn’t in the right place, so former athletic director Tom Blackburn asked young Julie to speak with the inspector while he found the paperwork. “I was talking to [Michael] and showed him all around the campus, and he asked me out,” she says, laughing. “Tom Blackburn even danced at my wedding with me because my father had passed.”
The Berberians’ sons, Michael ’21 and Joseph ’23, benefited from their Academy educations. “I saw what this school did, how teachers went the extra mile for all our kids,” Berberian says. “We had teachers coming in at 6 a.m. to meet with kids because they knew their day was packed, just to give them extra help. I didn’t see that growing up in my school, and I had never seen that anywhere.”
Berberian loves the symbolism of a woman taking on this critical role in the year of Worcester Academy’s 50th anniversary of coeducation. She says her goal is to carry on the legacy of the three athletic directors she has known Dee Rowe, Tom Blackburn, and Ed Reilly. “The number of girls’ banners hanging in the gym is incredible,” she says. “It’s a testament to the school’s ongoing commitment to the girls here at Worcester Academy.” W
The number of girls’ banners hanging in the gym is incredible. It’s a testament to the school’s ongoing commitment to the girls here at Worcester Academy.”
Alumni News
Achieving the Honorable—
“Achieve the Honorable,” our school motto and the most recognizable phrase in our school lexicon, sits as the foundation of our core values—Honor, Respect, Community, Personal Growth, and Challenge. In this feature, we ask members of the community to reflect on the motto and how it has guided their lives both on and off the Hilltop.
Peter Williams ’52
Living the Legacy
By Samuel Sadowsky
Peter Williams ’52 left campus more than 70 years ago. Still, last May, as he sat in the Megaron ready to accept the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award, surrounded by his family and former classmates Dr. George Doyle ’52 and Harold Sadowsky ’52, Worcester Academy’s motto, “Achieve the Honorable,” still resonated deeply.
“‘Achieve the Honorable’ is not an empty phrase,” says Williams, “They are three words that we’ve all tried to live by, an expressed belief for all
“‘Achieve the Honorable’ is not an empty phrase. They are three words that we’ve all tried to live by, an expressed belief for all that Worcester Academy stands for.
that Worcester Academy stands for. ‘Achieve the Honorable’ is the common thread that runs among all WA alumni.”
One of the most powerful aspects of the school’s motto is its ability to resonate uniquely with each individual. Its strength lies in this adaptability, enabling students to discover their passions, advocate for themselves, and forge their paths to success.
Always fascinated by the natural world, Williams was an active member of Worcester Academy’s Outing Club and later worked as a registered whitewater guide on the Middle Fork of Idaho’s Salmon River. His passion for environmental conservation led to the founding of the Brigham Hill Foundation with his wife, Shirley, in 1990. The foundation supports organizations dedicated to environmental conservation, arts and culture, education, and human services. Williams and his wife donated about 100 acres of beautiful forest land to the Grafton Land Trust, now used as a walking trail for public enjoyment.
Williams credits Worcester Academy with helping him develop the ability to work successfully as part of a team while also effectively taking the helm—skills he would later employ at Washington Mills, a company founded in 1868 as the first abrasive producer in the United States. Joining the company in 1960, Williams held various positions, from crusher operator to foreman, salesman, and eventually president. Washington Mills has grown exponentially under his leadership and is now one of the world’s leading producers of fused minerals.
“As alumni, we recognize a debt of gratitude to the school,” he says. “Our teachers dedicated themselves to our welfare and, by extension, to the students of today and tomorrow.” W
[Worcester]
sparked that curiosity in me to dig deeper and learn more.”
Advocate for Refugees Found His Calling at Worcester Academy
Rohan Krishnan ’20 Continued His Work at Yale University
By Christine Foster
Rohan Krishnan’s passion for working with refugees, which he plans to make his career, started with the simple requirement to do community service at Worcester Academy.
PHOTO BY DANIEL HAVLAT
He began by serving in Worcester, which has a large population of people who have fled their home countries, particularly Iraq and Syria. First, he did what was required, but then he went well beyond that, going into the community during the afternoon and developing a connection with the young people.
“I could see that their lives were really difficult, and they were going through a lot of psychological and social challenges that it’s tough to understand unless you’re working closely with them,” he says. “That was heartbreaking to me, but it was also meaningful to have something to contribute and help them in some way.”
At the Academy, Krishnan ’20 won the Bernon Junior Service Award for his commitment. He donated the proceeds to the nonprofit agency Ansaar of Worcester, allowing for the establishment of an afterschool program for children of refugees.
“That was cool because I was able to use the award to create a program [that is] still running today in the Worcester community,” Krishnan says. “I was proud and happy to have an impact on these students’ lives.”
Krishnan, who began at Worcester Academy in middle school, credits his teachers and staff members with supporting him in his efforts to serve refugees. This was an extension of what drew him to the school in the first place—a strong academic program that allowed him to ask tough questions.
“My teachers were very open to me asking questions, and I think that sort of environment worked well for me because I liked engaging in the material,” he says. “It sparked that curiosity in me to dig deeper and learn more. That has made me a multifaceted individual interested in various things.”
After graduating, his next stop was Yale
University, where the global affairs major continued working with refugees at another local nonprofit, this time helping teenagers with college and career readiness. He organized workshops with admissions officers, helped with SAT prep and essays, and even took them to basketball games to provide a sense of normal social interaction.
His work on these issues grew even further at Yale. Inspired in part by his connections with international students in high school and college, Krishnan began a podcast called Voices of the World to share what free speech looks like in other countries.
“I would have conversations with my friends, and they would say, ‘Yeah, you could get arrested if you made a bad tweet.’ To me, growing up in American culture where free speech was absolute, that’s insane,” Krishnan says. “I started the podcast to raise awareness and gain a better appreciation for those rights and privileges we have in the United States.”
For his senior capstone project at Yale, Krishnan traveled to Bosnia. His work involved assessing for the United Nations how the multi-ethnic Brčko District might become an independently governed region.
“It was a really interesting project because it had a very tangible impact,” Krishnan says. “It was a serious partner coming to us with a very serious project and asking us to travel to this region of the world and look at the problem, analyze the problem, and then give real solutions and advice for that problem.”
Since graduating from Yale last spring, Krishnan has been working in Washington, DC, in a corporate job, but he plans to head to law school in a couple of years. His goal: serving as a lawyer for refugees and immigrants. W
I started the podcast to raise awareness and gain a better appreciation for those rights and privileges we have in the United States.”
Listen to Krishnan’s Voices of the World podcast.
Alumni Awards
Worcester Academy proudly honors its exceptional alumni and supporters whose remarkable achievements and dedication embody the spirit and mission of our institution. This year, we celebrate individuals whose contributions across diverse fields—from the arts to athletics—have left an indelible mark on both the Academy and the broader community.
Distinguished Alumnus Award
Peter
H. Williams ’52
Established in 2002, this award recognizes the accomplishment of an alumnus/a who has demonstrated the Academy’s mission through excellence in his or her chosen field.
Young Alumnus Award
Andrew T. Fan ’09
Established in 2003, this award is given to an alumnus/a who graduated from the Academy in the past 20 years and has demonstrated success in his or her chosen field or has contributed significantly to his or her community.
Cole Porter Arts Recognition Award
Jessica S. Campbell ’11
The Cole Porter Arts Recognition Award honors members of the Worcester Academy alumni community who have made significant and lasting contributions to the visual or performing arts during their professional or personal lives.
Hall of Fame
Linda M. Anderson & John A. Liller
The Worcester Academy Hall of Fame, established in 1976, recognizes individuals who through their many years of service and devotion to the Academy have had an important impact on the school and society.
Varsity Club
David Ball ’03 & Michelle Boland ’05
The award is given annually and recognizes former Academy athletes who have distinguished themselves both athletically and professionally. W
On the Hilltop Exploring Cold Cases, Teaching Language, Creating Businesses, Making Art
Students Dive into Passions with Senior Discovery Projects
By Christine Foster
Senior year at Worcester Academy means a chance for students to dive deep and explore something outside the regular curriculum in a long-term, intentional way. Here, four members of the class of 2024 share their Senior Discovery Project journeys.
I’m hoping that my efforts drive forward a new idea.”
Searching for Answers in Unresolved Cases
For Sophia Buffone ’24, a lover of history and literature, sitting down for the first time with a binder on an unresolved homicide case was like cracking open an amazing new story—one in which she could play a pivotal role as an intern in the office of Worcester’s district attorney.
“It was not just another novel. It wasn’t just another historical nonfiction book or a memoir. It was someone’s whole life presented right before me,” she recalls. “And it was from decades before I was alive. My parents were in high school. I looked at it, and I’m like, ‘What are dungarees?’”
Buffone’s path to her Senior Discovery Project had its roots in a conversation with the college counseling office about possible career paths. She mentioned law and the office produced a list of potential internships. The Worcester District Attorney’s office piqued her interest, but it was offered in the fall, and she didn’t think that would work with her schedule. Then, while she was working at summer camp at Worcester Academy, her sophomore health teacher and Senior Project coordinator, Jamie Sullivan, asked about her plan for later that summer. Buffone mentioned the desired internship and said she wished the
timing had been different. “He looked at me and said, ‘Just give me a second,’” she remembers. “He walked away, and then he returned and was like, ‘You’re going to work there this summer. You’re going to get an email. Make me proud.’”
Buffone worked with Assistant District Attorney Edward Karcasinas Jr. that first summer on domestic violence cases. “Even in just two months, he really sparked that passion within me,” she says. “That was the momentum.”
The following summer and throughout the school year, she assisted Anthony Melia, the assistant district attorney working on “unresolved homicide cases.” (Cold cases aren’t “cold,” says Buffone. “Never stop looking.”) “It has been a lifechanging internship, to say the least,” she adds.
“My purpose is new eyes,” she says. “Everybody has an opportunity to read a case, but there’s always something that’s glossed over or a really weird connection only you can make. I’m hoping that my efforts drive forward a new idea.”
As a result of this exposure, Buffone is now a freshman at UMass Amherst, planning to major in psychology, legal studies, and political science, with an eye to law school and maybe a future working in the International Criminal Court.
Bringing a New Language to Local Students
Lily Zifcak’s passion for American Sign Language began in sixth grade when she saw the TV show Switched at Birth, which features several deaf actors. Inspired, Zifcak ’24 downloaded apps and taught herself independently, joined an ASL club at Worcester Academy, and took a class at Quinsigamond Community College. But it was always tricky.
“I found it was very challenging to excel in learning ASL, or at least to grow in learning ASL, because of how hard it is to find places and resources to learn,” Zifcak says. “Schools usually teach Spanish or French or something like that. But they don’t usually offer American Sign Language.”
Her Senior Discovery Project focused on making instruction available to others in the community—specifically to fourth-grade students in an afterschool club at Vernon Hill School in Worcester. “I wanted to give younger kids an opportunity to learn sign language in an environment that’s not pressuring or difficult,” she says.
“I started coming in once a week for an hour, but later we increased it to an hour and a half because
I wanted to give younger kids an opportunity to learn sign language in an environment that’s not pressuring or difficult.”
I’ve developed so much from my Worcester experience.”
they loved it so much,” Zifcak says. “I tried to make it fun, and they really enjoyed that. They responded to that, and they were all able to learn a decent amount of ASL.”
“Worcester Academy has given me the confidence to do it,” Zifcak says. “I learned that I could push myself and try and succeed.”
She hopes to continue her study of ASL at
Emerson College, where she is focusing on writing, literature, and publishing. But her project also exposed her to the possibility of education as an option. “Every time I left the elementary school, I would feel really happy because they all really liked it,” she says. “That feeling was something I really appreciated. That pushed me to consider a career in early education.”
Launching an AI-influenced Business
For Alex Emery ’24, his Senior Discovery Project meant a chance to tackle details most entrepreneurs don’t tackle until college or beyond. He has honed a vision, set up an S-Corporation, found experienced advisors and investors, and built a team.
His vision is to provide an artificial intelligenceinfluenced platform that allows anyone to offer or take a course on any topic. The idea leverages social connections so those offering courses can build credibility and find people to enroll. “The best piece about that is it’s other people building those courses, and they’re monetizing it themselves,” Emery says.
Launching a business was a natural fit for his project. “I come from three generations of entrepreneurs, so I’ve always been interested in businesses,” he says.
The Academy provided critical connections for Emery’s team. Ash Mohaghegh ’23, now a student at Babson College, is providing the technological know-how, and Martin Jeon ’24, who just began at Purdue University, is his chief marketing officer.
The Senior Discovery Project provided Emery with a new place to grow at Worcester Academy at a crucial moment. He entered as a junior from Oregon, attracted by the chance to play football. Then, an injury in the spring of that year kept him from playing as a senior. “This gave me something to occupy my mind,” Emery says. “I thought, OK, why don’t I dip my toes into the entrepreneurial world?”
He hopes to launch the initial version of the app this fall. As he continues to develop his business, Emery is now attending San Diego State University. “What I’ve been trying to do with this app is assemble a great team around me so we can all kind of push forward for that same vision,” he says. “I’ve developed so much from my Worcester experience.”
Tori
Expression Through Painting
“I think that if it weren’t for Worcester Academy, I would never be able to really call myself an artist,” says Tori Rassias ’24.
Rassias created 10 large paintings for her Senior Discovery Project—all depicting women. “I looked at magazines from the 1960s and 1970s up to the present,” she says. “I went into each canvas with somewhat of an idea but nothing too specific; I just let my process take over. I didn’t want to be too restrictive. That freedom helped me grow.”
Ironically, Rassias’s path to this place began in a first-year drawing class, where she decided she wanted to paint. Her Worcester Academy teacher let her go off script. “While yes, she was giving these assignments to the class, she was always open to me expressing myself through paint and just whatever I wanted to do that was outside the assignment box,” Rassias recalls.
Her Senior Discovery Project allowed her to document her process—starting with underpainting and continuing through an awkward phase until a piece comes together. In “Blooming Secrets,” for example, she spent an initial hour using broad strokes in one hue (in this case, burnt sienna) to put the figures of a woman and a man on the canvas. Then she painted more details, leaving the colors and proportions in flux until firming them up in a final stage.
You can’t see most of the pair’s faces in that work. “I kind of wanted it to be through your imagination,” Rassias says. “Like he’s holding flowers. Why is he holding flowers? I wanted people to think for themselves: What could this mean?”
Her path going forward will involve thinking for herself—not taking the expected road to major in art. She plans to study science at UMass Amherst, perhaps heading to a career in dermatology. “I found that I can see art in all different aspects, like science, and I am majoring in science.” W
“If it weren’t for Worcester Academy, I would never be able to really call myself an artist.
Interdisciplinary + Collaborative + Project Based Learning
Middlers Focus on Real Life During “Minimester”
By Christine Foster
How do you boost interdisciplinary education, add real-life learning into the curriculum, and keep students engaged during the last few days of the school year? At Worcester Academy, you create a “Minimester.”
All middle school students spent the last four days of the semester in May exploring a new topic that pulled from at least two subject areas and reflected the interdisciplinary nature of the world into which they will someday launch.
“You know when kids say, ‘When am I going to use this in my future? I’m never going to need to know this.’ Nobody said that about the Minimester because it is the real world. These are careers people have, and they do these things for their real jobs,” says the Head of the Middle School, Jacqueline Arce.
Dr. Arce introduced the Minimesters by looking at the top 10 career fields in 2024 and discussing which careers fit in one school subject. None of them did. “It’s not likely that I will major in math in college and then go into a profession where I use math and only math,” she says. “I am going to have to combine things I learned from other classes and areas of life.”
The Minimester offerings included topics such as the Stock Market (math and history), Fuel for Life (science, physical education, and health), and the Science of Sound (science and music).
Each course started with mini lessons on the content knowledge and skills needed for the topic, and then students developed a project to show what they had learned. The final day featured a showcase during which students shared their topic with the larger group.
In Fuel for Life, for example, students learned about heart rate, calorie burn, energy expenditure, and how nutrition fuels exercise. A professional
dietitian came in to teach them more. For the final project, they interviewed a fictional client and designed a training and nutrition plan based on what they learned.
Students in the Stock Market course learned about how the market impacts the economy and used a software program to invest in a model portfolio of $100,000, tracking it over time. In the end, they reported on why investors should or should not choose the company they researched as an investment.
“It is refreshing to do something new that isn’t an ordinary class,” wrote one student in an end-of-session reflection.
Students confidently reported on what they had learned:
¾ “I learned in my Minimester that dollar cost averaging is the best way to invest as it allows you to gain more money,” wrote one student who took the Stock Market session.
¾ “People who eat well live longer and have a lower risk for serious health problems like heart disease and type 2 diabetes,” wrote a Fuel for Life attendee.
Dr. Arce says that the students overwhelmingly had positive feedback. Seventy-seven percent agreed or strongly agreed that they had a great time during the session, and 81% said they learned something new.
“We wanted kids to end on an invigorated note— excited about education and coming back next year,” says Dr. Arce. “I think we succeeded.” W
“It is refreshing to do something new that isn’t an ordinary class.
Aekem Singh ’26
Connecting Cultures Through Film
By Megan Blomgren Burgess
Aekem Singh, a standout member of the class of 2026, is making significant strides on the Hilltop and in the media world.
Reviewing my classmates’ thoughts was meaningful. They not only watched my film but also really resonated with its message.”
A multi-sport athlete and member of Worcester Academy’s Board of Monitors, Aekem is also the co-editor and cinematographer for Nishkam TV, a nonprofit organization run by Sikhs in the United States. Nishkam TV strives to empower youth through Sikh visual storytelling, building identity and pride, combating misrepresentation, and creating an inclusive society. It aims to promote dialogue, enhance understanding, and encourage interaction among different faiths and cultures. Through his role, Aekem not only hones his creative talents but also contributes to Nishkam TV’s broader mission of unity and cultural exchange.
In response to the tragic ISIS raid on a Sikh place of worship in Kabul, Afghanistan, in March 2020, Aekem and his team of other high school students at Nishkam TV produced a full-length documentary examining the persecution and discrimination faced by religious minorities, such as Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, and Jews, that have driven many to flee Afghanistan.
Titled Baywatana (meaning “without a home and a country”), the documentary premiered in August 2023. It explores the experiences of those who have resettled in the United States, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom. The film has received widespread acclaim for its compelling storytelling, with screenings at esteemed venues like Harvard University and the Parliament of the World’s Religions Film Festival.
Aekem has also brought Baywatana to the Worcester Academy community, collaborating with AP history teacher Amy Herlihy to present the film to his classmates and to discuss its historical and cultural context. The screenings inspired reflective responses from students, which Aekem found profoundly moving. “Reviewing my classmates’ thoughts was meaningful,” he says. “They not only watched my film but also really resonated with its message.”
Committed to his passion, Aekem plans to continue pursuing projects on the Hilltop, with Nishkam TV, and beyond that address real-world issues and promote cultural awareness. W
Learn more about Aekem’s documentary and watch the trailer.
Rising Star Bao Ngoc Tran ’26
Bao Ngoc Tran ’26, an international student from Vietnam, has been named the 2024 High School Affiliate Award Winner of the Aspirations in Computing (AiC) competition. This award acknowledges the achievements of 9th–12th grade female, genderqueer, and nonbinary students in the fields of technology and computing. Passionate about coding and proficient in multiple programming languages, Bao Ngoc has also spearheaded projects such as a skin cancer-detecting algorithm. The award ceremony took place at the Microsoft Innovation Center in Burlington, MA. Bao Ngoc hopes to build connections within the field and one day create a machine that can address air pollution problems in the community. W
David Baillie
Launches Second Novel
English faculty member David Baillie celebrated the release of his second novel, Little Bones, at a launch party last spring in Walker Gallery. The event featured esteemed New England authors Bracken MacLeod and Errick Nunnally as co-hosts. Nunnally, whose novel Blood for the Sun is included in Worcester Academy’s English curriculum, and MacLeod brought their extensive publishing experience to the lively interview and discussion with Baillie. Little Bones is now available for purchase. W
David Baillie’s beautifully written Little Bones humanely plumbs the darkest depths in search of
light.”
¾ Paul Tremblay AUTHOR OF A HEAD FULL OF GHOSTS
Class of 2024
Worcester Academy marked its 190th Commencement in June, with 127 students honored with diplomas on the historic campus quad.
Salutatorian Breanna Jorda and Valedictorian Michael DeAngelis addressed their classmates, while Head of School Kevin Breen delivered the following remarks:
“Seniors, today we celebrate a significant milestone—you are graduating from a challenging high school, and you deserve heartfelt congratulations. I hope you have felt secure on this Hilltop, allowing you to take risks, be vulnerable,
and navigate through those awkward phases. Remember these moments of growth as you face new challenges ahead. You are your own first teacher, and you are crafting a masterpiece of self-discovery.” W
Worcester Academy Class of 2024
Emma Rose Abysalh
Alhak Ahmed
Matthew James Aho
Charles Edward
Arvanigian
Kayla Sofia Aytek
Mukund Balaji
Daniel Banks
Amir Batyrkhanov
Kylie Paige Beers
Mackenzie Judith Berg
Christopher Michael Best
Caroline Grace Bierfeldt
Madison Elizabeth Bilello
Nicholas J. Buchanan
Sophia Elizabeth Buffone
Hadiya Maxamed Cabdi
Sachin Chandrasekar
Qianyi Chen
Shuyi Chen
Braden Clifford
Charlotte Constantine
Jonathan Lincoln D’Amour
Alyssa M. Daly
Michael Pasquale
DeAngelis
Casey A. DeLorenzo
Katharine Mary Dennis
Michael Thomas Detarando
Prerona Dey
Kathryn Rose DiGeronimo
Alex Ding
Max Pedro Domaleski
Kendrick Lino Dos Santos
Connor Michael Dozois
Riley Katherine Driscoll
Bradan J. Duggan
Ike Maxwell Dutton
Alexander David Emery
Katherine R. Foley
Kevin L. Gaines Jr.
Avery Lena Galante
Miles Gao
Grace Catherine Gerber
Michael Arthur Golia
Eleanor Frances Gray
Parker David Greene
Andrew J. Grniet
William Gunarto
Isaac R. Guzman
Medrano
Brandt Haag
Christian Joseph Haikal
John Hamann
Nam Hoang Nhat
Jason Fujii Hrkach
Tyler Frank Hughes
Ashley Igboalisi
Junho Jeon
Hans-Erik Jerosch
Cole James Jette
James Jones
Breanna Gabrielle Jorda
Suhas Kommalapaty
Nicholas D. Koutsoukounis
Dean Martin Linden
Jinming Liu
Max Calvin Luby
Francis J. Lyons
Tianyue Lyu
Lin Ma
Hannah Marie Marcello-Munoz
William Masterson
Lucas Aidan McCarthy
Kailee Kathleen McDonald
Andrew Jay Michelson
Maxwell Xavier Miller
Naomi Emelda Morgan
Cole Patrick Mulcahy
Kayvaun Mulready
Connor-Patrick C. Murphy
Peter William Murphy
Mugure Neema Mwangi
Nicholas Bodhi Nebelung
Phuc (Bill) Hong Nguyen
Thai Nguyen
Kyle Norrie
Erik Nuredini
Cameron Papetti
Neil Patel
Yash M. Patel
Allana Lynn Popham
Kyriakos Psaromatis
Claire Gabrielle Puffer
Jared Lee Raisman
Jeffrey Michael Randazza
Victoria Rassias
Hannah Marjorie Antonia
Ribeiro
Mavrick John Rizy
Cameron Elizabeth Rust
Omar Saber
Diya Sadhu
Kayzie Salmon
Gabriella Sahara
San Inocencio
Keith Sarkodieh
Paul Bernard Saucier Jr.
Dylan Patrick Savoie
Matthew Shea
Zien Shen
Kai Ozaslan Sikora
Yidian Song
Gauri Srivatsa
Jason Matthew Stien Jr.
Yi Sun
Emmanuel Tamen
Alexander Taylor
Youri Tifu
Connor Huey Timmins
Rishi K. Toke
Hung Vinh Truong
Jefferson Duke Upton
Qingmei Wang
Tucker E. Welcom
Kyla Williams
Nicolas Daniel Wyndham
Matthew Xu
Shangshang Xu
Mason Woodrow Zahn
Lily Anne Zifcak
Mark Zivny
“You are your own first teacher, and you are crafting a masterpiece of self-discovery.
Restoring Worcester Academy's Historic Warner Theater
By Megan Blomgren Burgess
Giving News Preserving Legacy
“I hope that future students will derive as much benefit from this school as my boy did,” Harry Warner declared in 1932 during the dedication of the Lewis J. Warner Memorial Theater.
Deeply appreciative of the education and camaraderie his late son Lewis, class of 1928, experienced at Worcester Academy, Mr. Warner, the esteemed president of Warner Bros. Pictures, was committed to enriching the experiences of Academy students.
The Warner Theater stands as an inspirational and transformative gift and has served the Academy
community for nearly a century. It has become the site of some of the most transformative student experiences on the Hilltop, hosting countless productions, band performances, poetry readings, Dexter Prize competitions, weekly assemblies, commencements, and more.
A remarkable example of the celebrated
The Warner Theater stands as an inspirational and transformative gift and has served the Academy community for nearly a century.
architect Drew Eberson’s work, Warner Theater has been called a “true hidden gem” of American theaters by the Theatre Historical Society of America. By students and alumni alike, it is one of the most fondly remembered places on campus, combining the charm of a classic movie palace with the grandeur of an architectural masterpiece. However, years of exposure to harsh New England weather have taken their toll on the theater, which also serves as the primary classroom for the Academy’s performing arts program. Its maintenance and repair are paramount on the
list of campus improvements.
Warner Theater is currently undergoing exterior renovations, which were made possible by the generous support of the George I. Alden Trust Foundation. Worcester Academy’s enduring partnership with the Alden Trust spans decades and has been instrumental in crucial restoration projects such as the Kingsley Laboratories and Gaskill Field. Established in 1912 by George I. Alden, the Trust is committed to realizing Alden’s vision of “doing the greatest good for the greatest number.” W
New Balance Performance Park
Set to Transform South Campus
Worcester Academy has always been a place where tradition meets innovation, and the recent multi-year gift commitment from New Balance exemplifies this spirit. This transformative donation is set to propel the Academy into its third century, enhancing both the school and the broader Worcester community.
Worcester Academy’s South Campus has been renamed New Balance Performance Park, featuring the soon-to-be-completed Capozzoli Athletic Center, slated to open in 2025. Over the summer, Morse Field saw the addition of a cutting-edge turf
field. The Performance Center, home to the school’s black box theater, will also be part of this revitalized campus property.
The collaboration between New Balance and Worcester Academy is rooted in shared values of
community, inclusion, and holistic development. New Balance Performance Park is designed not just for Academy students but for the wider community, reinforcing Worcester Academy’s role in the city’s ongoing renaissance.
“The South Campus has been a cornerstone of Worcester, historically as a family farm and later as St. Vincent’s Hospital. With the addition of Morse Field and the Performance Center, it became central to our community,” says Kevin Breen, Head of School. “Now, with New Balance’s support, we’re creating a top-tier facility that benefits athletes and artists alike.”
Chris Davis, New Balance’s brand president and chief marketing officer, shares this vision. “Being part of Worcester Academy and the local community is an honor,” he says. “We aim to blend athletic and academic excellence, fostering strong community ties, and empowering students and athletes to achieve their best.”
Worcester Academy athletes will also now don New Balance uniforms, ensuring they perform at their peak in top-quality gear. This partnership symbolizes more than just a donation; it’s a commitment to nurturing student talent and fostering community growth. W
Now we’re creating a top-tier facility that benefits athletes and artists alike.”
February 28, 2025
Founders Day 2025!
Join us as we celebrate Worcester Academy’s 191st birthday and our annual giving day.
Founders Day is a special opportunity to honor our rich history and reaffirm our dedication to the Academy’s future. Mark your calendars and be a part of this exciting day! W
Passings
1942
Thaddeus Gibson Bell, 100, died on June 12, 2023. He is survived by his two children, Theodore Christian Bell and Susan Charlotte Wurtz, and three grandchildren, Ashley Bell, James Wurtz, and Justin Wurtz. He was predeceased by his wife, Charlotte Ann (Groh) Bell.
1947
Frank Ernest Tuxbury Jr., 96, of Danvers, MA, formerly of West Peabody, MA, New London, NH, and Marblehead, MA, died on September 30, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Maxine, along with his cousin, nephew, niece, and several other extended family members.
1948
Windsor H. “Win” Bigelow Jr., 93, of Charlton, MA, and formerly of Webster, Auburn, and Worcester, MA, died on February 2, 2024. He is survived by his wife, Jacquelyn (Dunton) Bigelow; children, Windsor “Skip,” Scott, Susan “Sue,” and their families; stepson, Joshua Kilgore; and several grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Mr. Bigelow was predeceased by his parents,
Windsor H. Bigelow Sr. and Ethel (Nelson) Bigelow; his first wife, Nancy (Smith) Bigelow; his sister, Dorothy Craver; and his stepdaughter, Daryl (Kilgore) Cahill.
Colonel Edmund C. Morrisey, 94, died on November 7, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Pauline Kimsey Morrisey; son, John Morrisey; stepdaughter, Cindy Caldwell Reynolds; grandson, Jordan Morrisey; great-grandchildren, Amya, Ava, Jaxson, and Kirby; stepgrandson, Lucas Caldwell; step-granddaughter, Eve Caldwell Costner; and several other extended family members and friends.
1949
Jerry Kolins of Worcester, MA, 92, died on November 12, 2023. He is survived by his daughter, Lesley, and many adoring friends and family.
1951
John Peter “Captain Pete” Elliott, 90, of Marstons Mills, MA, died on September 10, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Diane Kirk Elliott; brother, Scott James Elliott; children, Margaret Mary Elliott, John Michael Elliott, William Kirk Elliott, and Stephen
Christopher Elliott; and several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his daughters, Jacqueline Alice Elliott and Deborah Jane Elliott.
1955
Anthony Eli “Tony” Aaronson, 86, died on December 24, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Judy Aaronson; sons, Spencer and Evan Aaronson; grandchildren, Rayce, Eisley, Carine, Cayden, and Maple; sister, Henrietta Keilly; brother, Mark Aaronson; daughtersin-law, Lillian and Britt Aaronson; stepchildren, David Benveniste, Bobby Benveniste, and Alexis Dallinger; and step-grandchildren, Beau and Hunter. He was predeceased by his parents, Cecil and Sylvia Aaronson, his son, Craig Aaronson, and his brother, Richard Aaronson.
Rodney S. Carlson, 86, died on November 19, 2023. He is survived by his partner, Suzanne (Schmidter) Stanley; first wife, Dorothy (Swyden) Carlson; children, James Carlson, Robert Carlson, Catherine Fluehmann, Catherine Blackwell, Barbara Petrocelli, and Gregory Stanley; and several grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son, Richard R. Carlson.
Donald D. McPherson Jr., 87, of Newburyport, MA, died on October 7, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Caroleann Martin McPherson; children, Jennifer Cervini, Donald D. McPherson III, and Martin W. McPherson; grandchildren, Carlo and Christina Cervini; and many nieces, nephews, and extended family members and friends. Mr. McPherson was predeceased by his parents, Donald and Mae Sennott McPherson, and his siblings, William, Robert, and Jean.
Daniel McCann, 87, died on December 6, 2023. He is survived by his children, Judith Yarossi, T. Hunter McCann, Hilary Crowley, and William Caleb McCann; grandchildren, Thomas, Ella, Sadie, Colette, Wyeth, William, and Phoebe; and siblings, Ellen M. McNally, Kathleen E. Benson, Hon. John S. McCann, and Robert C. McCann. Mr. McCann was predeceased by his wife, Judith Hunter McCann, and brothers, Dr. James C. McCann Jr. and Stephen J. McCann.
1956
Ernst J. Gulla of Andover, MA, and formerly of Melrose, MA, died on June 2, 2024. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn (Carr) Gulla; children, Paul Gulla and Stephanie Soule and their families; siblings, Marilyn Glover and Richard Gulla and family; and many nieces, nephews, and extended family members. He was predeceased by his older brother, Robert J. Gulla.
Philip William Athanas of Virginia Beach, VA, died on October 27, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Sue, and his daughters, brother, stepchildren, and several grandchildren.
1957
Edward “Ted” Mingolla, 84, died on March 7, 2024. He is survived by his wife, Audrey, and two sons, Edward and Paul. He was predeceased by two sons, Stephen and Mark.
Joseph ”Joey” Kangisser of Worcester, MA, and later Gloucester, MA, and Naples, FL, died on November 28, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Louise; children, Deborah K. Mead and
husband, and Rachel K. Sher and husband; grandchildren, Jenny Bea Levine, Henry F. K. Sher, Hannah K. Mead, Laura K. Mead, and George K. Mead; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends. He was predeceased by his sister, Martha Rosenblatt.
1958
Thomas Appleby
“Tommy” Stearns, 84, died on February 14, 2024. He is survived by his wife, Lela Stearns; children, Mark Stearns and Kim Stearns Morbey; stepchildren Shawndy Elam and Stephen Caudill; and many grandchildren. Mr. Stearns was predeceased by his parents, William and Jane Stearns, and stepdaughter, Deborah Fox.
1959
David C. Long, 83, of Eastham, MA, died on November 4, 2023. He is survived by wife, Karen Long; children, Laurie, Christopher, Gregory, Brian and their significant others; grandsons, Jack, Finnegan, and Beckett Long; and several nieces, nephews, and extended family members and friends. Mr. Long was predeceased by his siblings, Kathy Lavelle, June Long, John Long, and James Long.
1960
Paul S. Krantz Jr., 82, of Glastonbury, CT, died on January 23, 2024. He is survived by his wife, Carol; children, Donna, Parker, Edward Morabito, Retired General Valerie Seery, and Yvette Krantz; grandchildren, Paul, Cassandra, Mara, and Victoria; great-grandchildren, Alexia, Nora, Isabell, and Lucas; brother, Laurence Krantz and wife; and several extended family members.
1961
Joseph Gerard “Jerry” Marsicano of Saratoga Springs, NY, died on January 20, 2024. He is survived by his sister, Jane Marie Marsicano Smith; niece, Laura Elizabeth Giraldez; and his nephews, Michael James Smith, Michael J. Catalfimo, and David J. Catalfimo. He was predeceased by his parents, Benjamin Marsicano and Elizabeth Loeffler, his sister, Mary Marsicano, his brother-in-law, James Smith, and his niece, Kimberly A. Catalfimo.
Frank K. Pfeiffer died on June 24, 2023. He is survived by his companion, Pamela Waterman, and her daughter, Alicia; son-in-law, Victor; granddaughters, Emily and Avalea; cousin, Sharon Waibel; and several more distant relatives.
1963
John W. Borg, 78, died on May 21, 2024. He is survived by his wife, Ann; sons, Mathew and Neil; daughters-in-law, Stacie and Kara; and grandchildren, Jack, Quinlan, and Gibson.
1964
William W. Reynolds, 78, of Pawtucket, RI, died on July 13, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Liz; siblings, Polly and Geoffrey Reynolds; and several other extended family members.
1966
Richard L. “Dick” Narcessian died on January 31, 2024. He is survived by his wife, Pat; son, Jon L. Narcessian and wife; daughter, Beth Elliott and husband; brother, Robert Narcessian; and grandchildren, Nicholas, Ryan, Maya, Sophia, and Hannah. He was predeceased by his parents, Dr. H. Paul and Elinor W. Narcessian, and his in-laws, William J. and Ursula A. Canaan.
Warren Randy Rickards, 76, of Brighton, CO, died on September 11, 2023. He is survived by many who admired him.
1967
Stephen Carey, 75, of Brunswick, ME, died on June 27, 2024. He is survived by his wife, Kathy; children, Ben Carey and Margaret Stone; grandchildren, Nola and Samuel Stone; siblings, Pamela Lentz, Jennifer CareyRobinson, Jonathan Carey, and Mark Carey; aunt, Denise Lalim; and many nieces and nephews. Mr. Carey was predeceased by his mother Mariane (van Valkenburg) Carey.
John E. Hasey, 75, died on November 25, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Susan; children, Brooke Maxwell and Andrew Hasey; grandchildren, Roselyn, Logan, Noah, Cameron, and Macallan; and several nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends.
1968
Christopher W. Bruce, 73, of Worcester, MA, died on January 21, 2024. He is survived by his children, Stephanie and Jeremy Bruce; grandchildren, Aya, May, Lucia, and Lachlan; siblings, Michael Kevin, Peter, and Dianne; companion, Gladis Alfaro; former wife, Marjorie Bruce; and many nieces and nephews.
1969
Peter Hall Woodbury died on April 8, 2024. He is survived by his wife, Sharon A. (O’Brien) Woodbury; children, Christopher Duclos and Sarah (Duclos) Neal and their families; and brother, David Woodbury and his family. He was predeceased by his parents, Elizabeth (Betty) and Kimball R. Woodbury.
Michael E. Kozlowski, 71, died October 23, 2022. He is survived by his wife, Christine J. (Russo) Kozlowski; sons, Joseph and Jeffrey Kozlowski; grandchildren, Brooke Massicotte and Nathan Kozlowski; siblings, Katherine Rausch and Richard Kozlowski; and several nieces, nephews, and other extended family members. He is predeceased by his parents, Edward and Virginia (King) Kozlowski.
1970
Mark L. Cohen, 71, of Coral Springs, FL, died on June 17, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Marsha; sons, Jordan and Ben; sister, Ruthellen; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family and friends. He was predeceased by his parents, Benjamin (Barney) and Frances Cohen.
Richard Fox, 70, died on October 2, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Ann Merritt; sons, Daniel and Adam Fox; grandsons, Calvin and Noah; siblings, Alan Fox and Renee Gould; and other extended family members. Mr. Fox was predeceased by his parents, Rosalyn and Melvin Fox.
1974
Joseph E. McGuire II, formerly of Worcester, MA, died on March 10, 2023. Although without children of his own, he is survived by nieces and nephews whom he enjoyed spending time with, along with the rest of the clan at the family home in Megansett on the Cape.
1977
Robert Peter Kindler, 65, died on September 9, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Ann R. Brennan; children, Franz P. Kindler, Carolyn M. Kindler, Kaitlyn E. Wilson, Alex N. Kindler, Ryen M. Kindler, Taylor R. Kindler, and Keagan A. Kindler; brothers, Frank M. Kindler and Stephen J. Kindler; grandchildren, Liam, Olivia, and Jacob; and several other extended family members around the world.
1992
Patrick McEvilly, 50, died on August 13, 2023. He is survived by his companion, Maura Tatro; son, Braydyn McEvilly; mother, Patricia A. McEvilly; siblings, Michael McEvilly, Thomas F. McEvilly Jr., and Peter S. McEvilly; and many nieces, nephews, and other extended family members and friends. He was predeceased by his father, Thomas F. McEvilly, and nephew, Griffin McEvilly. W
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