Gow Life
The
Magazine
Winter/Spring 2014
Grandparents Day
A New Dorm On The Horizon
The Changing Faces of Gow Visit us at www.gow.org
The Gow Life Magazine Winter/Spring 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS Headmaster Letter
3
GRANDPARENTS DAY
Gow Gala 4 Media at Gow
5
Grandparents Day
6
Gow on the Road FALL WEEKEND
7
Gow Trustees 8 Gow Alumni Survey
9
Micro-financing
10-11
Alumni Profile
AROUND CAMPUS
12-13
Bill Parsons - 40 Years at Gow! 14-15
BILL PARSONS - 40 YEARS
CAMPUS GUESTS
Alumni News
17
Pictured front cover: Mason ‘14 and his grandparents; Gow’s female students: Row 1: Lelaina ‘15, Meghan ‘18, and Emily ‘15. Row 2: Janna ‘14, Kristen ‘14, and Shelby ‘15.
TWIN DAY AND OTHER CAMPUS FUN
Current Page: Top left - Robbi Cooper with David ‘19 and his family. Middle - Art teacher Bill Parsons and a student. Lower left - Christian Laettner and David Maier ‘92, Gow Instructional Assistant. Top right - Charlie ‘17 and his grandmother; Yared ‘16, AJ ‘17, Phiippe ‘19 and Blake ‘16; Lower School Director Jeff Sweet and Ken ‘15 at Twin Day; and Sam Diarbakerly ‘11. GOW VISITORS
The Gow Life Magazine is published twice a year by The Gow School Development Office. We welcome your comments. Please send them to development@gow.org or call 716.687.2075. We hope you enjoy reading this edition of Gow Life! FOR CHANGE OF ADDRESS: THE GOW SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT OFFICE Call 716.687.2075 or email Post Office Box 85 development@gow.org South Wales, NY 14139 TO SUBMIT ALUMNI NEWS: Email news and photos to development@gow.org
The Gow Life Magazine
2
Visit us at gow.org
A Message from the Headmaster M. Bradley Rogers, Jr. Dear Friends, It’s always a pleasure to connect with you. For those of us that “live, work and breathe Gow”, it is good to have a chance step back and share the very invigorating big picture with you. Gow is in a good place. We are home to 154 students, including 18 day students (twelve men and six women). Our day students travel anywhere from five to fifty minutes to reach us, and are thriving. We have established a day room for the boys in The Gow Center where they can leave their athletic equipment, coats and books, and a day room for the girls in Main Building. Day School Coordinator, Kim Sweet, (daughter of Lower School Director Jeff and Librarian Cindy Sweet), has done an outstanding job of welcoming and integrating these students into Gow life. This year our students come from 24 counties and 20 states. Forty-four are new to Gow, and 94% of eligible students returned. We believe this enviable retention rate is due to Gow’s unique mission, personalized attention, outstanding facilities and highly trained and compassionate faculty. How fortunate we are to have such a fine group of teachers and staff. We know that Gow’s low 4:1 student to teacher ratio drives our tuition. While the cost is high, we are focused on raising and providing more than $950,000 in financial aid to 30% of students. We know that this makes it possible for many students from around the world to receive the Gow education they deserve. We have several dynamic projects on the horizon which were introduced in the last Gow Life magazine. Our first priority is to build a new dorm that will replace several older wooden dorms. This $3.5 million dorm (pictured upper left) will provide housing for 28 students and improved accommodations for three faculty families. A second project is a statue of our founder, Peter Gow. We can envision a bronze likeness of Peter Gow, perhaps sitting on a bench reading, and students sitting down for a chat or photo op with this visionary. Perhaps rubbing the top of his hat would even become a good luck charm before exams? We have begun researching potential artists and gathering photos of Peter Gow. If you happen to have any to share, please do! Thirdly, our physics students are currently working with a team of graduate students from the University of Buffalo to create a bridge design that would connect the current campus with the ski hill. Long a favorite destination, easier access would allow for more educational and athletic opportunities, and better utilization of our 110 acre campus. Finally, we will be building an entrance way to campus. Pictured at left, it would be simple in design, but an ideal gateway to welcome guests to Gow. We know that these projects won’t happen today, but we hope that one (or more) might appeal to you. We pride ourselves at Gow on being financially conservative, and as with the other buildings that have dramatically improved our campus in the past few years, we will raise the money needed before we begin construction. This allows Gow to remain debt-free, an enviable and fiscally responsible position for an independent school. We thank you for your continued support of Gow, and hope that if travels bring you our way, that you will stop in for a tour and the chance to see the school in action. There is no better way to appreciate The Gow School of today!
M. Bradley, Rogers, Jr. Headmaster
The Gow Life Magazine
3
Visit us at gow.org
THE GOW GALA ~ April 26, 2014 Gow will again be hosting a wonderful evening on campus to benefit health and wellness at Gow, including a speakers’ series, athletics and the arts programs. The evening promises to be terrific: a wine tasting; silent and basket auctions during cocktails; and a wonderful dinner in Gow’s Weston Dining Hall, complete with a live auction (hosted by Gow alumnus Jay Mandarino ‘79) and entertainment. Come meet new people and purchase fabulous one of a kind items - all to benefit Gow programs! WONDERING HOW CAN YOU HELP? Donate something for the auction! Perhaps you, your company or one of your friends could offer a service, or you have a golf membership, sports tickets, vacation home, airline miles or credit card points that could be used to buy auction items. If you have other great thoughts for an auction item (one you’d like to bid on!) email Tammy Kosnikowski in the Development Office (716-687-2075 or development@gow.org). Any item large or small would be appreciated!
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Gold ~ $5,000
Patron ~ $750
Ten tickets
Four tickets
Full page program ad
Program listing
$100 worth of raffle tickets
$25 worth of raffle tickets
Silver ~ $2,500
Eight tickets
Friend ~ $500
Two tickets
1/2 page program ad
Program listing
$75 worth of raffle tickets
$25 worth of raffle tickets
Bronze ~ $1,000
Six tickets
Tickets ~
$100 per ticket
1/4 page program ad
$50 worth of raffle tickets
Program Advertising
Full page ~ $400
Half page ~ $300
1/4 page ~ $200
Business Card ~ $100
REGISTER TODAY! SPONSORSHIP LEVELS: $5,000 $2,500 $1,000 $750 $500 TICKETS $100 each. _________ Number of tickets _________ # of vegetarian dinners requested ADVERTISING PRICES: Full pg ad - $400 ½ pg ad - $300 1/4 pg ad - $200 Business card ad - $100 Name: ______________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________ City, State, Zip: _______________________________________ Contact Email: ___________________________________________ Contact Name: _______________________________________ Contact Phone: __________________________________________ Please charge $__________________________to credit card. Check enclosed $______________(Payable to Gow School) We wish to sponsor at the ________________________level. We can’t attend, but please accept our gift of $______________ Card number: ________________________________________ Expiration Date: _______________ Security Code: _____________ Names of those attending: _____________________________________________________________________________________ List our name in program as: ___________________________________________________________________________________ We want to make a gift/basket donation. Please contact us at _____________________________________to arrange pick-up.
Please clip and return to Gow or register online at gow.org/auction. Call us at 716.687.2075 with questions.
The Gow Life Magazine
4
Visit us at gow.org
MORE
MEDIA
AT
GOW
What a difference a few weeks can make! Technology Instructor Ben Duffy says that “when the former robotics studio was converted into a digital studio over the summer (complete with a green screen, mixing board, cameras, lights and more!) we hoped to eventually interview guests, create timely news productions and improve Gow’s YouTube videos. Little did we imagine that our students would learn quickly enough to have all those projects up and running within the first few weeks of the school year!” Thanks to a generous gift from the Evans family (Vanya ‘09, Sasha ‘15 and Sergei ‘15), the digital studio was named in honor of recently retired faculty member Vin Barrett to recognize his many years as a robotics and technology teacher. A team of students have been writing and producing regular programs with campus updates for the Gow News Network. Available on YouTube, you can view recent broadcasts, as well as previous video class creations. Productions include sports and drama highlights, faculty and student interviews and more - all created and hosted by Gow students. To compliment the student work in broadcasting, Gow has enhanced the digital studio and photography classes, adding new Wacom photo editing tablets. Suggested by Pete Thomas ‘07 as a useful tool for Govians who might pursue art in college and purchased with a gift from his family, these tablets allow for easy and innovative photo manipulation. With rapidly changing technology in the digital and video arts, these new classroom spaces and programs allow Gow students to experience and engage in different ways of communicating and expressing themselves. Thanks to all those generous donors who helped to make these learning opportunities possible. Pictured Jason ‘14 with camera; Peter ‘14 films Bjorn ‘14.
The Gow Life Magazine
5
Visit us at gow.org
Always a favorite - September 20, 2014
GOW GRANDPARENTS DAY
Patrick’s grandmothers with Mr. Rogers Mark and his grandparents Shelby and her grandmother David, Ben and families with Development Director Gayle Hutton
Michael, his aunt, grandma and mom
Lucca and his grandma
Zach with his grandparents
The Gow Life Magazine
Adam with his family
Peter with grandparents
Trenton with dad & grandparents
Cole with his grandparents
Philip with his uncle and grandma
Foster with his grandparents
Gary, Janna and Anderson’s families
Jack and his grandparents
6
Lorenz with aunt and grandparents
Visit us at gow.org
GOW OUT & ABOUT Gathering alumni, parents & friends around the country CHICAGO, IL
Dan Mehta ‘02 and his girlfriend, Corine; Peter McCall ‘79; Agi Cibon, Doug Cotter ‘87, Dan Basse, Gabe Viti, Alan Freemond ‘82, Scott Jackson, Gayle Hutton; Jimmy and Jennifer Oppenheimer
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
George Reid ‘43; Mark Hodder ‘82; Doug Cotter ‘87; Scott and Shari Gottesman ‘89; Julie Miller, her parents and friend Ron; Ben Jordan ‘88 with his daughters and Scott Gottesman’s children.
CINCINNATI, OH
Tony Baker ‘53; Adam Kendrick’s girlfriend Kristen; Camilla Baker; Patrick Maundrell ‘07; Michael Klyklyo ‘05; Adam Kendrick ‘04; Jamie Capelli; Rush Packham ‘12; James Capelli ‘09 and friend; Bill and Dottie Klyklyo; Jeanne Capelli; Stacy Mueller; Ann Bullock; and David Woodward ‘64
CHARLESTON, WV Jeff Bailey; Gordon Merry ‘72; Patrick and Donna Kelly; Jay Stevens ‘90 and his wife, Liz
ST. LOUIS, MO
Nancy Greer; Catherine, a guest, Sara McCrory; Anna Freiberg; Lucinda Shearman; Casey Murphy; Roz Lowenhaupt; Paul Shearman; Gary Tippin ‘12; Matt McCrory; Chris White; Chuck McCrory ‘13; Doug Cotter ‘87; and Greg Freiberg
AUSTIN, TX
Heather Visser; Rebecca Hudson; Robbi Cooper; Ruan Visser; Willem Visser; Janine Luz; Jeffrey and Mary Beth Hubenak; Patricia McHargue; and Chuck Baxter
HOUSTON, TX
Lynn Nesbitt; Rebecca and Stephen Ferrell ‘06; and Court Phillips ‘05
DENVER , CO
Mike Cunningham ‘63; Bob Warner ‘64; Jim Harper ‘76; Fred Bernard ‘60; Marc Schwach ‘04; and Dominic ‘15.
The Gow Life Magazine
7
Visit us at gow.org
GOW SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES Executive Committee:
Honorary Board Members:
Newton D. Baker ‘53 - Past Chair John R. Bullock, III ‘80 - Chair Committee on Trustees Al R. Chircop (Craig ‘06) - Treasurer, Chair Finance Committee Mary Ann Coulson (Adam Kendrick ‘04) - Chairman of the Board Elizabeth Evans (Vanya ‘09, Sasha ‘15 and Sergei ‘15) - Secretary Graeme C. Hepburn ‘84 - Vice Chair, Chair Development Committee K. Carson Jones ‘92 - Vice Chair
Sam Cosmano ‘84 - Alumni Association President Sally Obletz (Peter ‘14)- Parents Association President
Ex-Officio Trustee:
M. Bradley Rogers, Jr. - Headmaster
Emeritus Trustees:
Edwin T. Bean, Jr. Joseph C. Giallanza Dean H. Jewett ‘61 J. Gibson McIlvain, III ‘66 George M. Reid ‘43
Trustees:
Lawrence H. Acheson ‘83 Roger P. Adams ‘71 Erick Bronner (Mark ‘13) Marcus Goddard (Spencer ‘15) David W. Gow, Jr. Richard Hughes (Richard ‘15) Steven J. Ibbotson ‘80 - Chair Technology Committee Robert W. Ittmann ‘62 Katherine M. Mohney (Victor ‘14) - Chair Student Life Committee Creighton Murch ‘63 Valerie Packham (Rush ‘12) Lowell G. Powers, Jr. ‘59 John A. Pulvermann, Jr. ‘64 - Chair Investment Committee Robert Vail ‘68 - Chair Campus Planning Committee
Leadership Team:
Douglas Cotter ‘87 - Director of Admissions Gayle E. Hutton - Director of Development Daniel F. Kelley - Assistant Headmaster, Director Upper School M. Bradley Rogers, Jr. - Headmaster Paul R. Rose - Director of Buildings and Grounds Rosemary Shields - Director of Finance Jeffrey S. Sweet - Director of the Lower School
Left: Rich Hughes (dad of Richard ‘15); Steve Ibbotson ‘80; K. Carson Jones ‘92; Al Chircop (dad of Craig ‘06); Greg Tayler (dad of Sam ‘13); Sally Obletz - Parent Association President (mom of Peter ‘14); Larry Acheson ‘83; Kathy Mohney (mom of Victor ‘14); Lowell Powers ‘59; Headmaster Brad Rogers; Mary Ann Coulson, Chair (mom of Adam Kendrick ‘04); Marcus Goddard (dad of Spencer ‘15); Tony Baker ‘53; Bob Vail ‘68; Roger Adams ‘71; Valerie Packham (mom of Rush ‘12); Creighton Murch ‘63; Graeme Hepburn ‘84; and David Gow, Jr.
The Gow Life Magazine
8
Visit us at gow.org
GOW’S ALUMNI SURVEY Why we did it, how it worked, and what we learned
Why we created this survey:
Gow prepared me emotionally:
• To get feedback that will help us improve the overall Gow experience for current and future students • Engage alumni • Better understand alumni lives after Gow
Strongly agree - 38% 81% either strongly Somewhat agree - 21% agreed, somewhat Agree - 28% agreed or agreed. Somewhat disagree - 6% Strongly disagree - 3% No opinion - 4%
How we did it:
My favorite parts of Gow were:
We received 233 responses to our questionnaire on Survey Monkey. We distributed the survey to 1,004 alumni with email addresses on file and mailed to 600.
What we learned: QUESTIONS AND THE ANSWERS WE GOT
Did you graduate from Gow? Yes - 76% No - 22% No Answer - 2%
Immediately after Gow, I:
Attended college - 76% Attended technical or trade school - 2% Got a job - 4% Joined the military - 2% No Answer - 16%
Did you graduate from college? Yes - 69% No - 15% Still enrolled - 6% No answer - 10%
Did you attend graduate school? Yes, I attended - 30% Yes, I graduated - 22% Still enrolled - 4% Attended, but did not graduate - 5% Did not attend - 39%
Gow prepared me academically:
Strongly agree - 52% 85% either strongly Somewhat agree - 10% agreed, somewhat Agree - 33% agreed or agreed. Somewhat disagree - 2% Strongly disagree - 2% No Answer - 1%
Gow prepared me socially:
Strongly agree - 32% 81% either strongly Somewhat agree - 23% agreed, somewhat Agree - 26% agreed or agreed. Somewhat disagree - 11% Strongly disagree - 5% No Answer - 3%
(check all that apply) Small classes - 205 Structure - 148 Individualized Attention - 144 Others who learn the same way - 120 Athletic Program - 118 Independence -108 Reconstructive Language -106 Lifelong friends - 106 Study Hall - 65 Arts Program - 55 Tutorial - 47
My least favorite parts of Gow: (check all that apply) Study Hall - 73 Structure - 45 Arts Program - 19 Athletic Program - 18 Independence - 17 Reconstructive Language - 14 Small classes - 6 Lifelong friends - 6 Other who learn the same way - 5 Individualized Attention - 5
Gow helped me identify effective learning techniques:
Strongly agree - 50% 95% either strongly Somewhat agree - 11% agreed, somewhat Agree - 34% agreed or agreed. Somewhat disagree - 3% Strongly disagree - 1% No Answer - 1%
If I had to do it again, I would choose Gow: 95% either strongly Strongly agree - 69% agreed, somewhat Somewhat agree - 7% agreed or agreed. Agree - 18% Somewhat disagree - 3% Strongly disagree - 2% No Answer - 1%
I would recommend Gow to someone who has a child struggling in school 95% either strongly Strongly agree - 73% agreed, somewhat Somewhat agree - 2% agreed or agreed. Agree - 20% Somewhat disagree - 2% Strongly disagree - 2% No Answer - 1%
What’s next? All respondents will receive a thank you gift from Gow and will be entered into a drawing to receive a Gow chair. (Thanks to Peter Knudsen ‘59 for donating this chair!) This information is so important to Gow. We value your ideas and hope to use this information to improve our programs for current students and our alumni. Please share your ideas with us at development@gow.org.
THANKS
to the
ALUMNI SURVEY COMMITTEE for their leadership, creative ideas and dedication to this project.
Roger P. Adams ‘71 Newton D. Baker ‘53 Alan S. Freemond, Jr. ‘82 Marcus Goddard (dad of Spencer ’15) Gayle E. Hutton, Director of Development Daniel Kelley, Assistant Headmaster K. Peter Knudsen ‘59 Paul Kohan ‘07 Tammy Kosnikowski, Development Office Zachary Lyon ‘11 J. Gibson McIlvain, III ‘66 Valerie Packham (mom of Rush ’12) William Parsons, Art Department M. Bradley Rogers, Jr., Headmaster Adam Steinberg ‘86 Robert Warner, Jr. ‘64
Thanks to the 233 alumni who responded to the recent alumni questionnaire!
The Gow Life Magazine
9
Visit us at gow.org
MICROFINANCING AT GOW So far.... The Gow Micro Finance Club has made loans to eight recipients: Presiñano in Peru (Activity: Animal Sales) Rogers in Uganda (Activity: Agriculture) Nicolas in Lebanon (Activity: Water Distribution)
Gow’s Micro-financing team: Julian ‘16, Ken ‘15, Leo ‘16, Penn ‘16, Mr. Tom Giallanza, Jack ‘18, Nasser ‘18, Philip ‘16, Parker ‘16, Matthew ‘15, Kuvaal ‘15, Daniel ‘16, Hussen ‘15, Mr. Gerry Zies, Connor ‘15, Ms. Gayle Hutton. Not pictured: Shelby ‘15, Mr. Charlie Brown, Foster ‘15, Janna ‘14, Jason ‘14, and Nick ‘14.
This year, Gow created a Micro-Finance Club to help students and faculty better understand that they can make a difference in our world. Thanks to generous gifts from the families of Shelby ‘15, Max ‘17, and Philip ‘16, a team of 18 students and several faculty have met on a regular basis to review funding opportunities in more than 70 countries around the world. The Gow team is making loans through Kiva (www.kiva.org), described on their website as “a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of micro finance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world, and qualifies and identifies worthy candidates to receive micro loans in more than 70 countries.”
Basel in Palestine (Activity: Child Care) Korotoumou in Mali (Activity: Food Production/Sales) Flora’s Group in Kenya (Activity: Health) Sarah in Liberia (Activity: Food Market) Amri in Rwanda (Activity: Renewable Energy)
To give everyone a chance to participate and present to the other members of the club, the students and faculty were divided into five geographic teams representing different parts of the world: Central America, West Africa, East Africa, The Middle East, and South America. At each meeting, the teams review and discuss loan opportunities in their region, and present their choices to the committee who vote on whether to fund the loan opportunity. Once the loan is complete, the recipients begin repaying the loan so that Gow’s micro finance fund will be renewed and available to reinvest in other future lending opportunities. With so many deserving causes to support, choosing just a few loans to fulfill is challenging. This has generated excellent discussion and dialogue in the group with several priorities having been identified: water projects, renewable energy, funding initiatives for women, and the importance of lending to small business owners hoping that as they thrive, so will their communities. The team is currently exploring opportunities to help those in Western New York who are less fortunate, and are hoping to volunteer or collect money to support a local initiative. If you’d like to know more about Gow’s Micro Financing Program, or wish to make a tax deductible donation for the team to invest in a worthy cause around the world, please contact faculty advisors Development Director Gayle Hutton (ghutton@gow. org or 716.687.2074) or History teacher Tom Giallanza (tgiallanza@gow.org).
The Gow Life Magazine
10
Visit us at gow.org
Adventure, Philanthropy and Micro-financing Meet Atop Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania by Rick Ohler
Reprinted with permission from The East Aurora Advertiser amidst elephants and other magical beasts, camping out in the plains as Masai warriors stood guard against roaming lions. But this trip of a lifetime wasn’t just about personal achievement or adventure; it was a chance to raise money and raise awareness of a fascinating concept that’s helping to reduce poverty in third world nations like Tanzania, a concept called micro-financing.
Gow’s Director of Development Gayle Hutton and her husband, Ed on Kilimanjaro.
If you saw two middle-aged figures with large backpacks hoofing it up and down some of the steepest hills in town— Blanchard Road, Darling Road—last spring and early summer, you would have wondered what they were up to. If you had slowed your car and hollered out the window, “Hey, what’re you two doing?” you would have gotten a one-word answer: “Kilimanjaro.” Gayle Hutton, Director of Development at The Gow School, and her husband Ed, a finance professor and director of the Financial Services Lab at Niagara University, are the kind of folks you might expect to climb the 19,341-foot, equator-straddling, dormant volcano in Tanzania, the highest point on the African continent. They don’t sit still much when they’re not at work. They run, walk, hike, bike, snowshoe, kayak regularly. So when Ed was noodling away on his computer late one night last winter and asked Gayle, “How about we climb Kilimanjaro next summer?” she said, “Okay”. And with the click of a mouse and a credit card number they were on their way. Knowing that they’d make the trek in a fiveday assault of three or 4,000 feet per day, they began to simulate the African terrain as best you can in southern Erie County to get in shape. By mid-July, they were at Kilimanjaro base camp, and as the sun rose on August 1, after a 5,000-foot climb in the dark with temperatures below zero, they both stood atop the summit of the iconic mountain that rises so dramatically from the flat plains of the Serengeti. It had been an amazing effort: nine climbers from the U.S., guides from Rainier Mountaineering and 54 sturdy and dedicated porters hauling tents and food and equipment. And after their descent there were four more days of safari
The Gow Life Magazine
Said Gayle, “One of the best things about the trip was getting to know the porters and hearing their stories about life in what, by our standards, is a very poor country. They have dirt floors in their homes, the roads are in poor condition, they dress in hand-medowns. But they’re so hard-working, so proud and anxious to help us, even when we’re in the newest mountaineering equipment and they’re in old sneakers. While we’re savoring memories of a great adventure, they’ll be running to porter another trip as soon as we’ve gone to make money for their families. You realize how lucky we are and how much we have when you’re in a place like Tanzania. And you want to reach out.” As veteran travelers, Ed and Gayle know that this pattern of hard-working people who are anxious to succeed, but need an opportunity to pull themselves out of poverty is repeated all over the world. “It’s hard for us to comprehend,” said Ed, “that the difference between someone being able to start new business or languishing in poverty might only be a few hundred dollars.” Now both of the Huttons are determined to help out. At Niagara, Ed Hutton advises an investment club where students, using the university’s funds, decide upon investments—blue chip stocks, bonds, mutual funds—and track the results. This year he introduced a new wrinkle, micro-financing, to his club members. In micro-financing, lenders identify small entrepreneurs in areas that wouldn’t normally be served by banks. For instance, a villager on the Serengeti wants to start a cellphone rental service, buy crop seed or outfit a guiding service for tourists. The startup cost might be $300, a manageable sum in America, but an insurmountable fortune in Tanzania where the average yearly per capita income is $742. Investors, using a non-profit brokering company called Kiva (www.kiva. org), make the loan directly to the applicant. The grantee has usually two years to repay
11
at a competitive interest rate of around six percent. To date 98.6% of borrowers have repaid their debts. As the money is repaid, the Niagara investors send it off to another entrepreneur, such as a student in Bolivia, a small grocer in the Philippines, or a tailor in Tajikistan. And those initial dollars keep on working and growing to help more and more people. To draw attention to micro-financing, Ed found 100 people at the university to sponsor him on his quest for Kilimanjaro by giving him $19.34, the number representing the height of the mountain. The gifts amounted to $1,934 and will form the basis of microfinance investments. This fall Gayle bought micro-financing to The Gow School, the boarding and day school in South Wales whose students in grades 7-12 come from all over the U.S. and two dozen countries. In explaining the mission of the Gow Micro-Finance Club, Gayle says “My husband and I were fortunate to visit Tanzania this summer and meet many fantastic Tanzanians. I was so inspired by their work ethic and determination to change their lives. In the Gow Micro-Finance Club I will work with a student team to make small loans to worthy individuals in Tanzania and around the world. The club will help students understand the difference we can each make in the world. For as little as $25, we will be able to help a person change his or her life. This experience will allow all of us to realize how fortunate we are, and hopefully instill a life-long belief in the importance of philanthropy.” For Ed, micro-financing follows the Vincentian tradition that guides Niagara University. “Service to the poor is their mission. We are in a sense giving to the poor like the Vincentian monks.” The difference is, at both Niagara and Gow, they’re not only giving money, but opportunity as well, a gift that keeps on giving. And they’re providing high school students and college students a chance to watch as their efforts bear fruit. “Too often,” says Gayle, who handles giving at Gow, “people think that small gifts aren’t really that important. With Ed’s program at Niagara and the micro-finance club at Gow, small gifts can really help alleviate poverty and turn someone’s life around.”
Visit us at gow.org
Profile
BARBARA & STEVE IBBOTSON ‘80
Mother and Son Make A Dynamic Duo for Gow
By Rick Ohler The next fall Steve went to a Montessori school so he could be around other children his age. “That wasn’t much help, and I continued to look for another public school. In those days in Ontario it was difficult to change schools. While I was fighting with the school system to get him a new placement, I met a woman who homeschooled her kids. I asked if Steve could join her group, and she agreed. She wouldn’t take any payment, but mentioned that she didn’t ever do any baking, so for the next year I bartered my baking for her teaching.”
It’s been almost forty years since Steve Ibbotson, a very young sixth grader who was having trouble with reading, and his mother, Barbara Ibbotson, first visited The Gow School from their home in London, Ontario. What began that day in 1974 with an interview, testing and a campus tour has blossomed into a four decades-long relationship that continues to grow. Steve graduated from Gow in 1980, went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from Hillsdale College and now is general manager of Farm Business Consultants, Inc., his family’s small business accounting and tax consulting firm in Calgary, Alberta. He also serves on the Board of Directors for two Canadian technology companies and a US public company. A loyal and enthusiastic Gow alumnus, he sits on the Board of Trustees as chairman of the Technology Committee, traveling to South Wales three times year for board meetings and staying with his former house parents, Dan and Jody Kelley. His mom, Barbara has been a constant supporter of the school through generous financial gifts and recently created the Daniel F. Kelley Endowed Faculty Chair, a fund which not only supports the school, but honors the teacher who so influenced her son. Steve Ibbotson’s path to Gow actually began five years before his interview in 1974, when he was in first grade. Says
The Gow Life Magazine
Barbara, when I called her at her Calgary home, “He wasn’t doing very well in school, but more important than that, he’d gone from being a happy little boy to a sad little boy. He’d come home for lunch in tears and wouldn’t want to go back. I wasn’t sure what was wrong, so I went to the school one day and as I was walking down the hall, I saw the principal yelling at him. Now, the principal was a big man, six-foot-three, so I went over to him and told him leave my son alone. I said I was taking him out of school right then and there, and that was that. I brought him home and thought, okay, now what do I do? “Emotionally he was falling apart,” continued Barbara. “For the next year I worked with him at home. I taught him how to cook and follow recipes and we measured and did math flash cards until he was back to being a happy little boy again.”
12
The home-school teacher found Steve to be a bright student, but she noticed that he had trouble with the school work in a way that she couldn’t understand. When the London Board of Education finally relented and let Steve change schools, he found himself in a school that at least agreed to test him. The testing revealed some reading difficulties and some letter reversals, but still, nobody in those days had any idea what was causing Steve’s difficulties. With no help on the horizon, Barbara set about reading “everything in sight.” Somewhere, she found a reference to The Gow School. She called and talked with then-headmaster Norm Howard, who suggested that Steve might be dyslexic. “Finally,” Barbara thought, they were getting somewhere. After his visit in 1974, Steve entered Gow (or, The Gow, as many Canadians like to say) as a seventh grader. He and his mom both understood that he would need to make the commitment to stay for the entire six-year high school
Visit us at gow.org
program. “He was still only eleven, very young. I think I cried for the first week after I dropped him off. In his first letter home he said he didn’t like it at The Gow and wanted to come home. In the next letter he announced that he’d made the soccer team and scored two goals. The first year he won the Most Improved Student Award. After that he was fine.” Says Steve as we talked over lunch at the Weston Dining Hall between Board of Trustee sessions, “At first I would rather have not been here; I missed my family and my friends, but after a while I made some new friends, who turned out to be lifelong friends. I started playing sports, and won some awards. Now I can’t imagine where I would be without Gow.” Entering Gow in the seventh grade and reading at a first or second grade level, Steve left, six years later, reading at a twelfth grade level. He was able to go right on to Hillsdale College. “I was nervous that I might not be able to handle the college studies, because Hillsdale wasn’t offering any special services for dyslexic students. After one semester, I realized that Gow had given me the skills I needed, and I graduated with my business degree in four years.” Steve credits the Reconstructive Language curriculum and his teacher Link Lundell for his turnaround. Today, he reads for business and for pleasure. “I’m not the world’s fastest reader, and Spellcheck is my best friend when I’m writing, but I manage.” There are things that go beyond RL that Steve took away from Gow. “What happens is that you learn focus, you learn study habits, you get to play sports a couple of solid hours a day. And at Gow they don’t let the fact of your dyslexia get in the way of your overall education. In a normal school, if you’re in, say, a science class, you never escape the sense that you’re still the kid that can’t read or spell or write very well. And you know your peers look at you as somehow deficient. At Gow it doesn’t matter. We’re all in the same boat. We’re free to focus on the science lesson or math lesson, or on our sports, for that matter. And those principles have remained at the core of the Gow experience, even as the facilities have improved and the opportunities have expanded.”
The Gow Life Magazine
1975 Green Dorm Residents
Row 1: Don Zimmerman, Mike Pieper, Steve Ibbotson, James Riddell, David Strathy. Row 2: Jay Wiley, Rick Barton, Drew Baxter, Don Holden, Russ Pearlman Row 3: Scott Hanna, Frank Ogletree, Whit Geier, Mr. Montgomery
Another thing that has remained constant, according to Steve, is the idea that not only do they teach you how to succeed at Gow, they teach you how to leave Gow. “Brad Rogers does a great job these days of identifying students’ unique strengths while explaining to them why they’re here, and that it’s okay to be who you are as long as you develop strategies for success after you leave.” One of Steve’s most significant moments at Gow happened, believe it or not, on the campus ski hill. Steve was not a skier at the time and he was afraid to attempt the daunting incline on the western edge of campus. “Then some senior pushed me down the hill, and I learned to ski, and eventually I joined the ski patrol.” Now Steve lives in Canmore, Alberta, where he and his family regularly take advantage of some of this continent’s most glorious and challenging alpine skiing.
extreme adventure. Last year it was mountain biking in the Middle East where in Jordon, he cycled through the desert for ten days. Barbara Ibbotson ended our talk by saying, “And Steve is very good to his mother.” She related a moment a few years ago when the two of them were having a glass of wine after a family occasion and Steve said, out of the blue, how much he appreciated everything she had done for him and how hard she had fought for him as his personal advocate. “I had a good cry over that. I shudder to think what would have happened if we hadn’t found The Gow.” Given everything they have done and continue to do for the school, The Gow might feel the same way.
Toward the end of our talk, I told Barbara Ibbotson that her son was a difficult fellow to interview. “He won’t bang his own drum,” I complained. “I can imagine,” said his mother. “He’s always been that way. But believe me, he’s a wonderful father and husband, he loves people, he’s very good at his business, and he has a great Writer Rick Ohler is a lifelong friend of The Gow School spirit of adventure; he’s not afraid and frequent contributing writer to Gow Life. His first book, to try things.” She then told me “Have You Lived Here All Your Life? Not Yet” was published what Steve had omitted from our last year by Right Field Books. Visit www.rickohler.com. talk, that each year he goes on an
13
Visit us at gow.org
Celebrating Forty Years of Changing Lives at Gow
BILL PARSONS Art teacher, paleontologist and storyteller
Tribute written by longtime friend Rick Ohler (Pictured left: Rick Ohler and Bill Parsons)
Bill Parsons teaches art at The Gow School with a passion that has continued to grow since his first day on the faculty in September of 1973. Nearly five decades into my friendship with him, Bill still amazes me—how he loves his family—Kris and the four-yearold twins—and his community, how he embraces the natural and intellectual world around him, and how much he really, I mean really, loves to talk. Many alumni and friends of The Gow School, and all of his former students, will share a knowing chuckle when I report that my scheduled half-hour interview with Bill ran three hours and fifty-five minutes over two days. During our marathon interviews, which were supposed to focus on his evolution from part-time art instructor to Art Department chair, we covered a galaxy of topics: the ‘60s; dinosaur digs in Montana and Ice Age digs in closeby Byron with his wife Kris; pumpkin pancakes; hand-eye coordination in early upright hominids; Union College (where we were roommates); logic and rhetoric; the structure of the Chinese language; his work at the Buffalo Museum of Science; restaurants in New York City; painters both obscure and famous; Dave Van Ronk and jug band music; having twin girls at age 59 (and teaching them the ropes of field paleontology before they could walk); the politics of magazine illustrating; the high incidence of art ability in dyslexic students; and characters from Gow’s storied past—Norm and Vesta Howard, David and Alice Gow, Tom Moore and Link Lundell, to name a few. We did occasionally manage to weave art and art education into the dialogue as Bill made good on his
The Gow Life Magazine
pre-interview boast, “Get me talking on any subject and eventually I’ll bring it around to teaching art.” Bill’s path from art instructor to Art Department chair has been as fascinating as the man himself. When Bill returned to his hometown of East Aurora, New York in 1972 after four years at Union College, he had a B.A. in philosophy with a minor in Chinese and a handful of art electives on his transcript. He also had a glorious, curly mane of shoulder-length red hair, and a Ford van adorned with handpainted mushrooms on the outside and equipped with basic living quarters on the inside. Those looking to apply stereotypes would have called him, quite wrongly, a hippie. He was a serious young man who realized that after studying philosophy and Chinese in college, he wanted to make his living creating artwork. While his early work, meticulously detailed pen and ink drawings, sold steadily, the income was hardly enough to sustain even Bill’s ascetic lifestyle. His summer work at Camp Centerland had shown him that he had a penchant for working with youngsters, so he wondered if anyone would hire him as an art instructor.
Bill with Daniel ‘14; Bill and Ren Tsuchida ‘09 in Montana
14
Interviews at Park School and Nichols School in Buffalo went well but he lost out to experienced art teachers. Bill’s friend and contemporary, Peter Gow III, suggested he apply at Gow and by late summer of 1973, he had been granted an interview in South Wales. Unbeknownst to him, then-headmaster Norm Howard had received a phone call from Sue Ohler, a longtime friend of the Gow family (and my mother, by the way), extolling Bill’s virtues. Bill arrived, proudly carrying his portfolio and sporting his long tresses and a dated tweed sport coat only to discover that the interview was not an interview at all. Mr. Howard declined to see Bill’s artwork, allowed as how he was quite busy, offered Bill a paltry sum of money for part-time work and excused himself. As happy as Bill was to have the job, even at a low wage and even stowed away under the old Chapel, he was frustrated by his limited role. “Art wasn’t an important part of the curriculum at all. It was considered a reward for students who did their real work well. My mandate from Norm Howard was to give the kids a fun, enjoyable experience away from the rigors of Reconstructive Language.” For twenty-five years Bill remained a part-time faculty member, quietly changing the lives of students whose dyslexia overshadowed a talent for art that was yearning to be set free. While he lobbied for full-time status at Gow, he used those years to continue his quest for success as an artist and to supplement his income. He joined the Buffalo Museum of
Visit us at gow.org
Science as an illustrator in 1985 and had a one-man exhibition of his paintings in New York City. And he discovered dinosaurs— digging dinosaur Bill, his wife, Kris and daughters bones and rendering his visions of the beasts in detailed illustrations. During a visit to Montana to stay with friends in 1979, he caught the paleontology bug, and has been back every summer since. At this point he is a noted expert in the field who was credited, along with Kris Parsons, with discovering and naming a new species of anklyosaur, Tatankacephalus cooneyorum. (Visit sciencedaily.com/ releases/2009/10/091030125046 for the story). To date, he’s been featured in major publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time and Discover magazine. While Bill and David Gow had a marvelous friendship with spirited philosophical and intellectual jousting as its hallmarks, it wasn’t until fourth headmaster Bill Adams arrived in 1990 that art education came to center stage at Gow. Gradually, under Adams, and later under fifth headmaster Bill Patterson who finally gave Parsons the full-time status he had wanted, there appeared a sense that art could be a partner in the education of dyslexic young men (and now, young women), rather than a separate entity. Now there is a bonafide art department with Parsons at its helm and the Reid Arts Center as its headquarters. Gow offers art, sculpture and theatre with options in music and photography. More and more students have come to realize Gow Yearbook 1970s that in Bill’s class
The Gow Life Magazine
and the other art classes, they are liberated from the baggage of constant academic failure and can express themselves and find success. Bill says that he has only a few rules that govern his classroom: “Don’t talk about anyone not in the room. Don’t say anything bad about anyone at all. Don’t talk about drugs, alcohol or sex; it’s not that we’re hiding from the realities of the world, they just don’t have anything to do with our mission here.” He goes on to say, “I have a curriculum planned over three terms, but if you have an idea, I’ll listen to it. If I think it’s a good idea for an art project, I’ll let you run with it.” Realizing that not every Gow student wants to be there he says, “They’ve made the journey to South Wales, paid the tuition and put on the coat and tie. It’s part of my job to help them buy into the school’s mission as well. Sooner or later every student ends up in class with me. I think the best of each of my students to begin with; I assume they have some art ability, or at least an interest in art, until they prove me wrong.” Says current headmaster Brad Rogers, “Bill’s classroom is a safe harbor for all, yet he will not let you underachieve. He’s the man who wants his students to surpass the teacher. He’ll figure out who you are, let you get comfortable, but he will not let you underachieve.” Although every student I’ve talked to, past and present, has sung his praises, and although every teacher and administrator I’ve encountered at Gow has expressed a respect and fondness for Bill, there is one alumnus whose story says it best. Peter Thomas, Class of 2007, didn’t arrive at Gow until his junior year and didn’t take an art class until his senior year. Says his father Dave, who with his wife, Karen has endowed the William Parsons Endowed Chair of Visual and Performing Arts, “Peter had been artistic his whole life—painting, sculpting, drawing—anything that was visual he was taken by. He had been to a number of schools and they all were considered quite good. But it wasn’t until he walked into Bill Parsons’ class that his talent began to blossom. In the first classes, Bill was trying to see where Peter’s abilities
15
lay, so he had him sketch a cow skull. He kept changing the angles, letting Peter draw it, until finally he said he wanted Peter to work with him for the whole year on some special projects. Bill was the first teacher to explain to him that he really had some talent, the first to draw that talent out of him. Instead of it being a hobby, Bill said, it could be a career that Peter could go places with. Bill challenged Peter to be a better artist, and he accepted that challenge. The only college he applied to was Savannah College of Art and Design because Bill said this was the place to go. He graduated from SCAD with a degree in illustration and a minor in graphic design, and he’s now living in Brooklyn where he and some partners have formed a production company. In our minds we had seen this in Pete since he was very young, but we had no idea what he could do with it until he met Bill Parsons. Bill changed his life. We realized that this wasn’t an accident, that Bill Parsons had seen a lot of kids over the years and knew how to challenge them, too. That’s why we decided to endow the chair that now carries Bill’s name.” Endowed chair notwithstanding, Bill doesn’t spend much time sitting. During class he’s up and about encouraging his students and leading meandering side conversations about everything from archaeology to zoology, conversations that have become the stuff of legend. He says that there is a purpose to these tangential journeys however. “I figure if I talk, they won’t; they’ll focus on their artwork. And if I talk about something off topic, whether it’s trout fishing or Rembrandt, they don’t see me as constantly examining their artwork. My old professor at Union, Arnie Bittleman, used to say that you can’t pull a plant out of its pot every fifteen minutes to see how the roots are growing. And,” he says triumphantly, “get me talking about any subject and eventually I’ll bring it around to art.” Congratulations to Bill on 40 years of dedication to Gow. And here’s to many more. Written by Rick Ohler Writer Rick Ohler is a lifelong friend of The Gow School and frequent contributing writer to Gow Life. His first book, “Have You Lived Here All Your Life? Not Yet” was published last year by Right Field Books. Visit www.rickohler.com
Visit us at gow.org
Dear friends, Happy 2014! It is hard to believe that we are half way into another school year at Gow - lots of travel to meet with alumni and parents around the country, and exhilarating building and academic projects on the horizon. I am so fortunate to work as the Director of Development for a school with such a vital mission. My job allows me to get to know the students and their families when they are at Gow, and then to catch up with them at dinners and for coffee around the country after they graduate. There is nothing more rewarding than hearing firsthand from graduates (or their parents!) about how Gow has changed lives. Their stories remind us of how important Gow’s mission remains. Thank you to all of you who have chosen to support Gow. There are so many ways you can make a difference for the school and our students. • Give a gift to the Annual Fund - visit gow.org/gift or call 716.687.2075; • Make a Planned Gift - include Gow in your will. This is good for you, your heirs and of course, the school; • Donate Appreciated Stock - this is a win/win since you avoid paying capital gains and Gow recieves a donation for the current value of the stock; • Create a Named Fund - for a gift of $25,000 over five years, you can create a fund in your name or in honor of someone special. It can be restricted or unresticted so that Gow can use it where needed; and • Support Capital Projects such as the new dormitory mentioned in the Headmaster’s letter on page 3. Want to know more about any or all of these opportunities? Please give me a call at 716.687.2074 or send an email to ghutton@gow.org. I wish you a coming year filled with the courage to try new things, the curiosity to learn, and the will to make a diffference. Thank you for caring about Gow and its mission.
Tower Foundation Supports Summer Training at Gow A generous grant from the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation will support The Gow Teachers College, two summer sessions for teachers, parents and others who want to learn more about educating students with dyslexia, and utilizing classroom techniques that work. During the weeks of July 7 and 14, sessions will be held at Gow focusing on technology, math, writing, and Reconstructive Language (RL). Both programs will also discuss the social and emotional needs of learning disabled students, Executive Function Coaching, college counseling, and feature noted guest speakers. Classes will be taught by Gow faculty members, renowned for their expertise in working with students who struggle to learn. Their skills will insure a valuable learning experience. The first session (July 7-10) will focus on math and technology, including the Solidworks program and Gow’s noted robotics curriculum. Session two (July 14-17) will emphasize English, writing and Gow’s patented phonetic teaching method called Reconstructive Language (RL). This course will include Gow’s Constructive Writing Program, and techniques that inspire dyslexic students to create newsletters, poetry, and short stories. Thanks to this very generous grant from the Tower Foundation, there will be no charge for participants. However space is limited and it is important to register early. To learn more, visit gow.org or call Jennifer Bamann, 716.687.2005 with any questions.
Sincerely,
Gayle E. Hutton Director of Development
CAMPUS GUESTS INSPIRE GOW STUDENTS Dale Spencer - Mr. Spencer shared his inspiring story of adapting to a new life after a preventable injury, and about his professional and personal success. His humorous and honest message to students was to think before acting and that fate can change lives in a moment.
The Gow Life Magazine
Christian Laettner - A noted Duke University and pro NBA star, Mr. Laettner spent two days with Gow’s basketball teams - leading drills, mentoring and offering basketball advice. As part of the weekend, Gow also hosted an event for aspiring basketball players in the community.
16
Visit us at gow.org
Alumni News George Reid ‘43 and Charlie Krogness ‘46 (pictured below) both live in Minneapolis, Minnesota and recently met at The Minneapolis Club. George is currently writing a book about 15th century tapestries, and Charlie is a retired financial advisor. Both Charlie and George served for many years on Gow’s Board of Trustees.
1940s
Bill Hoke ‘58 has published a book of poems and life stories titled River Voices on the Duckabush. Bill’s book includes poems, haiku and sketches from his hiking and mountaineering, and poems about his family. He has hiked nearly 3,000 miles in the Olympic National Park and climbed most of the major peaks in the state of Washington. Hoke lives in Manette, Washington with his wife, Patricia. Peter Knudsen ‘59 and his wife, Judy live in Harbor Springs, Michigan and Palm Beach, Florida. Peter enjoys playing golf and hunting, and played a leadership role in creating the recently completed Gow Alumni survey. Geoffrey Grant ‘60 recently completed three Habitat for Humanity houses in Brookings, South Dakota and hopes to build more.
1960s
John Beresford ‘49 had knee surgery and is recovering well. He lives in Carefree, Arizona.
1950s
Tony Baker ‘53 and his wife Cam (pictured below) attended a Gow dinner in Cincinnati, Ohio.Tony serves as the immediate past Chairman of Gow’s Board of Trustees and is active on several standing committees.
Nick Kurten ‘56 and his wife, Nancy live in St. Louis. He is retired and enjoys volunteering in the community.
Tom Gilbert ‘62 and his wife (pictured below) visited Gow in August. They live in Bradenton Beach, Florida.
Tom Hord ‘63 and his wife, Mary (pictured below) live in Petosky, Michigan. Mary retired from her job in health care, and Tom retired from his job in banking and now works part-time for the parking bureau in Petosky. They are avid cyclists and cross country skiers.
David Fuger ‘64 has been retired for six years and is living in Harbor Springs, Michigan with Vicki, his wife of 43 years. He enjoys hunting birds, fishing, boating and golf. He recently completed the Great Loop by trawler - 8,000 miles from the northern Great Lakes down through Chicago and the river system, around Florida, out to the Bahamas, back up the East Coast and back to the Great Lakes. They have two children, David Jr. (Chicago, Illinois) and Lisa (Jackson, Wyoming) and two grandchildren. David Woodside ‘64 and his girlfriend attended a Gow dinner in Cincinnati. He is retired from working for the state and enjoys travel and riding his motorcycle. He came back to Gow for a visit this fall.
Rob Muir ‘62 and his wife, Patti (pictured below) visited Gow in August. Rob is retired from a management career in the steel industry and they live in Annapolis, Maryland.
Renny Kerr ‘65 and his wife, Sarah (pictured below) live in Jackson Hole, Wyoming where they are ski instructors at The Jackson Hole Resort. Sarah also sells real estate. They attended a recent Gow dinner in Jackson Hole.
Mike Dorris ‘58 is retired and works at a ski hill during the winter. He has been married to Sharon for 52 years and has seven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. He and Sharon live in North Chili, New York.
The Gow Life Magazine
17
Visit us at gow.org
Alumni News Brooks McCabe ‘66 is managing member and broker of West Virginia Commercial, LLC, in Charleston, West Virginia. His company specializes in rehabbing historic properties. He has a doctorate in education from West Virginia University with a concentration in planning and community development, and bachelors and masters degrees from The University of Vermont. He serves as a state senator in the West Virginia Legislature. He and his wife, Barbie, enjoy spending time with their grandson. Walt Silver ‘67 and his wife, Pat (pictured below) live in Akron, Ohio where Walt is president of Akrochem. They enjoy travel, their home in Florida, spending time with their grandchildren. and their new red Corvette.
Ike Van Meter ‘70 lives in Lexington, Kentucky and farms cattle with his son, Ike (pictured below). Ike and his wife, Linda are enjoying spending time with their three children and seven grandchildren.
1970s
Jay Mandarino ‘79 and his wife, Lorena Urrutia were auctioneers at a charity event with Michael Bolton (pictured).
Gordon Merry ’72 lives in West Virginia with his wife and son. He is the manager of the Cabell County Emergency Services that has 130 employees. He recently attended a Gow dinner in Charleston. West Virginia. Mike Stowe ‘72 and Bill Wallace ‘74 Mike writes, “After not seeing my Gow roommate Bill Wallace for some 38 years, we had dinner at a restaurant in Palm Beach Gardens.” Pictured below: Bill Wallace’ 74 and his wife Diane with Mike Stowe ‘72 and his wife Lisa. Bill and his wife, Diane have two daughters and live in Charleston, South Carolina. Mike and his wife, Lisa live in Jupiter, Florida.
John Manson ‘68 (pictured below) retired in 2011 from the State of Indiana Environmental Management Division where he worked as an administrator and a project manager. He moved from Indianapolis, Indiana to Nashville, Tennessee. His wife died in 2009.
The Gow Life Magazine
Russell Pearlman ‘79 is pictured at the Dalsnibba Lookout in Norway in August, 2013. He said he had wanted to visit the fjords for a long time and finally went for it. Russell lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. Peter McCall ‘79 attended a recent Gow dinner in Chicago. A performing jazz musician, he has been teaching music in Niles, Illinois, but recently decided to return to college to become a therapist.
Lindsay Clark ‘73 taught for 31 years at Lawrence Township High School in Indianapolis and recently retired.
Peter Rosenthal ‘79 is the Director of Asset Management and a Principal at Sutter Street Investments. He and his family live in San Francisco, California.
Fred Harvey ‘73 and his wife, Denise (pictured next column) stopped for a Gow visit in October. They live in Fairview, Tennessee and this was Fred’s first visit to Gow since the 70’s.
Matthew Ward ’81 lives in Cincinnati with his wife and three children. He recently attended a Gow dinner in Cincinnati, Ohio.
18
1980s
Visit us at gow.org
Alumni News Alan Freemond ‘82 and is wife, Kathryn live in Winnetka, Illinois with their twin 14 year old daughters. Alan is Principal at Windsor Partners, an executive search firm in Chicago, and Kathryn works for Kraft Foods.
Jeff Swann ‘83, Liam Devine ‘84, Lawrence Solomon ‘82 and Matt Thompson ‘83 (pictured above) returned for Fall Weekend. Jeff and his wife, Viviene own a gelato business in Toronto; Liam sells industrial diamonds in Toronto; Lawrence owns a travel agency in Toronto; and Matt lives in Moline, Illinois where he is President of DeLeon Thompson, Inc., an industrial distribution company. He kindly provided some equipment for Gow’s newly completed engineering laboratory.
Sam Cosmano ‘84 is the newly named president of Gow’s Alumni Association. He and his wife Stacy have two children and live in East Aurora where Sammy owns and runs a car wash. Sammy, (pictured above) with Headmaster Brad and Anne Rogers at Fall Weekend. Peter White ‘85 is a Market Development Manager at Parker Hanafin in Connecticut. Adam Steinberg ‘87 is a Loan Officer at Bank of America in Maryland.
The Gow Life Magazine
Paul Rose (Gow’s Director of Buildings and Grounds) enjoyed hunting and fun in Ontario with Ed O’Rorke ‘86, Mark Weech ‘85 and Todd Smith ‘86.
Ben Jordan ‘88 works for Target headquarters in Minneapolis. He and his two daughters recently attended a Gow event in Minneapolis. Ben’s wife, Janelle works for General Mills. Blair Smith ‘88 is a colorist at Dynamite Entertainment and lives in New Jersey.
Pictured above: Alumni at a Gow dinner in Minneapolis: Doug Cotter ‘87, Mark Hodder ‘82 and Scott Gottesman ‘89. Doug is Director of Admissions at Gow. Mark, his wife, Serene and their two children live in China where they own a toy import company. Mark splits his time between Minneapolis where he works in computers and with his family in China. Scott and his wife, Shari have two children. Shari is Senior Corporate Counsel at Minneapolis-based, ShopNBC. Scott is Lead Server Architect/Delivery Manager with Dell Global Infrastructure Consulting Services in Minneapolis.
19
1990s Scott Gottesman ‘89 and Claude Stuart ‘90 saw each other at one of Claude’s comedy shows in Minnesota. Jay Stevens ’90 and his wife, Liz attended a recent dinner in Charleston, West Virginia. Jay and his wife have a two year old daughter, Gwyneth Anne. Alex Ferguson ‘91 lives in Burlington, Massachusetts with his wife, Sarah and two daughters, ages 7 and 9. Drew Hendley ‘91 is an insurance broker with Lincoln Financial Group. He is an avid tennis player and golfer. Andrew (Jamie) Jamison ‘92 is a partner with J. Hilburn, a custom mens’ clothing line headquartered in Dallas, Texas. They were listed in Esquire magazine as the number one custom shirt and made-to-measure trouser seller, with reps in every city. Custom shirts start at $99 and suits at $705. Andrew writes that if any Gow customers make a purchase, he will donate 10% of everything he sells to The Gow School. If interested, contact Jamie at amjcinci@yahoo.com or 513.550.9400. Peter Moorhead ‘92 and his wife, Melissa had a son, Frederick Borden Moorhead on October 15. Pictured: sister Gwen with Frederick. Peter is the owner operator of three Tim Horton’s locations in the Toronto area. Dan Rowland ‘92 and his girlfriend, Samantha, visited Gow in November.
Visit us at gow.org
Alumni News Joel Wedgbury ‘92 had a son, Jack born on May 27. His father-inlaw took Joel on a World War battlefield tour in September 2013. They visited World War I and II locations in France and Belgium, including Juno and Omaha Beaches in Normandy and Dieppe.
Keith Breisch ‘96 and his fiancee, April Martin (pictured left) attended Fall Weekend in October. Keith is a bus driver for First Student in Buffalo. Bradley Bross ‘96 is a Loan Officer at CBC National Bank. Scott Haywood ‘96 graduated from Cameron University Cum Laude with a B.S. in Psychology. He has been in the Army for ten years and has served as an enlisted member, attended Officer Candidate School, and currently serves as an officer, holding the rank of captain in the Field Artillery. He has been married for eleven years and has two boys. He writes, “Thank you to The Gow School for giving me the organizational skills I needed to be successful!”
Chris Fetter ‘97 joined the M&T Insurance Agency in June 2013 as a Producer in Commercial Lines and Group Benefits Insurance. He is engaged to be married March 29. Kevin Jason ‘97 recently got a new sales position with Ingram Micro Inc. They are a Fortune 100 company and the world’s largest wholesale technology distributor and a global leader in IT supply-chain. He is engaged to Casey Accordino. Adam Kutner ‘99 is living in Charlotte North Carolina, and working with Bank of America in Global Information Security managing Compliance Monitoring. The last few years have been busy with completing his MBA at Wake Forest University, and welcoming a new addition to his family, William Archer Kutner. (Pictured with his dad). Philip Kwok ‘02 is an interior designer in Hong Kong. He will begin a landscape architecture program at Hong Kong University in August.
Brian Slosson ‘02 (pictured left) is working for LPL Financial as a security analyst in San Diego, California. In a world where cyberattacks are becoming increasingly prevalent, he has been defending and securing LPL's network. He is continuing to follow his passion for technology and understanding how things work. Daniel Mehta ‘03 is currently living in Chicago with his grandparents and is working for the Boy Scouts of America. He and his girlfriend, Corine recently attended a Gow event in Chicago. Adam Kendrick ‘04 and his girlfriend, Kristen attended a recent Gow dinner in Cincinnati. He is enjoying his job as an engineer for the Kroger Corporation and is helping design stores.
2000s
Adam Baxandall ‘02 and his wife, Carmen (pictured below) visited Gow. He is the sole Western sales rep for a company that sells cherry pickers and she is a high school teacher. They have been married for two years and live in Alberta, Canada.
Chaitu Cotha ‘05 and his wife had a son, Vyan on September 30. (Pictured left). Michael Klykylo ‘05 is working at the Westin in Cincinnati. He and his parents attended a Gow dinner in Cincinnati.
Pictured: Chris Fedder ‘97 and his cousin, Brad Rausch ‘95 at Fall Weekend.
The Gow Life Magazine
20
Visit us at gow.org
Alumni News Court Philipps ‘05 graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design three years ago and is living and working in Houston, Texas. He recently attended a Gow dinner. Stephen Ferrell ‘06 is living in Houston, Texas and works as an accountant. He graduated from Southern Louisiana University with a BA in Accounting. He and his sister, an engineer for Dow Chemical, share a house and are enjoying living there. They recently attended a Gow dinner in Houston. Matt Kleinberg ‘07 is enjoying living in Manhattan and working for his family architectural business, MKDA. Patrick Maundrell ‘07 graduated from Xavier University and is working for a bank in Cincinnati. He recently attended a Gow dinner in Cincinnati. Paul Kohan ‘07 and Dan Lieberman ‘07 visited Gow. Paul is in law school in Vermont and Dan recently got out of the Navy and is hoping to become a pilot. Pictured below with Dan Kelley, Assistant Head of School.
Brendan DeLuke ‘08 graduated from the College of Charleston. Pictured left with Headmaster Rogers. Ross Hardigan ‘08 is the Food and Beverage Supervisor at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in Boston. He is working for Tiffany Diarbakerly, sister of Peter ‘08 and Sam Diarbakerly ‘11.
The Gow Life Magazine
Philip Pisters ‘08 was recently accepted into physicians assistant school at the University of St. Francis in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Gabe House ‘08 graduated in May 2013 from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada with a B.A. in English and Theatre Arts. He is living in Toronto and is pursuing a career in acting.
is called Szkola Wyzsza Psychologii Spolecznej or in English University of Social Sciences and Humanities. I discovered a field lacrosse team (Warzsawa GROM) in Warsaw and an ice hockey team called the Warsaw Beavers, that I practice with regularly.”
Simon Rivard ‘08 graduated in June 2013 in Culinary Management and Chef program at George Brown College. He is still at the college in the Construction Trades program. Harrison Spence ‘08 recently graduated from Texas State University with a B.A. in Criminal Justice. He is living and working in Austin, Texas. Michael Mitsche ‘09 is attending the University of Iowa in a masters/PhD program in statistics and actuarial sciences. James Capelli ‘09 graduated from Miami of Ohio in December 2013. He, his girlfriend, and his parents attended a recent Gow dinner in Cincinnati. (Pictured below).
Henry Minis ‘09 graduated from The Savannah College of Art and Design in December. Alex Schwarzer ‘09 is working for Toyota in Colombia, South America. Alex Tyler ‘09 writes, “I am doing well in Warsaw, Poland. I am on my third (going to my fourth) year of a five-year Master’s program for Psychology. The school
21
Gow Alumni at Dinner in Cincinnati: (Pictured above) David Woodside ‘64; Adam Kendrick ‘04; Tony Baker ‘53; Patrick Maundrell ‘07; Michael Klykylo ‘05; James Capelli ‘08; Rush Packham ‘12; and Matthew Ward ‘81. Rory Castrogiovanni ‘10 is on track to graduate in four years from Bethany College in West Virginia. His mom writes that he is finishing up his internship with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Wheeling, West Virginia and then will focus on taking his comprehensive exams next semester. Brandon Fields ‘10 had an internship with the United States Senate this past summer, working with Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota, the chairmen of the Senate Banking Committee. Brandon worked in the personnel office researching agriculture and trade. He writes, “Many of the skills I use for this job have came from my days at The Gow School. I hope you can use my story as an example for the students at school that if you put in the time and hard work, you can obtain your dreams and change the world.” He attends Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Norris Mead ‘10 has spent the last two years at the American College of the Building Arts in Charleston. This year he is studying at the Furniture Institute of Massachusetts near Boston, studying fine furniture building and restoration.
Visit us at gow.org
Alumni News Norris’ plan is to graduate from the Institute after two years of study, then open his own furniture and cabinetry business. His mom writes that the family has relocated from Kansas to Massachusetts so Norris visits often.
The Gow school, the teachers and staff for all they have done for Bishma.”
Cole Perry ‘10 is a senior at Linfield College in Minnville, Oregon and hopes to graduate June 2014. He is majoring in history and has an internship at Evergreen Aeronautical Center this semester.
Billy Hughes ‘11 is in his junior year at Curry College and thriving. He is hoping to do an internship this summer.
Jimmy Ayers ‘11 is attending the Penn Institute of Technology. Ian Briggs ‘11 is taking a year off between his sophomore and junior years in college. He is living in Birmingham, Alabama with friends in an apartment on the Episcopal Student Center campus. He plans to go back to Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland next fall.
Sam Edwards ‘11 is a junior at Bridgewater College and his mom writes that he is doing well.
Thomas Romano ‘11 is enjoying studying at Miami of Ohio. He sold insurance this past summer. Kyle Ward ‘11 and his mom attended the Stephenson Scholarship Dinner in New York City. He is attending the Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology. (Pictured below Kyle ‘11 and Rosa Ward with Dan and Jody Kelley).
Sam Diarbakerly ‘11 came to Gow to talk about his college experience. He is at Mississippi State, majoring in golf course management and had an internship at a golf course in Boston. Pictured below: Sam Diarbakerly ‘11 with faculty member Ben Duffy.
Spencer Wilk ‘11 is a junior at Siena College studying business with a minor in computers.
The Gow Life Magazine
Nick Gregory ‘13 is studying plant biology at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Pictured left: Nick and his mom, Kelli. Thomas Gruber ‘13 is a freshman at Davis and Elkins College. Krihan Kendrick Pradhan ‘13 is attending the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).
Chuck McCroary ‘13 is studying Fire Safety and EMT training in St. Louis and is enjoying school. He and his parents attended a recent Gow dinner in St. Louis. (Pictured with his mom, Sara).
Toma Blatchford ‘12 is a sophomore at Curry College, captain of the tennis team and plays first singles and doubles. Grant Furton ‘12 is a sophomore at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Alex Pride ‘12 earned a 3.52 GPA last year at University of the Ozarks.
Bishma Duraiappah ‘11 attends Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. He is majoring in chemistry, but is thinking of changing his major to math. His mom writes, “I am thankful to
Porter Follet ‘13 is attending the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Alex Laethem ‘13 is a freshman at Michigan State and according to his dad, loves it!
William Checkeris ‘11 is in his third year at the University of Prince Edward Island. Scott Cumberland ‘11 made the Dean’s List at Northern Arizona University.
John Ebersole ‘13 is doing volunteer service with developmentally disabled adults in southern Germany, becoming fluent in German and planning his college entry in Fall, 2014.
Gary Tippin ‘12 is living in St. Louis and taking classes at a community college and at Southern Illinois University. He and his parents attended a recent Gow dinner in St. Louis. Britton Westendorp Holland ‘12 is living in Chicago and doing well.
22
Connor Slee ‘13 is, according to his dad, working hard and doing well at the University of Arizona. He also finds time to play pick up soccer and basketball, has joined the Alumni Club and the Desert Dune Buggy Club.
ALUMNI NEWS TO SHARE?
Please email development@gow.org. Photos are welcome!
Visit us at gow.org
Alumni News IN MEMORIAM
Thomas Slader Stevens ‘88, age 44, died unexpectedly on Thursday, June 6, 2013 at his Traverse City, Michigan home. He was born August 20, 1968 in Evergreen Park, Illinois, and is the son of Thomas and Carol Stevens. Scott Winlo ‘81 passed away suddenly at home in Collingwood, Ontario on November 2 ,2013 at the age of 50. Scott was the husband of the late Colleen Daly and father of Simon.
FORMER FACULTY NEWS
Todd Avis writes that “Next year I am off to Spain to hike the Camino de Santiago with my boys. I just formed a new company and own two schools. Tampa Day School is a school for students much like those that attend Gow. Our Learning Solutions program is very similar to Reconstructive Language though it was specifically developed for younger students. I also own and manage Shreiner Academy in Atlanta. With over 160 students and eight acres with 11 buildings, Shreiner is a school for students desiring a more personalized approach to their education. Sandy and I moved to Empire, Michigan this summer. Tim Madigan is headmaster of the Stratford Friends School in Havertown, Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Genevieve (former Gow Business Manager), have four children and live in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. Genevieve works for the National Business Officers Association. Tim recently returned to Gow to give a presentation to Gow’s faculty and staff. Pictured below: Headmaster Brad Rogers, Tim Madigan and Assistant Headmaster Dan Kelley.
David Mendlewski is a reading teacher at The Quaker School at Horsham in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
NEW FACES ON CAMPUS
Sue Hanzilian (Human Resources Manager) started at Gow in November. She was formerly a Employee Benefits Manager with EMS Financial Services, an HR Administrator with RealtyUSA in Williamsville and a Benefits Administrator with Summit Educational Services. She lives in Cheektowaga with her husband, Bob and has three grown children.
HONORING GOW FACULTY FOR THEIR YEARS OF SERVICE Gow recently had a chance to honor several longtime faculty members and to express its appreciation for their combined 195 years of service. Wow! 5 years: Michael Dibble - English Dan Dietz - History David Eckert - Buildings and Grounds Walter Sanieski - English and RL Gerald Zeis - Chemistry 10 years: Audrey Shafer - Music 20 years: Doug Cotter ‘87 - Director of Admissions 25 years: Julie Ciesinski - Music Tom Giallanza - History Mark Szafnicki - Athletic Director, RL Jay Wright - English
Kathleen Rose
Honored at International Dyslexia Conference
Kathleen Rose, Chairman of Gow’s Reconstructive Language Program, was recently presented with the Etoile Dubard Award of Excellence by IMSLEC (The International Multisensory Structured Language Council). Kathy is the ninth person to be awarded this honor which was first presented in 2004. This is one of the highest awards a teacher trainer can receive in the field of dyslexia education and is awarded annually to a person “who meets the ideals, professionalism and dedication exemplified by the life of Etoile DuBard.” Dr. DuBard was Founding Director and Professor Emerita of the DuBard School of Learning Disorders at the University of Southern Mississippi. A lifelong teacher and author, she passed away in 2003. Kathy Rose and her husband, Paul, Gow’s Director of Buildings and Grounds, have worked at Gow for more than thirty years. They live near campus in South Wales, New York and are parents of three children and three grandchildren.
40 years: Bill Parsons - Art
The Gow Life Magazine
23
Visit us at gow.org
The Gow School Development Office PO Box 85 South Wales NY 14139 gow.org
NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 1175 BUFFALO, NY
Pictured: Sasha ‘15 at the top of Mount Hight in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Thanks to his family for sharing this photo!
Keeping in touch with Gow keeps getting easier! Click to visit gow.org
Click to visit Gow’s Alumni Facebook page