Kimball Union Magazine Spring/Summer 2023

Kimball Union

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EDITOR

TRICIA MCKEON Director of Marketing and Communications

Kimball Union

EDITORIAL DESIGN

WENDY MCMILLAN ’78 P’09 ’11

McMillan Design

COPY EDITOR

THERESA D’ORSI

PHOTOGRAPHY

Eli Burakian

Courtney Cania

Roy Knight P’10

Luke Miller ’24

Dustin Meltzer ’05

CONTRIBUTORS

Greydy Diaz ’10, Theresa D’Orsi

Dorothy England, Jes Lessard

Tricia McKeon, Dustin Meltzer ’05

Anna Olson, Jen Rexford P’26

Stacey Summerfield

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

OFFICERS

MOLLY BOURNE STEFFEY ’92 P’20 ’22 Board Chair Hanover, NH

KARLA RADKE P’21 Vice Chair New York, NY

GLENN POGUST, JD P’13 Secretary New London, NH

PETER SCHIEFFELIN ’96 Treasurer Jamestown, RI

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP

DAVID ALLYN ’86, P’17 ’25 Skaneateles, NY

DAVID BARRETTE ’05 Hanover, NH

JENNIFER BORISLOW ’78 P’07 ’10 Methuen, MA

NEERAJ GARG P’25 New York, NY

ROBIN GRONLUND ’81 P’11 Shelburne, VT

VIVA HARDIGG P’21 ’23 Hanover, NH

SCOTT HAMNER P’25 Norwich, VT

EDWARD G. HILD ’88, J.D. Washington, DC

DONALD LOWERY ’73 New York, NY

KEITH MILNE ’05 Hanover, NH

CLYDE NEVILLE P’20 ’22 Dracut, MA

SHELDON STANSFIELD ’11 Lyme, NH

JADI TAVERAS ’03 Haverhill, MA

STEPHEN TAYLOR Meriden, NH

CHRISTOPHER P. YOSHIDA ’96 New York, NY

KIMBALL UNION MAGAZINE

MAIL:

Kimball Union Magazine welcomes submissions, letters, and comments. We reserve the right to review and edit all material that is accepted for publication. Please email submissions to Tricia McKeon at tmckeon@kua.org or send to: Kimball Union Magazine, PO Box 188, Meriden, NH 03770.

Head of School

Unearthing Buried Treasure

On Saturday morning of Reunion Weekend, I was meeting with a sizeable group of alumni to discuss the many ways KUA has evolved and stayed true to its core since their years on The Hilltop. We had a wonderful time together, as their excitement at the remarkable progress the school has made in programming and infrastructure was matched by the deep appreciation I felt for their probing for the heartfelt storylines that define a KUA experience.

Some of the people we talked about that morning come alive in the pages of this magazine. You’ll want to hear what powered three students out of bed in the early hours of a spring Sunday. Legendary KUA teacher and mentor Scrib Fauver P’09 ’12 shares what drives him in the classroom after all these years. The stories we explored together, unsurprisingly, all spoke to amazing people, both past and present, who unselfishly gave of themselves to support others and led the Academy to be successful and proud.

An alumna in attendance, Andrea Murray ’87, is featured for her work as the principal architect in the rebuild of two of her old homes—Kilton and Welch residence halls. Our retiring faculty were also of great interest to our alumni, who were happy to salute these amazing educators and delighted to hear we will find their faces in the crowds of future productions and competitions. With alumni returning for the weekend to celebrate everything from a fifth to a seventieth reunion year, sometimes the stories of “Stretch” Gillum and “Grubby” Douglass would get intertwined with John Kluge ’66

and Rich Ryerson. Thankfully, Steve “Bish” Bishop H’00 was in attendance and could decisively resolve any inconsistencies in the plot lines.

Following the group’s curiosity, we took deep dives into KUA history. Our alumni were amazed to find the deepest part of our history had been hidden for decades in the most unlikely of places: behind the walls and hung ceilings of the old Snack Bar. Its relocation this past year was a journey of unearthing buried treasure. Even better than the barn’s physical structure, we found, were the stories the space tells. From the earliest days of Daniel Kimball to the beautiful reflections you will read in this magazine from current students, there is a depth to the people at KUA that is readily accessible if you take the time to truly understand their stories, motivations, and perspectives.

Every year, it is a great exercise in humility to remember the amazing journey we have completed and the remarkable seniors we send off to the corners of the world. They follow scores of graduates who marched off this very same Hilltop equally equipped to write the next chapters of their stories. The joy we take in celebrating our current students never fades, as our alumni inspire our continued awe with their thriving professional and personal lives. With each passing year I spend here at KUA, my confidence is affirmed as we are connected to more and more of our alumni.

We look forward to seeing you soon. K

TYLER LEWIS Head of School

“The joy we take in celebrating our current students never fades, as our alumni inspire our continued awe with their thriving professional and personal lives.”

Parting Words

Each year at Commencement, the parting class searches for meaning at a time of transition and transformation. With each event, speakers seek to rouse the perfect summation of their past, present, and future. For the Class of 2023, these were their parting words from their time on The Hilltop.

TYLER LEWIS HEAD OF SCHOOL

“Together here we’ve worked to build empathy, kindness, and belonging for ourselves and for those around us. We’ve steeped in values we believe in and it’s now on you to take those into the outside world and test their veracity—how much they have truly penetrated the core of who you are and who you will become.”

“As we embark on our new journeys, be ready for what’s unexpected. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. You’ll face many obstacles, challenges, and moments of doubt and fear. But you must keep going no matter what. The feeling of accomplishment makes it all worth it.”

“I’ve come to understand that beauty is not something inherent only to things like music, art, and mathematics. When I am absorbed with peeking into the realm of the abstract and trying to make sense of it, I lose track of the beauty that is more accessible: a tennis shot, a scene of sunset, a well-prepared history class, a gentle word of encouragement, a happy smile of someone enjoying their achievements and success. Beauty is everywhere.”

“My experiences here taught me a tiny bit about math, more about English and history, and even more about the need for commitment. At times, the ’60s seemed like the heart of darkness of America; in that great Conrad novel, Marlow says, ‘What you need is a deliberate belief.’ I think that what I had learned at KUA—about studying, about work, about ideas, about friendship, about myself—kept me focused and moving through it all and brought me to my deliberate belief. I think that the same should be true for you.”

EVAN

“The world needs all sorts of people and skill sets and simply mimicking the actions of others for the sake of popularity won’t get you anywhere. Have the courage to be great, to do what hasn’t been done, and to pursue what you love. Everyone sitting before you today has so much to give, and I’d hate to see that potential wasted because we succumb to the doubt of outside noise. Dare to be special, and you will succeed.”

“I also remember the first house fire I encountered as a Fire Brigade member. I was startled to witness the devastation of the power of nature, and I was even more astonished by the courage and mutual aid from every town around us. I soon came to the realization that this is the best time for us to collaborate—despite race, gender, or even our nationalities—in this time of the world, where changes occur so rapidly, innovations and technology constantly redefine our boundaries of knowledge, and human and natural disasters not once destroyed the peace and harmony of the human race.”

“We don’t know the struggles of others and sometimes just surviving and making it through is an accomplishment within itself. Our achievements are things we pushed ourselves to do, things that made us go further than we thought we could, not the things that made us go further or less far when compared to others.”

TOM LORD P’09 BACCALAUREATE SPEAKER

“I mean this in everything I could possibly tell you, how much this year has meant to me. If you watch the Last Dance with Michael Jordan, it’s no accident that his number is 23 and he is the GOAT. And you, Class of 2023, are the GOAT.”

FIONA SPENCE ’23 CO-VALEDICTORIAN

TINASHE MUHLAURI ’23

CRANDLEMIRE ’23 CLASS SPEAKER

JOHN KLUGE ’66 COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

WENSHI ZHAO ’23 CO-VALEDICTORIAN

ZHIYU “SAM” LIU ’23 BACCALAUREATE SPEAKER

“My experiences here taught me a tiny bit about math, more about English and history, and even more about the need for commitment.”

—JOHN KLUGE ’66

Hilltop

BRICKS AND MORTAR Steeped in History

The oldest standing structure in town just became the newest feature of the Kimball Union campus. The Kimball Barn officially opened this May near the athletic field complex on Route 120. The structure— once a sheep barn owned by Daniel Kimball, a snack bar for hungry students, a ski room, and later a storage facility—will now serve the community as a welcoming event space and provide a landing spot for visiting athletic teams.

The barn, which sat between Rowe and Miller Bicentennial Halls was dismantled and the beautiful timber-frame wood from the 1700s was salvaged and moved down Main Street to the site of the former Penniman House.

“Somebody had the vision here to say, ‘No, don’t crush the building and discard it—save the best parts and make something new that will have value and usefulness for a long time to come,’ ” says Trustee Steve Taylor, who worked with the Academy and the Town of Plainfield on preservation efforts. “These beams and posts represent craftsmanship from long ago, and they’re just steeped in the history of Kimball Union Academy.”

The building officially opened this spring in time for graduation. The Class of 2023 Gift Committee worked with seniors and parents to secure funding for the event space as the Senior Class Gift. The class hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the lead-up to Commencement, marking its place in the Academy’s long story.

“This will be a great resource that will always speak our history,” says Head of School Tyler Lewis. “I think it’s going to be the postcard of KUA.” K

Faculty book selections available for students to choose from as their summer reading assignment through All-School Reads

Alumni of the KUA Fire Brigade have returned to the area and volunteer with the Plainfield Fire Department

Rings from the Baxter Bell Tower signaled the official end to the academic year on May 26

Carys O'Connor ’24, Ben Lawton ’24, and Ava Mae Yates ’24 find great reward comes with the risks of being in the Fire Brigade.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT First Responders

At 3:44 a.m. on a Saturday in April, a pager woke Ben Lawton ’24 from sleep. The message: “barn on fire.” He peeked out the door of his dorm, Chellis Hall, to find an orange glow in the sky north of campus. His instinct was to run like hell to the nearby fire station, but members of the KUA Fire Brigade must wait for a partner before joining the Plainfield Fire Department on an evening call. Moments later, two classmates and fellow firefighters—Ava Mae Yates ’24 and Carys O’Connor ’24—streaked across campus from their shared dorm room in Mikula Hall. Lawton took off and joined them at the station, where they rode to the fire with Fire Chief Bill Taylor, Deputy Chief Matt Tucker P’20 ’27, Lt. Tom Robb, and Ryan McGraw ’98. Together, they were the first responders on the scene.

“Whenever there’s a fire, there’s something that lights inside you that brings excitement and nervousness,” says Lawton. “Even though we got there fast, it felt like it took forever to get there. A million different things run through your head.”

For the next six hours, the three student members of the KUA Fire Brigade helped knock down the fire that claimed the historic 1811 barn and moved on to the neighboring home. They returned to campus covered in soot and exhausted, as campus life hummed along as normal.

This is the life of the KUA Fire Brigade, a student organization that began 46 years ago and gives students the chance to train and serve alongside the town’s first responders. While many Brigade members have helped with traffic or alarms, a large structural fire is always a possibility when a call comes in.

“You know you have serious work to do,” says Darrell Beaupre ’86, P’16 ’20, faculty member and Brigade advisor. “You must put the fire out, but you have to keep the kids safe. There are certain rules that they must follow at the fire scene and what jobs they can do depending on their age and their training. Often, we’re outside the hot zone but there are also dangers.”

Lawton, who serves as volunteer firefighter in Shelburne, Vermont, is familiar with the

challenges of fire service in rural communities. The Brigade was assigned to water supply, ensuring that water could reach the trucks in lieu of hydrants.

“The initial attack saved the house without a doubt,” says Deputy Chief Tucker. “They hopped off the engine and got the water going and turned to the house with the barn burning behind them. The heat was intense. There was a propane tank between the house and the barn that was venting when we arrived, shooting flames 10 feet in the air.”

For Yates, her desire to help her community outweighs the risks of intense situations. Her mother grew up on a dairy farm, where in 1998 the barn burned in a fire claiming her uncle’s life as he was trying to rescue the family’s cows.

“I was thinking this felt full circle,” said Yates, whose family prioritizes community service because of that tragic event. “It’s always been on my mind, and it changed my family a lot. My parents knew I could be hurt but they were proud of me.”

Lawton and O’Connor agree that being involved in the community is what drives their participation in Fire Brigade. Both come from families of first responders, and O’Connor joined this year when she turned 16.

“I’m really interested in firefighting as a career, and I enjoy being able to help people,” says Lawton. “This is about my education, but it’s also furthering how I can be of service and help other people.”

Today, whenever Lawton, O’Connor, or Yates heads down Route 120 on a trip to town or to a game, they note the progress on the home’s restoration, knowing that they had a hand in saving it.

“I want to continue firefighting and be an EMT,” says Yates. “Carys and I were the only female firefighters there that night and it had an impact on me. I’ve always been taught that I can do anything. I know I belong at the fire scene just as much as anybody—that’s what the Fire Brigade has done for me.” K

“I belong at the fire scene just as much as anybody—that’s what the Fire Brigade has done for me.”

—AVA MAE YATES ’24

Hilltop

COLLABORATION New Grazers

Four lambs join a social enterprise. Four little bundles of joy arrived on The Hilltop this spring, as two of the KUA ewes gave birth to two female and two male lambs. Herbert, Hilda, Heidi, and Hashbrown joined the flock that makes up the Kimball Union Farm.

The lambs are part of a social enterprise designed to resolve an environmental challenge using an entrepreneurial approach. With approximately 20 acres of fields that are mown once annually for open space management, the Academy must pay for mowing contracts and deal with the environmental impacts of burning diesel to run tractors. The lambs are earning their keep by grazing on one acre around the solar array, which requires more frequent mowing.

“Our sheep enterprise is exploring the feasibility of accomplishing our open-space management goals by substituting grazing animals for tractors and by producing wool instead of diesel exhaust,” says Blaine Kopp, who manages the farm program. “We are still in the early stages of our exploration, but things are looking good.” K

RETIREMENTS The Final Chapter

At a time when the median years an employee has been with their current employer tops out at just more than four years, we say goodbye to four faculty who have devoted a combined 75 years of service to the Academy. These four individuals invested countless hours into teaching, coaching, and advising, all to offer their students a meaningful educational experience.

JOHN KLUGE ’66

Kluge retires after 34 years as an English teacher and college advisor. He served as chair of the Cum Laude Committee for close to 20 years, chair of the English Department for decades, dorm head of Mikula, and chaired two successive NEASC reaccreditation committees. He was an early recipient of the Mikula Faculty Recognition Award and received the KUA Medal in 2023.

“John Kluge is an integral strand in the fabric that is KUA. From his days as a student in the ’60s to his decades

as a leader of the English Department, John has been a consistently visible and thoughtful leader in the community. He has worked with students as a teacher, as a college counselor, and as a dorm head and has always had their best interests in mind. He is an intellectual with a great sense of humor, and his students recognize and appreciate his genuine love of teaching.”

—John

Custer

P’02 ’05

RICH RYERSON

Ryerson wore many hats in his 19-year career on the Hilltop and found a home in Barnes Admission Office, where he helped countless students and their families discover the joys and experiences of a KUA education.

“You can’t go to an admission event with other schools and not have someone ask how Rich Ryerson is doing. In so many ways he’s the longstanding face of KUA on the road. He has made so many connections to the Academy during his 19 years with educational consultants, placement directors, and families. His professionalism and

kindness are recognized by everyone in the profession. His presence on the road will be missed but so many.”

—Nick Antol, Director of Financial Aid

DEB SPRINGHORN P’17 Springhorn retires after a lengthy career teaching English and history, with the past eight years here on The Hilltop. During her tenure, she served as codirector of the Global Scholar program and coordinator of the Global Fair. Her courses were renowned and included “Global Issues Since the Fall of the Wall,” which was developed with a grant from the Christa McAuliffe Foundation, and “Honors Global Literature.”

“She invites students to sit at her table and envision a version of themselves that they hadn’t believed would be possible. That other version may seem far away, but she knows they can traverse the expanse; they can push themselves to speak in iambic pentameter, to publish articles on geopolitics, to write 12 pages on The Merchant of Venice with multiple secondary sources, to debate Joseph Conrad.”

—Jenny Blue P’24 ’26 English

Department Chair

MICHAEL DOHERTY P’11 ’16 Doherty said goodbye after 14 years as the George Akerstrom Chair of Athletics at Kimball Union, where he led a successful Wildcats athletics program. As a coach, he led both the boys and girls varsity programs and served as a sought-after advisor and a dorm parent.

“Mike has been a transformative athletic director at KUA—embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion while always working cooperatively with coaches, teachers, and the arts to ensure KUA had an excellent athletics program that was also equitable and balanced.”

—Julie Haskell P’13, Dean of Faculty

Sports for Social Change

Items and boxes of

Nearly one in three people will be in an abusive relationship sometime in their life. To help end a cycle of abuse, KUA’s One Love Club is encouraging students to spot signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships. On May 10, the club joined forces with the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Athletics Council for a day of games to raise awareness and provide teammates and classmates with tools and resources. Home teams donned “One Love” warm-up shirts, while the campus and local communities came out in full force for a BBQ and bake sale to raise money for the One Love Foundation, a national organization that helps end relationship abuse.

“We reached our goal of bringing the community together, and it was amazing to see how many people showed up for the event,” says Svia Russman-Araya ’24, a lacrosse player and member of the One Love Club.

“I joined One Love my freshman year hoping to learn more about the foundation, and now we’ve come so far with presentations and workshops throughout the year that are all due to the wonderful and passionate members on the One Love Club and KUA community.” K

“We reached our goal of bringing the community together.”

—SVIA RUSSMAN-ARAYA ’24, A LACROSSE PLAYER AND MEMBER OF THE ONE LOVE CLUB

Entries were removed from catalog lists after six sections of sustainability classes called to cancel unwanted catalogs coming to KUA

Skeins of yarn produced from the fall sheep shearing

student belongings held in summer storage

Hilltop

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

What’s the Point?

Scrib Fauver P’09 ’12 finds purpose in helping students fall in love with learning.

I love being a high school teacher. I considered getting a Ph.D. and going the college professor route, but in the end, I found students to be far more interesting than any academic discipline. On the KUA website I’m listed as a French teacher, but this goes way beyond French. I don’t just teach Voltaire; I teach students.

For a long time, my goal was to be the best language teacher ever. I watched master teachers at work (John Rassias at Dartmouth, Tom Kardel at KUA, to name a few), I went to conferences, and I read everything I could get my hands on. That goal served me well, but lately I’ve found myself drifting in a different direction; sometimes you need to think beyond your goal to see where you’re really headed. Being the best is not the point. The point is to keep learning. Actually, the point is that our students fall so in love with learning that they won’t ever stop. I want to model that.

I love teaching because there’s always more to learn and I get to help others. Job one is to create a safe, supportive learning environment. Job two is to balance rigor with creativity and boisterous fun. Every summer, I look back at the school year to see what sparked students’ joy and what drew blank stares, and I try to eliminate the latter for the coming year. I don’t use textbooks because you can’t prune a textbook. I also choose which of my colleagues’ best ideas I plan on stealing. In September, I dust myself off and try again: new year, new tree ring.

In the fall, I always invite my advisees to share their academic goals. Without fail, they say, “Get straight A’s.” This makes sense. We’re a college preparatory school, after all, and good grades are the keys to the kingdom. Striving to get top grades is a sound strategy if your goal is to get into a top college. Let’s pause that thought. Is it possible that the “good grades/best college” goal might be limiting? I think so, although it’s hard to see it from high school. If you matriculate at the college of your dreams, are you done? Say you graduate from college summa cum laude. Mission accomplished? Of course not. You’re just getting started.

I speak from experience. Like my advisees,

my goal in high school was to get the best grades and attend the best college. From that perspective, I succeeded: I attended an Ivy League college, spent two years teaching at an independent high school, went to law school, and took a job at one of the top law firms in Boston. There I was, on top of the mountain— or so I thought. If I’m being honest, I think my goal was more about getting up there than anything else.

Then a funny thing happened: That old teaching voice started whispering in my ear. I volunteered to help with a high school trial advocacy program in Boston public schools. I coached a youth soccer team in my town. My mountaintop had a great view, but the whispers persisted: There had to be more. It turns out there was. I was one of the lucky ones; I found a way to look past my goal of being the best to see what my real purpose was—helping students fall so in love with learning that it informs the rest of their lives. To be sure, I want my students to love French, but I want them to love learning even more.

Since I’m writing this in late May, I can imagine the eye rolls from my current students. With the weather warming and the trees blossoming, I think their love of summer might outweigh their love of learning right now. But it’s my goal and I stand by it. A wise colleague, English teacher and Coach Matt Underhill, told me the other day, “As coaches, it’s more important to instill a love of the game in our athletes than to teach them specific skills.” Amen.

At KUA, our mission is to “create a deep sense of belonging for every member of our community. Through intentionally designed experiences and challenges, our students develop the knowledge, voice, and character to live with purpose and integrity.”

Finding your purpose is a deeply personal endeavor. No one can find it for you. It may land in your lap; it may require years of searching; it may become your avocation or your vocation. But if you can find your way back to yourself, your true self, it will allow you to live with passion, gusto, and wonder.

And that, my friends, is the whole point. K

THE RASSIAS METHOD Fauver has studied master language teachers at work.

College Destinations

The Class of 2023

727

Applications sent to colleges & universities

197

Institutions admitted KUA students

99

Students enrolled at 73 different colleges and universities

6 Students will attend the University of Denver, the most popular college among the class

17

Students will attend school in New York State, the most popular state among graduates, followed by Colorado with 11 students

3

Students will attend college outside the United States, in Canada, Scotland, and France

1

Student will take a post-graduate year

Adrian College

American University

Amherst College

Arizona State University

Auburn University

Ave Maria University

Bates College

Belmont University

Boston University

Brandeis University

Brown University

California State University (Long Beach)

Carleton College

Case Western Reserve University

Chapman University

Clark University

Clarkson University

Coastal Carolina University

College of the Holy Cross

Colorado College

Colorado School of Mines

Connecticut College

Cornell University

Dartmouth College

Dickinson College

École des Hautes Etudes

Commerciales du Nord (EDHEC) Business School

Elmira College

Emerson College

Emory University

Eugene Lang College of Liberal

Arts at The New School

Franklin & Marshall College

George Washington University

Georgia Institute of Technology

High Point University

Indiana University

Ithaca College

Keene State College

Kenyon College

Lafayette College

Lake Forest College

Merrimack College

New York University

Occidental College

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rhodes College

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Saint Joseph’s University

Skidmore College

St. Lawrence University

SUNY College at Cortland

Syracuse University

Trinity College

Tulane University

University of Arizona

University of California (Davis)

University of California (Irvine)

University of California (San Diego)

University of Colorado Boulder

University of Connecticut

University of Denver

University of Massachusetts (Amherst)

University of Nevada (Las Vegas)

University of New England

University of New Hampshire

University of Oregon

University of Rochester

University of South Carolina

University of St Andrews

University of Toronto

University of Vermont

University of Wisconsin (Madison)

Washington University in St. Louis

York College of Pennsylvania

At KUA, our mission is to “create a deep sense of belonging for every member of our community.”

—SCRIB FAUVER P’09 ’12

Hilltop

CAMPUS LIFE Set in Stone

If you look closely as you meander through campus, you will discover beautiful and smooth, hand-painted stones tucked at the edges of paths, near the steps of buildings, or sometimes in the most unexpected nooks and crannies of inside spaces. Each fall, students in the humanities course, “The Search for Meaning,” paint these mandala stones during a unit on Buddhism. When Tibetan Buddhist monks complete sand mandalas, an essential final step is to wipe the sand away and destroy the creation, putting the emphasis on the journey rather than the final product. Throughout the year, the mandala stones rest on the classroom windowsill, witness to the class’s journey. When the year ends, students each choose a sacred place to leave their stone where weather and time naturally test their permanence.

1. Colby Boyce ’24

Elva’s Bell is rung after every win, so I have chosen this spot for my love of sports and winning, as well as the great memories with my team it brings back.

2. Daniel Heroux ’23

I will be putting my stone by the stairs next to the hockey rink. My best and worst memories have mostly happened there. The beauty of a great win or grand loss are what make it so special.

3. Elvin Stowell ’23

I will leave my mandala stone in the small, grassy area outside the eastern wall of the weight room, near the downstairs door to enter the gym and locker rooms. This location looks out over the meadow toward the Grantham range, a beautiful view I consider one of the best on campus.

4. Freya Liu ’23

I am in my room, looking at the leaves dancing with the wind. Sun is bright, wind is comfortable, and everything is perfect. There are bowls I made and tarot cards I like to draw when I am feeling misery. I seem to understand why I pick my room as my sacred place.

5. Isabel Brozen ’24

The theater tech shop has always been a place of legends in my mind. The stories, work, stress, and

laughter of generations of tech students live in its walls. I am not the only student to feel this is a sacred place. Every year, when we clean and sweep away the sawdust, we find mandala stones from past years, students consecrating this place in their own minds like I do.

6. Jacob Kettwig ’23

I will be leaving my mandala stone with the rocks and pebbles outside the front entrance of Akerstrom Arena. Hockey is what planted my roots here at KUA and the bond with the people in that locker room was really something special. We went on to do great things together throughout the season.

7. Jai White ’23

I will give my stone to Ms. Lord. She is by far the most influential person to me on this campus. Ms. Lord makes my day every time I see her, and she has been a major reason why I enjoy being at KUA. In my three years here, I took only one course with her, anthropology—the most enjoyable class I’ve ever taken.

8. Kylie Donovan ’23

I have decided the farm is the perfect place for me to put my mandala stone. I am choosing the farm—in front of the red shed— because so many special memories have happened there all through my time at KUA.

9. Madisun Lacasse ’23

My sacred place is in front of the Meriden Congregational Church’s “Black Lives Matter” sign. I picked this place because the sign is representative of me because I am African American and knowing that they care about the “Black Lives Matter” culture really puts a smile on my face.

10. Tatum Rivers ’23

I will leave my stone by the big tree on the grass area between Dexter-Richards and the church. I love the spot as it has a great view of the sunset. When I spend time there, there are rarely other people around and it feels very peaceful. I love just lying in the grass while looking at the trees, sky, and the birds that fly by.

11. Tom Huang ’23

I am writing this in Doe Dining, and this is the place I will put my stone. This place gives me a sense of relaxation. I spend the most time with my friends here and in front of those friends I don’t need to put on a mask, I can just be myself.

12. Will Kramer ’23

I will be leaving my stone down by Janie’s Bench near Chellis Pond, overlooking Pope Field and the scenery behind it. My stone can sit and enjoy the nice summer weather while waiting for autumn leaves to fall as new and returning kids trot onto Pope Field in September.

“I will leave my stone by the big tree on the grass area between Dexter-Richards and the church. I love the spot as it has a great view of the sunset.”

—TATUM RIVERS ’23

Hilltop

COMMENCEMENT

Agents of Change

When John Kluge ’66 departed from KUA in 1966, he wanted to hit the road, charge into the rest of his life, and not look back. As students, he and his friends reveled in their time on The Hilltop, but also caught glimpses of the world outside—the Vietnam War, draft protests, civil-rights marches, birth control, and the generation gap—while gathered around a small TV in the Snack Bar.

“It seemed a world in turmoil, going crazy, indeed wild waves to navigate,” the Commencement speaker told the 107 graduates at the Academy’s 207th graduation ceremony on May 26. “The world you are entering is proving to be equally complicated, equally challenging.”

After spending time away from New Hampshire, Kluge was drawn back to the Academy to teach English. Like the Class of 2023, he closed this chapter of his KUA experience, retiring at the end of this academic year. His time as a teacher offered myriad insights into the life of today’s teenagers, confirming that their lived experience is not wholly unlike his own.

Class Speaker Evan Crandlemire ’23 confirmed his observations in his address. “Uncertainty has reigned supreme over the last four years with the global pandemic and increased political polarization and tensions,” said Crandlemire, who will attend the University of Connecticut. “Though here in Meriden we are blessed with seclusion, these issues were very much present on our campus, and for many of us, caused hardship. Some didn’t make it through these trying times and couldn’t make it to today, which shows the strength, resilience, and potential that comprises the graduating class of 2023.”

Despite these acknowledged challenges and hardships, Crandlemire and each of the other speakers at Commencement spoke sincerely to how the heavy weight of the world was lightened by their KUA experience. “Back in that great turmoil of the ’60s, I think that what I had learned at KUA kept me moving forward,” said Kluge. “I kept reading books, I held tight to my friends, and I remembered those meaningful moments from my years here.”

Head of School Tyler Lewis highlighted how members of the Class of 2023 found joy in these same experiences. “This class reveled in their friendships. Rooted in strong family connections, they built relationships—deep, meaningful bonds—and gave of themselves freely, discovering humility and that true satisfaction came in shining the light on the efforts of their peers.”

Those friendships were further solidified this year as the class also navigated the loss of one its own, Burke Ryder ’23, who passed away in November after a battle with cancer. Ryder posthumously received the Class of 1920 Award, a recognition given by seniors to one classmate who they believe represents Kimball Union values and personifies how they would like their class to be remembered.

As Crandlemire pointed out, strength, resilience, and potential will be the traits forever tied to the graduating class.

“In the turmoil of our time, I know that you can see and think and speak with clarity,” said Kluge. “I know that you care and that you can be agents of change.” K

107 Graduates in the Class of 2023

1

KUA

2 Valedictorians

26 Graduates completing Arts, Global, and STEM Scholar programs

15

Hours Scribner Fauver

’12 spends practicing the pronunciation of names to read at Commencement

“This class reveled in their friendships … discovering humility and that true satisfaction came in shining the light on the efforts of their peers.”

“In the turmoil of our time, I know that you can see and think and speak with clarity.”

—JOHN KLUGE ’66

Medal awarded to John Kluge ’66 to recognize his outstanding work on behalf of the Academy

—TYLER LEWIS, HEAD OF SCHOOL

P’09

Hilltop

Power of the Game

Indigenous lacrosse teammates share the gift of their culture.

Bleyton Hopps-Thompson ’25 can’t recall a day when he didn’t have a lacrosse stick in his hands. Birth, he believes, was his introduction to the game.

“That’s just how it is back home,” he says. “Everyone starts playing lacrosse at a young age.”

Home for Hopps-Thompson is the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation, or Akwesasne. Located in northern New York and southeastern Ontario, Canada, it is home to the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. Hopps-Thompson arrived at KUA as a freshman, following in the footsteps of his father, Evan Thompson ’96, who also played ice hockey and lacrosse for the Wildcats.

Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States, but with its meteoric rise it has also developed a reputation as a game for the privileged East Coast elite. However, lacrosse is rooted in Native American tradition and today Indigenous communities are trying to change the narrative by reclaiming their culture, educating the public on the sport’s origins, and competing on the world stage.

“I’m happy [our message] is spreading to different people,” says KUA teammate Joiise John ’23.

“More people playing is more competition and more enjoyment.”

Last fall, Hopps-Thompson and John qualified for the Brogden Cup; part of the USA Fall Classic hosted by USA Lacrosse in Maryland. Each played for development teams under the Haudenosaunee Nationals men’s team—John with the U18 team and Hopps-Thompson with the U16 team—taking on the U.S. and Canadian teams. Last spring, Hopps-Thompson was also selected to play in the Heritage Cup for the U15 team.

The Haudenosaunee Nationals team, formerly the Iroquois Nationals, represents the six nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora. The men’s and women’s teams are seeking entrance into the International Olympic Committee to compete as a nation when lacrosse returns to the Olympics in 2028.

“We are a sovereign nation, but we don’t have our own sovereign land,” said John, a member of the Seneca Nation. “We’re a separate nation, and I think about it as playing for a people, not a set of lands.”

Lacrosse holds profound significance for all the athletes playing for the Haudenosaunee teams. “It’s considered medicine and it’s good for your spirit. This is a game we play for the Creator,” John explains. “Obviously, it’s a game and I do want to win, but it has a deeper meaning. You’re supposed to feel good practicing and playing it.”

Lacrosse as medicine is why Hopps-Thompson and his family gathered for a game of lacrosse after his grandmother’s death last year. “It helps everyone come together and be thankful for the time you had. It was one final game she could see.” He also points to the power of the game after an exhausting day in class. “I’ll walk up to the field, and as soon as I pick up my lacrosse stick I have so much energy and excitement.”

At KUA, John and Hopps-Thompson also see the practical side of their talents. While both are excited by the idea of one day securing a spot on the men’s national team, their immediate goals are to leverage lacrosse for opportunities in college. John, who graduated in May, heads to Cornell University where he hopes to pursue his dream of

becoming a dermatologist.

“Bleyton and Joiise’s contributions to the team go way beyond their lacrosse skills,” says Nick Antol, KUA varsity boys lacrosse head coach. “They have been culture-changers. I assume most American youth players are aware of the sport’s history but don’t do a great job of honoring its past. Bleyton and Joiise play the game the right way; they’re passionate, tough, and remarkably unselfish. They lead by example, and our guys want to emulate that.”

As for the work of changing the lacrosse narrative, athletes such as John and Hopps-Thompson still find ignorance and resistance along the way.

In a game with KUA last year, members of an opposing team taunted Hopps-Thompson for his long hair, a symbol of strength and power to Indigenous people. Hopps-Thompson took to social media to reflect on the experience and help others understand his heritage. “This game was a gift to my people, Hotinonshòn:ni, from our creator, Shonkwai’tison, and our gift to the world—so we must treat it as one. Honor it. Play with good intentions, play hard, and most importantly, play with respect.” K

7 KUA alumni played in the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Hockey Tournament and two KUA alumna played in the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Hockey Tournament in 2023.

WORKOUT

32 students and four faculty members completed The Murph, a 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and a 1-mile run done to honor Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy who was killed in Afghanistan.

CHAMPIONS

Varsity softball won the 2023 Lakes Region League Championship with a 7-3 win over Tilton. The team went 12-3 for the season.

TOURNAMENT

COLLEGE BOUND

Towson guard Nick Timberlake ’18 committed to the Kansas men’s basketball team. Timberlake was a coveted player in the transfer portal this year and elected to play for the Jayhawks over other high-profile programs.

8

Hours for the KUA grounds crew to plow Pope Field after each snowstorm in preparation for the spring lacrosse season

NOMINATED

The Montreal Canadiens nominated Jordan Harris ’18 for this year’s King Clancy Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to his community.

TEAMMATES

“Play with good intentions, play hard, and most importantly, play with respect.” —BLEYTON HOPPS-THOMPSON ’25

Bleyton Hopps-Thompson ’25 and Joiise John ’23 qualified to play for the development teams of the Haudenosaunee Nationals.

Hilltop

THE ARTS

Creating Beauty

Cullman Scholar draws on her experience in a Dominican Republic maternity ward for her capstone project.

Last summer, as many high school students were relaxing and shaking off the stress of the school year, Ariatnny Castillo Montero ’23 threw herself into the center of a chaotic maternity hospital in the Dominican Republic. As a Cullman Scholar, she shadowed doctors; witnessed births, c-sections, and hysterectomies; and observed the harsh reality of obtaining quality healthcare in the country where she was born.

The Lawrence, Mass., native returned home confident in two things: She would look to pursue a career in medicine or healthcare, and her experience would inform her capstone project for the Arts Scholar Program during her senior year at Kimball Union.

The Cullman Scholarship Program supports students in off-campus study programs as an opportunity to explore their academic interests in an area of their choosing. “I was very in love with my Cullman experience, and I wanted that to come across in my capstone,” says Castillo Montero.

Her early capstone idea—to create figurines that express fertility, female productive rights, and empowerment—would demonstrate her talent in ceramics, which she discovered and cultivated during her four years at KUA under the direction of teacher Ursula Fries-Herfort P’14, ’17. Castillo Montero’s proposal was inspired by ancient, prehistoric figures such as Venus of Willendorf, a statuette of a woman believed to have been carved nearly 30,000 years ago. She hoped to address the evolution of beauty standards.

With time and reflection, however, her cap-

stone evolved to include all types of beauty. “I wanted to represent women, but also everyone in society, and my project changed to include masculinity and people in the middle of both genders,” Castillo Montero says. “Each figure represents something different to me, but they are open to interpretation and the perspective of the viewer.”

One figure is an older woman surrounded by vines, evocative of Mother Nature. One figure represents growth and learning, while another expresses the pressure on young girls to cover their bodies. Fragile masculinity is represented through spikes protruding through the body of a male figure, while a smaller piece suffers from scratches and scars.

The bodies were wheel thrown, then molded and shaped. Castillo Montero added decorations and surface designs by hand before finishing them with a wash in cool tones of blues and greens.

“It’s a discovery process for me,” she says of her work in ceramics. “I never would have thought during my freshman year I’d be able to do this, but I really enjoyed the process. It’s very therapeutic.”

With her capstone and graduation behind her, Castillo Montero is looking ahead to attending Brandeis University, where she hopes to continue chasing all the passions that came to life during her time on The Hilltop. “I see medicine as a career and my future,” she says. “My Cullman was such a pleasant experience. Being in the hospital made me realize that this is really for me.” K

AWARDS

Annabelle Blue ’24, Hanna Noto ’24, and Anna Woo-Sam ’23 were inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts for their outstanding artistic merit, leadership, and academic achievement.

DANCE

The Akwaaba Ensemble visited in May, holding master classes with Dance and Music Activities. The ensemble performed traditional Ghanaian dance and music with students and faculty at All School Meeting.

70 students brought Little Shop of Horrors to life for the Winter Musical.

CAPSTONE

Addie Kopacz ’23 wrote and illustrated the children’s book The Great Eggscape: Welcome Home Henrietta for her Arts Scholar Program senior capstone. Kopacz debuted the book, which aims to get young kids thinking about where their food comes from, during a reading at the KUA Farm.

AWARDS

Two students received national recognition for their digital art in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Elena Wang ’25 received a National Gold Medal Award for her piece Youth, while Dora Chang ’24 received a National Silver Medal for her work titled Little Bird (right).

NEW BEAUTY Artist combined talent in ceramics with an appreciation of evolving standards of beauty.

“It’s a discovery process for me.”

—ARIATNNY CASTILLO MONTERO ’23

ART SHOW Taylor Gallery hosted "Seeking Identity: Individual Works by the Potters of Miranda Thomas Pottery" in January.

RESIDENTIAL

REVAMP

THE ACADEMY BREAKS GROUND ON A $10.8-MILLION PROJECT TO EXPAND KILTON AND WELCH.

BY TRICIA MCKEON

Laughter streaming from the lounge, conversations with a dorm parent over a plate of warm cookies, rooming with a new friend from across an ocean, late-night study sessions in a classmate’s room, floor hockey in the hallway on a snowy day—for KUA alumni and students, dorm life evokes many memories from their time on The Hilltop. So when the Academy undertook the process of creating a Campus Master Plan in 2020, followed by a Strategic Plan in 2022, the experiences of students and faculty emerged as a focus area. “Our residential program is a central part of the experience for every student and adult at KUA, and this project is about creating spaces—appealing, spacious, safe, and welcoming living spaces for students and faculty,” says Head of School Tyler Lewis.

As a result, KUA is making strategic improvements in facilities to provide an equitable experience for all. With a physical plant that in some corners of campus dates more than 200 years, the Academy is committed to restoring historic buildings while adding complementary spaces to meet the needs of today’s community. The first step of this multi-phase project is focused on the residential communities at Kilton and Welch Residential Halls.

“Our aim is to improve the daily lived experiences of our students and our faculty, and our community came together in stating this as the No. 1 priority for the people of KUA,” says Lewis.

With fundraising and institutional investments totaling $11 million, the Academy was able to break ground on the project in May. Residence halls are slated to open in fall 2024. With successful fundraising efforts, Kilton will expand from a 14-bed to a 31-bed residence hall. Two three- or four-bedroom adjoining faculty homes will be added to provide additional touchpoints between adults and students. Next door, at Welch, the dorm will expand to include 18 student beds and an additional faculty home.

Lewis says the addition of faculty homes is in keeping with KUA’s ongoing commitment to attract and retain top faculty who can comfortably live and raise their own families while building meaningful connections with students. With the Upper Valley experiencing a housing crisis, the new construction is also timely.

The residence halls will center around an outdoor quad where students can gather with friends and faculty to socialize, play, and exercise. Full kitchens and an ample seating area will create gathering spaces for shared meals, events, or movies.

“What we know from both the headline news and the research is that our teenage students are working through many more social-emotional issues than in the past,” says Assistant Head of School Tom Kardel. “Creating these residences is one way we can better help address student needs and

facilitate student-adult interactions so we can have more eyes on kids and create better and deeper relationships.”

“What I loved about living in Kilton was how close everyone was,” says Adi Runge ’25, who lived in the residence hall for the past two years. “It was like a family—we were always there for each other. Kilton was such a place of comfort for me.”

Kardel says that although only some students will reside in the new residential halls, all students—including day students—will benefit from the new spaces.

“An important driver in the design of these spaces is moving away from larger, institutional-style buildings to something closer to a home-like experience,” he says. “These residence halls will create smaller spaces like those that students might find at home.”

Identifying an architect required finding someone who could balance an understanding of student and faculty experiences with longterm residential, sustainability, and energy plans.

It should come as no surprise the most suitable architect is Andrea Murray ’87, the founder and principal of Vermont Integrated

“CREATING THESE RESIDENCES IS ONE WAY WE CAN BETTER HELP ADDRESS STUDENT NEEDS AND FACILITATE STUDENT-ADULT INTERACTIONS.”

—ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL TOM KARDEL

Architects. The Vermont native, who called both Kilton and Welch “home” as a boarding student at KUA, returns to The Hilltop to create a comfortable and sustainable home for future generations.

“Our firm is committed to creating buildings that are not only good for people but good for our natural environment,” says Murray. “They will not be using fossil fuels and will source materials that are non-toxic and have minimal impact on the environment.”

The project is also attracting teachers who see educational opportunities as a natural extension of this work. Students in Ryan McKeon’s “Design Thinking” courses tackled four open design topics related to the new living spaces: dorm-room features, bathrooms, gear storage, and outdoor space. The teams used design thinking, which brings a human-centered approach to creative problem solving, to survey students on how they think, feel, and behave in relation to their living spaces.

Murray joined the groups’ presentations, which delved into quality-of-life topics that felt relevant to residents. They examined everything from desk preferences to how and where to recycle, from how New Hampshire humidity impacts flooring to whether they view free time as “chill” or “active.”

“The real joy has come from listening to students,” says Murray. “It’s eye-opening and funny to hear the thoughts of what needs to happen through the students’ lens. They are going to take this experience out into the world, and it will be exponential.” K

Help Us Make a Home on The Hilltop

The start of this project was made possible through the generous investments of lead donors and with support of the Kimball Union Academy Board of Trustees. Successful completion of this project is reliant upon continued support of the KUA community. If you are interested in learning about further developments and supporting this project, please contact Stacey Summerfield, director of institutional advancement, at ssummerfield@kua.org or (603) 469-2125.

BEHIND SCENES THE

BACKSTAGE AT THE WINTER MUSICAL

As the audience at this year’s Winter Musical, Little Shop of Horrors, experienced all the magic happening on stage, a highly choregraphed and well-rehearsed production was transpiring behind the scenes. Thanks to talented faculty and highly trained students, the costumes, makeup, lighting, sound, and puppetry brought a dazzling display on stage for three rousing performances. Peek behind the curtain to see how a show comes to life.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY COURTNEY CANIA

OUT OF THE SPOTLIGHT

Dora Chang ’24 served as a runner for the show, helping with costume changes for the role of Audrey II. During performances she would wait at the edge of the curtain for entrances and exits. “I was very nervous because I only had 30 seconds for a change and there was one time, I didn’t get it done. I like watching the scenes but it’s important I stay out of the way.”

IN THEIR SHOES

Far left: Eva Kelly ’23 helps Pip Keen ’24 on the final touches of their costume change between scenes. Kelly and Keen practiced by setting a timer for two minutes to complete a full costume, makeup, and wig change. “It’s very stressful, but the adrenaline keeps you going. The actors are stressed out, so you have to keep calm,” says Kelly.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Natalia Mitura ’26 jokes with theater tech members Oakley McInnis ’24 and Blythe Adams ’26 backstage. “I thought it would be good to help them feel a little less stressed,” she says of her lighthearted time between scenes.

PIT CREW

Acting has been a part of the KUA experience for Sam Liu ’23, but this year he opted to play violin in the pit. “It’s way more fun, because without the pit there’d be no music. It gives me the sense we are supporting the entire show even though we don’t appear on stage.”

COSTUME DESIGN

Christine Britton designed and managed costume and makeup for the show, including 157 costume changes. For Little Shop of Horrors she sourced 71 pairs of shoes and 17 wigs—the most she's ever done for a show.

COMMON THREAD

The Urchins—Crystal, Ronnette, and Chiffon— help narrate the action in the style of a “Greek chorus.” The trio went through 13 costume changes each throughout the show.

GOOD GRIEF

Luchik Belau-Lorberg ’24, who played Mr. Mushnik, writes notes on the Grief Sheet—a list of costume items in need of repair.

“The final thing I do each night is check the Grief Sheet, grab anything else that needs work, and head home for the night,” says Britton. “I might leave some simple things for students to do, such as buttons or snaps, if I think they will have time the next afternoon.”

HEART SOULE AND

KUA’S TOP GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORER FINDS HER

PLACE ON THE WNBA COURT.

BY GREYDY DIAZ ’10

 TWO WEEKS BEFORE TAYLOR SOULE ’ � 8 WAS DRAFTED TO THE WNBA, THE � -FOOT- �� GRADUATE STUDENT PLAYED FOR VIRGINIA TECH IN ITS FIRST-EVER FINAL FOUR APPEARANCE.

When it comes to women’s basketball, Taylor Soule ’18 has put Kimball Union Academy on the map.

Soule became the first Academy graduate to make it to the WNBA when she was selected as the 28th overall pick by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2023 draft.

The 23-year-old’s journey to professional athlete didn’t start with a dream of playing in the WNBA. She came to KUA to pursue soccer, but that quickly shifted once she and others realized her potential. Soule started to take basketball seriously her sophomore year. By her graduation, she held the school record for top girls basketball scorer with more than 1,500 points, had been named a NEPSAC Class C All-Star three times, and was committed to play 134 miles away at Boston College.

There, she went on to earn All-ACC honors three times and became one of only six players in BC history to earn at least 1,500 points and 600 rebounds.

Soule used an extra year of eligibility—granted by the NCAA because of COVID-19—to attend Virginia Tech, where she sharpened her skills under Coach Kenny Brooks.

Two weeks before she was drafted to the WNBA, the 5-foot-11 graduate student played for Virginia Tech in its first-ever Final Four appearance, against the LSU Tigers.

Soule’s time at Virginia Tech was impressive; she started in all 36 games and averaged 10.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. As a Hokie, she received All-Academic Team recognition for the second time and was named Second Team All-ACC and to the ACC’s All-Tournament Second Team.

Currently, the rookie is playing in her birth city of Chicago. Soule, who was 1-week-old when she was adopted and moved to West Lebanon, New Hampshire, is looking forward to connecting more with her biological family in the Windy City while making the most out of her opportunity with the Chicago Sky.

In the following interview, Soule talks about what drew her to Virginia Tech, competing in the WNBA, and her continued connection to Kimball Union.

What made you want to go to Virginia Tech for your graduate year?

I still have a good relationship with BC, but I got what I needed to get out of there and knew if I wanted to do other things, such as play professionally, it just wasn’t going to be the place for me.

I wanted to go somewhere where I wasn’t a nobody. I had played against Coach Brooks for four years. My teammate Clara Ford from Boston College also committed to Virginia Tech, so at the time it was a no-brainer.

Looking back at winter 2023, you made it to the women’s Final Four and got drafted into the WNBA. Can you describe what these last few months have been like?

It’s been crazy. I’d say the first time I took a breath was an out-of-body experience. I very much knew I was the one doing all these things, but I don’t think I, or honestly a lot of my teammates, realized the history we were making [with the Final Four].

Getting drafted was all just like a fever dream. It wasn’t until I got cut from Minnesota, got to go home, take a deep breath, and recap that I realized what had gone on. Even now, I feel I still am trying to grasp the fact this

“I FEEL I STILL AM TRYING TO GRASP THE FACT THIS IS MY LIFE. I’VE HONESTLY BEEN BLESSED.”

—TAYLOR SOULE � 8

 Soule cuts a piece of the net after the Hokies win the 2023 ACC Women's Basketball Tournament.

is my life. I’ve honestly been blessed. Although some people do get to go to the league, not everyone gets to say they were drafted alongside a teammate after going to the Final Four.

Where were you the day you were selected by the Minnesota Lynx? Can you take me through that moment? Leading up to it, I had conversations with my agent and other people in the WNBA about possibly being drafted, but I still think I don’t realize that I’m the one living this life.

I was at school in my apartment complex with my Virginia Tech teammates Elizabeth Kitley, Cayla King, Chloe Brooks, and Georgia Amoore. My teammate Kayana Traylor got drafted first, with the 23rd pick, and we were all texting the group chat screaming, tweeting, and posting on Instagram. We’re going crazy. Then I got drafted. I saw my name go up on the board … and I stood up and all my teammates were screaming. I was like, ‘Ain’t no way.’ It was crazy.

How do you recall feeling at that moment?

I cried, because I don’t like to consider myself an underdog or have a chip on my shoulder but if you think about it,

I was adopted from Chicago and came from a small town, so to say, ‘I was drafted,’ is something that no one can take away from me. At that moment, I was just like, ‘I did this. I had all this help. I accomplished this amazing feat.’

The Chicago Sky picked you up on a hardship contract due to the team’s injuries. How do you like Chicago and does it feel like the right fit? I never want to see anybody hurt or injured. People, not just players, welcomed me with open arms. I just came in trying to be like, ‘Hey, what do y’all need from me?’ What they need from me is to be exactly the player I have been my entire career: That’s taking open shots on the offensive end, mainly playing defense, and having energy. … I have found myself comfortable in Coach Wade’s system and playing alongside the girls, and I’m lucky enough to have great vets who are smart. So, when they talk, I listen.

What were your welcome-to-the-WNBA moments on and off the court?

It was probably when we played in Vegas against A’ja Wilson and that was like, ‘Oh, she’s her and I’m me so I’m just gonna stand here with my hands up

and hope you miss.’ She did not.

I got to meet Natasha Cloud, who is my idol. It’s been cool to say, ‘I’m in the same league as someone I’ve looked up to for a while.’

As a rookie, have there been any WNBA veterans you’ve been able to lean on for advice? Has anyone been there for you during this transition?

I’ve been really lucky with the teams I’ve been on. When I was in Minnesota, Damiris Dantas was helping me out. Rachel Banham was huge in giving me confidence.

Dana Evans hasn’t even been in the league that long, but she’s been great.

Courtney Williams—I was in a game yesterday and I was screaming from the other side of the court asking her what play we were running. She’s been helpful.

Looking back at your experience at KUA, what’s one thing you learned there that you believe helped you both as a person and as a basketball player?

During my junior year, my soccer teammate Janie passed away. Although it was a really sad experience, it made me a better person, taught me to appreciate the little things and work hard but not be too hard on myself or the people around me because life’s too short that way. I play with more joy and more energy to make people smile because of her.

Do you keep in touch with any of your friends or faculty from KUA?

I keep in touch with some of the students. My best friend, Ava Dagres, doesn’t play sports anymore, but I still keep in touch with her. I have a really good guy friend, Nick Timberlake, who played for Towson basketball for three years and now he’s at Kansas playing. There are some people I still talk to and there are some teachers I still keep in touch with. The old lacrosse coach, Whitaker Willocks, and her family came to my game last night in D.C. K

Greydy Diaz ’10 is a multimedia journalist, host, and producer whose work has been featured on FIBA, The Undefeated, Andscape, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and more. She has collaborated with brands such as Nike, Under Armour, Visa, and Wilson.

Because of You

Thank you to more than 1,000 generous alumni, families, students, employees and friends who invested in Kimball Union this fiscal year.

Because of your support KUA provided financial aid to talented students, preserved our historic Hilltop campus, invested in the future of residential life, inspired our students to pursue their passions and find their purpose, and so much more.

Thank You!

(L to R): Dhamay Norgay ‘89 with his former advisor Stephen Bishop H’00, Norbu Norgay ‘21 with his former advisor David Weidman H’22, Nangsel Norgay ‘23 and her advisor Assistant Head of School Tom Kardel with former advisee Kenrab Norgay ‘19.

Connect

Top: Alumni gathered on The Hilltop in June for the 2023 Reunion to reconnect with friends, faculty, and classmates.

Middle Left: Stephen Terhune ’73, Michael Tessier ’73, Bob Withington ’73, and Rollin White IV ’73 at Reunion.

Middle Right: Morgan Ong ’15, Emu Haynes ’17, Alissa Vailiant ’15, Erin GregoryDavis ’17, Julia Surgenor ’17, Matt Thibert ’17, Jonathan Grigull ’17, Cat Sensing ’17 and Karla Radke P’21 in New York.

Bottom Left: (L-R)

Giuliano Fantilli P’21, Jason

Constantine P’21, Luca Fantilli ’21, Adam Fantilli ’21, Lucas Constantine ’21, Julia Fantilli P’21, KUA Head Coach Tim Whitehead P’18 ’20

Bottom Right: Kevin Wickless ’92 is joined by his wife Cristin and children Jackson and Maddy at the annual Fei Cup race.

Top:The Class of 2013 reunites after 10 years.

Bottom Left Former Cullman Scholars gathered in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Cullman Scholarship Program

Near Top Left: Michaela Igo ‘13 and Murray Dewdney H’20 P’06 ‘14 at Reunion.

Near Left Bottom: Eric Millbrandt ‘98, Peter Manns ‘98, Katie Manns ‘98, and Abigail Harrington ‘99 at Reunion.

“Our class gathered at KUA for our 40th reunion. It was a beautiful weekend full of reminiscing, walking the much-improved campus, and even getting out on the dance floor.”

ROBIN GRONLUND

’81

The Connector

Apple engineer Spencer Kulbacki ’14 dials in iPhone components.

If your daily routine includes an iPhone 14, then the work of Spencer Kulbacki ’14 is part of what ensures your device is reliable, structurally sound, and seamless from app to app. After he completed his degree at Rochester Institute of Technology, Apple invited him to join its team in Silicon Valley.

“Everyone applying to STEM jobs understands programming, electronics, or engineering very well, but during my interview it helped that I had something to show for my work,” Kulbacki says. In addition to his collegiate coursework and previous job experience, he included several personal projects on his resume that demonstrates his passion for the field.

“The interview panel and I spent more time discussing one of those projects than anything else, and that helped me stand out from the crowd,” he explains. He had several years of pet projects to use as catalysts for conversation, dating back to his days as a KUA student focusing on STEM and competing in robotics competitions. He cherishes his memories of the STEM program and bringing home trophies earned by his array of robots.

That love of the field earned him one of the most coveted spots in tech.

Today, Kulbacki is on the system integration team charged with connecting all the components in the iPhone. He collaborates with teams in charge of specific components—such as the camera module, the screen display, and the buttons—to ensure the final product works seamlessly. By now, the iPhone 14 is already old news. And although his current projects won’t reach the market for quite some time, Kulbacki continues to find inspiration in pursuing the next big thing.

Silicon Valley is an environment that works so far in advance, Kulbacki finds it difficult to predict the future with much precision. Right now, he’s particularly interested in up-and-coming apps that will support electric vehicles and personal transportation.

“The need for apps and technology in that area is exploding,” he says. “These products improve lives in a functional way, and those are usually the ones that will succeed.” K

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

A Real Shot

High-scoring frosh year at Michigan propels center to NHL Blue Jackets.

All eyes in Meriden were on Nashville, Tenn., on the evening of June 28, when the Columbus (Ohio) Blue Jackets selected Adam Fantilli ’21 as the third overall pick in the National Hockey League (NHL) draft. Following the draft, Fantilli hung up his skates at the University of Michigan, signing a three-year, entry-level NHL contract. “It was amazing to go through the whole process with my immediate family, extended family, friends, coaches and teammates,” says Fantilli.

“We’re beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to draft Adam,” says former Wildcat Chris Shero ’14, a Blue Jackets scout. “He’s an elite talent but an even better person, a dominant 200-foot player who can also take you out of your seat. Similar to his time at KUA, Adam’s going to have a profound impact both on and off the ice. We’re extremely happy to have him in Columbus!”

For the Michigan center, the draft was the culmination of a remarkable season. As a freshman, Fantilli helped the Wolverines secure their 27th Frozen Four appearance after scoring 30 goals in 36 games. A day after Quinnipiac ousted Michigan in the National Championship game, Fantilli received the 2023 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, becoming college hockey’s top player and just the third freshman to receive the honor.

“He has displayed a remarkable knowledge of the game and a dynamic offensive skillset that has set him apart from his peers. His contributions on the ice have been nothing short of exceptional, leading him to this

prestigious accolade,” according to the Hobey Baker Award Committee in its announcement. “His exceptional performance on the ice has earned him a place in the annals of college hockey history, and we look forward to seeing him continue to excel in the years to come.”

The Nobleton, Ontario, native arrived on The Hilltop in September 2019 just shy of his 15th birthday, following older brother Luca Fantilli ’21, who committed to play with the Wildcats.

“It was clear from the very beginning that Adam was extremely focused on improving every aspect of his game as quickly as humanly possible,” says Tim Whitehead P’18 ‘20, KUA boys varsity head coach. Although he was the youngest player on our team that year, Adam brought a remarkable intensity and competitive drive to every practice and game. At KUA, we practice hard and fast and we play lots of small games to develop hockey sense and that was right in Adam’s wheelhouse.”

After KUA, the Fantilli brothers headed to the U.S. Hockey League’s Chicago Steel before both moving to Ann Arbor, Mich. With Luca playing at Michigan and their parents residing in Toronto, Adam is eager to remain close to his family in nearby Columbus, Ohio.

Whitehead says, “It certainly won’t be easy playing as a 19-year-old rookie in the NHL, but I’m confident that through the next two to three years Adam will rise up to become one of Columbus’ top players and eventually establish himself as one of the best players in the NHL.” K

“He’s an elite talent but an even better person, a dominant 200-foot player who can also take you out of your seat.”

—CHRIS SHERO ’14, BLUE JACKETS SCOUT

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Class Notes

1953

Stanford B. Vincent (508) 457-6473

stan@vincentcurtis.com

Bruce Whitney writes from Sanbornton, New Hampshire: “Things are quiet around here; we have kept a low profile and stayed clear of COVID. Mud season was bad this year and the road is finally getting back to normal. We have not set a date for the boat launch yet. Last year it was in the water, but we never sailed just used it like a cottage, swimming and socializing. We will see how the summer develops. Maybe a Navy reunion in September in Baltimore. Hope all is well with you; we see your notes in The Laconia Daily Sun.” (This is a reference to my history pages, which appear weekly in the local Laconia, New Hampshire, newspaper.)

Howie Goldberg wrote he “had an appointment for an annual physical at 8:30 [in May] and got there to find out the doctor is home with COVID. Thus, a little time right now before my exercise class. I guess you now get a feel for how exciting life can be. Regarding grandkids, we had a great time recently attending our grandson’s graduation magna cum laude (unlike his grandfather) from Northeastern in architecture. Part of the festivities was a visit to the architecture studio to see what he, and other department mates, including Ph.D. candidates, had done. It was

mind-blowing to me. The actual ceremony took place at Fenway Park. The speaker was very good but made the same points too many times, keeping the kids and the rest of us out in the sun and heat too long. Another highlight for me was a great conversation with Byron Koh. It was wonderful to catch up with By and Fran. Before COVID we used to get out to Lenox for music, art, and theater, and on the way home we would stop and have lunch and great conversation with them. It’s been too long since we have been able to do that. I felt like we were back on The Hilltop discussing something from Mosh’s class. We also discussed his time with you [Warren] and others at Cardigan. As in the past, George Place and I get together for lunch about once a month. It’s always great having time together. We are going to see the Worcester Red Sox play in early June with a non-KUA friend. I’m not much of a baseball fan, but the camaraderie is always good. George and I are going up to, and looking forward to, the dedication of Al Munro’s portrait in the Munro House in June.”

George Place, as usual, has been supporting the Academy. In early May he attended a meeting in Boston with Head of School Tyler Lewis, some KUA staff, the board chairman, and some alumni for a brainstorming session about strategic planning. George said he was “very impressed by Tyler’s commitment to pursuing innovative ways

to improve the educational experience of the students and not accept the status quo of any aspect of Kimball Union’s mission.” George noted that, although not a reunion year for 1955, the portrait of Allan Munro would be officially presented to the school and hung in the Munro House following a ceremony during reunion. In late May George weighed in with, “I recently bought an investment property, and it has diverted my focus away from my class agent duties!” George talked to Ron Harrison recently, “and although he is experiencing some health issues, he is upbeat and actively teaching art lessons to a full class of students. I received a call from Joe Dickinson, and we are rescheduling a lunch date in June. The date of the Munro dedication is June 4, a Saturday. As I’ve indicated to our class members, I will send a copy to all of my remarks at the ceremony. Carolyn, Sheila, Howard, and I will be traveling to school for the event. Oh yeah, I called Dick Rose to see if he could attend, since the portrait was his idea, and he declined—a health issue being the culprit.”

I’ve had a couple of phone calls from John McIntyre ’56, who was a Laconia boy. He’s doing well and still skiing.

The latest address list from the alumni office indicates that Doug Dodge is now in Hinsdale, New Hampshire, instead of in North Carolina as previously listed.

I have continued my routine of Zoom meetings and getting a sec-

ond COVID-19 booster shot. The Laconia Historical and Museum Society has taken on several new projects, along with which I continue to produce a two-page history section for the local newspaper each week. In the “25 Years Ago” section there have been several references recently to that thennew phenomenon, the Internet. I remember it was only a couple of years before that when the Laconia newspaper had introduced personal computers—with color screens and a mouse! Prior to that, everything was keystrokes for commands— and yellow letters on a dark-green screen. Back to the present, the historical society has been posting on Facebook, which seems to generate a lot of interest. (It can sometimes be a bit disconcerting, of course, when the discussion turns to current politics and personalities!)

1955

Warren Huse (603) 524-6593

warrenhuse1@gmail.com

From Dick Rose: “Betty and I head up the Prime Timers ministry for the seniors in our church, where I serve as an ordained deacon. I am on home dialysis, which gives freedom to get out. I have made several trips to Virginia to visit our daughter. I can’t make the reunion.”

Ron Harrison writes: “Just finished my 13th year teaching watercolor painting to intermediate-level

DISPATCHES NEWS FROM ALUMNI

painters. Many, who have not won honors when they came to the class, are now winning prizes or selling their works.”

Howie Goldberg wrote in early June: “Thankfully, I am still able to keep in touch with some of our ’55 brothers. I had a great phone conversation with Byron Koh a couple of weeks ago. Just like on The Hilltop, I always enjoy my visits, even if on the phone, with By. He seems to be doing okay. I hope he is recovering from Fran’s loss. We used to get together with By and Fran during the summer, when we went to the Berkshires to go to museums and Tanglewood. We haven’t done that since before Covid. I haven’t mentioned it to By yet, but we may be going out that way this summer. If we do, we would like to see him. This may be his first notification of our plans. I have also connected via email with Ron Harrison. We used to have lunch with George Place and have made plans to do so in a couple of weeks. One of my sons-in-law studied for his master’s at Michigan and made me aware of the Fantilli brothers, who graduated from KUA, went to Michigan, and are on the hockey team. Adam Fantilli was their leading scorer and won the Hoby Baker Award as a freshman. He also played for Team Canada in the World Cup and scored the go-ahead goal in the finals. Obviously, I watched him as much as I could. He is an amazing player and still growing. Along that vein, two of my grandsons went to

Northeastern. I started following Northeastern hockey and discovered that a KUA grad was one their leading players and captain his senior year. He has gone on to play for the Montreal Canadiens. This year, the team nominated him for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, ‘given to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.’ As you can see, I’ve been busy following KUA hockey. After Covid and my brush with cancer, I have just rejoined the gym at Brandeis to get in playing shape. It started very well. My membership started on a Friday. I went to use the gym for the first time Sunday to discover that they are closed on Sunday during the summer. Oh well, enough said about good intentions.”

Charlie Darling wrote in early June: “Being octogenarians, Ann and I have slowed down a bit. We are sitting here on the banks of Delaware Bay, watching the tides rise and fall and the moon rise over the ocean. We have celebrated our 61st wedding anniversary. We have not done any serious traveling since Covid and not seen any other KUA alumni. I have been a director on our homeowners association and am retiring in two weeks. Our skeet shooting gang fell apart when several of the members passed from Covid. Our daughter has remarried a sterling guy and we are very pleased. Our granddaughter recently graduated

from the University of Delaware with a master’s and immediately found employment with a spin-off of DuPont’s agricultural chemical business, Food Machinery Corp. She is extremely knowledgeable of nematodes in soybeans. So far, our health is holding up, the only complaint being not able to work a full day and needing a short nap after lunch. I hope all is well with the remaining classmates.”

From George Place in midJune: Walter Phelps and Joe Dickinson called. Both are doing well. Walter is still actively keeping Wall Street on its toes, and Joe, Howie and I will look at our respective calendars for a lunch plan. I received a note from Dick Rose, who said he was already in touch with Stan ‘The Major’ Vincent, who will be driving up to his 70th reunion next week with his wife, Carol. My offer to drive him was quickly nixed by my wife, who reminded me that she drives me around to keep the streets safer, so who am I kidding? Stan is on his own and in a recent phone call, I learned he will be the only ’53 to attend the reunion. My wife’s cousin called me two years ago with a unique investment opportunity to buy a condo in a community being developed in Pinehills, Mass. The site overlooks Cape Cod Bay from about Truro down to the Sagamore Bridge. After a brief consideration, I decided to take the plunge and spent the next many months working on the finishes and the furnishings and all the while spending very

little time there. Carolyn was never a fan and wouldn’t consider living there, so after all the blood, sweat, and an occasional tear, she asked: ‘Okay, big shot, now what?’ Two weeks ago, we sold it to the cousin who introduced us to it in the beginning, so we’re back to square one—with a small profit! One of my sons-in-law owns a 42-foot sailboat and last year sailed in the Marion, Mass., to Bermuda yacht race. He came in sixth in his class of about 12 boats. We were able to follow his boat, Pax, through a GPS tracking system. Last April he invited Carolyn and me to visit him and my daughter, Oi, for a week in Antigua on the boat. Carolyn doesn’t like to fly and likes sailboats even less, so I took my other daughter, Diane, who likes both. Antigua has 365 beaches, so you can guess how some people spend each day in a year in the 80-degree weather. Thank God for the warm weather that’s finally arrived back home—86-year-old thin blood doesn’t like the cold!”

As of mid-June, Bruce Whitney wrote: “We are still in the same house on the same hill, but things are changing. No sailing for the last two summers. This past November, Ruth had a bad fall in the bathroom and broke one of her artificial hips, needing special surgery followed by five weeks of rehab care and two months of followup care at home. As a result, we are not able to get onto the boat and no longer can sail after 33 years on Lake Winnipesaukee. Time to drop the anchor. We

“As you can see, I’ve been busy following KUA hockey.”

—WARREN HUSE ’55

Class Notes

still are doing the shopping and housekeeping and have the greenhouse to take care of and lawns to mow, along with four cats to take care of (all walk-ins). Everything takes longer to do than it used to. I hope everybody is doing well and staying as healthy as possible.”

Finally, I have stepped down from the treasurer’s job with the Laconia Historical & Museum Society but continue as assistant treasurer. I’m happy to have someone else deal with the reports and other duties. I’m still compiling the weekly history pages for the local paper. One interesting project that I was involved with in the past three months, was a look into the Vietnam War and its impact on my hometown, Laconia, N.H., from the points of view of those who served and those who were on the home front. A teacher at the local high school had asked for our help in providing contemporary news reports on the topic and identifying local veterans for the students to interview. The file of clippings I’ve been amassing for the past 32 years while writing the weekly history pages was a perfect source. It also happens that Laconia sent a field artillery battery to Vietnam, 1968-69, and the students interviewed several of those veterans. The result was a webpage the students put together that, it is anticipated, will be refined and expanded by subsequent classes. As a result of participating in this project, I was invited to be a guest of the high school at a Memorial Day observance. I sat with other veterans as guests of honor on the football

1. Harriet Pringle, Gerald Pringle `53, Stan Vincent `53 and Carol Vincent came to the Hilltop for their 70th Reunion.

2. Class of 1981 members Pierre De Rochefort, Bobby Jones, Carl Strong, Scot Barry, Rob Lundin, Steve Baker, Sarah Lummus, Robin Munro Gronlund, Joe Thibert, and Lee Walker enjoyed their 40th reunion in 2022.

field—with the student body in the bleachers—rather an emotional, and rewarding, experience.

1961

William Hagar (802) 772-7448 whagar467@comcast.net

As I write this, on June 11, reunion for 2023 is wrapping up over breakfast on The Hilltop. I did not attend due to a family event in Falmouth, Mass., last week. Norm Turcotte was engaged with a graduation event for his grandson. Congratulations to all! Perhaps we’ll do better next year.

A note from Allen Rome reports that he visited campus last summer while touring colleges nearby with his grandson. Allen now resides in Delray Beach, Fla., as well as Boston and Gloucester, Mass.

Charles Cohen reports that he and Sandi continued to travel—selectively—during the pandemic. They both contracted Covid in January 2020 and again in May 2022. Their travels have taken them to Mount Shasta, Calif.; Yellowstone, Mont.; New Mexico; Iceland; and Morocco. They were also busy organizing the 50th reunion of the Illinois Veterinary School in Champaign. Additionally, they experienced the crazy snowstorm that got all the way down to Los Angeles, Calif., this winter.

A brief note from Fred Soule informs us that he has relocated to Kernersville, N.C., to be closer to their son, Matt.

A phone call to Tony Gilmore found him at home resting while recovering from hip replacement sur-

gery in April. Through his connections with Rotary, Tony continues to travel extensively, with trips to Switzerland, Italy, and Africa in 2022.

And here in Vermont, Jeninne and I recently visited with Chris Abajian at his retirement community residence in Essex Junction, Vt. At the time of the visit, I was preparing to have fusion surgery on my wrist at the University of Vermont to correct a painful condition resulting from a childhood injury. Chris is doing well coping, as most of us do with a variety of accumulated medical liabilities.

For Jeninne and me, it was a year of more medical challenges for her than we would prefer, but her general condition has returned to fairly normal. We enjoyed attending the New Year’s Eve wedding of our son, Scott Hagar ’90, in Simsbury, Conn. I was still able to get in 12 days of skiing at Okemo and very pleased to still feel comfortable and confident on the trails. Next year, I am looking forward to the attractive season pass pricing for over-80 skiers. At home in Mendon, Vt., we enjoy frequent gatherings with the nearby families of our two daughters and husbands and four grandchildren. All of us reside within a mile of each other and find it remarkable the way we can cover the gaps in our “village” when life’s challenges arise.

1962

Peter Booth

(207) 985-6426

pgbooth43@gmail.com

My 6-foot-11 grandson, Joseph Pe-

ter Estrella (named after his grandfathers), received 26 Division I baseball offers and accepted the University of Tennessee. He will join them this summer. He is completing his high school senior year at Brewster Academy and their basketball team played KUA this winter (KUA 40-Brewster 90). I would have been equally pleased if it had been the other way around. His 6-foot-4 mom, my daughter Allison Booth Estrella, had a free ride playing basketball for Boston College. She has been a huge influence. We moved from Kennebunk to Scarborough, Maine, and built a home next to Allison. Chronic issues have slowed this 61-year alumnus, but I was able to blow out all 80 candles on my birthday cake.

1966

Warren Carlson (wcarlplaywright@ mail.com) generously donated a copy of his book, A Boy, A Bike, Alaska, to KUA. It is a semiautobiographical account of the author’s solo trip across the country by motorcycle after graduating from high school. It includes the people, experiences, romance, and wildlife he encountered along the way to a summer job near Denali National Park in Alaska. We think this sounds like a great read! Many thanks to Warren for this donation.

1967

Robert Jamback (508) 561-1013

bobjamback@yahoo.com

Dave Hallock told me he has taught skiing as well as patrolled at various

New England ski areas through the years. He lives in Shrewsbury, Mass. Earl Rhue called and said although his surgically repaired shoulder is nearly better, he may need surgery on the other. Good luck, Earl. I attended many varsity hockey games this year and watched online those I couldn’t make. The coaches were Tim Whitehead, Matt Underhill, and Bryant Harris.

1979

Claire Dingwell clare.dingwell@gmail.com

Jay Stewart and his wife, Mela, are currently renovating a chalet at Mittersill Village, in Franconia, N.H. “As longtime Cannon skiers, we’re looking forward to more time year-round in the mountains with friends and family. We have enjoyed spending time in recent years with some old KUA ski team buds and hope you will come on up to Cannon this winter! I remain partners in a printing business, Puritan, and spend most of my time working on art and photography books for museums, commercial galleries, and independent publishers.”

Kim Osur, who has been married to her husband, Ed, for 25 years, started a new position at the University of Rochester in 2021. She is responsible for fundraising and special events for rare books and special collections along with all other campus libraries. Kim and I are still very best friends and see each other often.

Betsy Cantini is married to Peter Ike, and they live in Stamford, Conn. They have two grown chil-

“I am looking forward to the attractive season pass pricing for over-80 skiers.” —WILLIAM HAGAR ’61

Class Notes

dren and four dogs. They keep busy going to enjoy music and are both still working.

David Coffin has recently retired and is enjoying a bit of travel and music. He and Jay Stewart attended the Ski Race this winter and hope to have a better turnout next year.

I (Claire) live in Winchester, Mass., and retired from Harvard University Department of Economics at the end of 2020. There was a package, and I took it. I am now a private chef’s assistant specializing in gluten-free and special diets. I still ski at Cannon Mountain.

1981

Robin

Gronlund

• (802) 598-0424

rgronlund11@gmail.com

Last summer, many from our class— including me, Pierre De Rochefort, Bobby Jones, Carl Strong, Scot Barry, Rob Lundin, Steve Baker, Sarah Lummus, Joe Thibert, Lee Walker, Sean Cota, and Ray Jacques—gathered at KUA for our 40th reunion. It was a beautiful weekend full of reminiscing, walking the much-improved campus, and even getting out on the dance floor.

David Cook reports from Saco, Maine, that there’s lots going on in the Cook family. His oldest, Jonathan, got married in Salt Lake City, Utah, last June, which is why they were unable to attend our reunion. He says it was a blast. “Patrice Reilly ’80 joined the party! Jon has been in SLC for the last 11 years and Patrice has been a great family friend to us and Jon. Our daughter, Amanda, is in grad school at Harvard for education and just got engaged, so Ann and I are starting the

DISPATCHES NEWS FROM ALUMNI

planning mode for a wedding. Ann is not working and doing lots of full things in her spare time, and I’m still supplying the Social Security Administration with funds! I play hockey every Monday morning in Falmouth, Maine, with Pierre DeRochfort, which is pretty cool. We are a very formidable defense pair on ice! He travels overseas a lot and is doing well.”

Jim Friedlander shares that the last of his three daughters got married during Memorial Day weekend! “We have five granddaughters who seem to consume most of our free time. I have no intention of retiring in the near term—having too much fun with work and spending time (and money) traveling.”

We have learned of Dave Winslow’s passing in May. Dave lived in Falmouth, Maine, while also maintaining his family home in Southport. He ran a successful tug and barge business and during the past few years reconnected and stayed in touch with several KUA classmates. I believe he’d want us to remember the good times many of us had with him and how much he valued his KUA friendships.

Ray Jacques wrote that the loss of Dave Winslow was a tough hit to the Class of ’81: “Our hockey team was special and, at 25-3, we were as good as most any team I ever played on, including the 1982 U.S. National Junior team. Dave had an amazing work ethic, was a key part of our D core, and was well thought of by all. He will be sorely missed. I look forward to celebrating his life in July and seeing some of my teammates and classmates!”

Joe Thibert was sad to hear about

Dave Winslow’s passing as well. He shares that Dave was a fierce competitor, a first-class teammate, and had a great sense of humor! He says he has nothing but fond memories of Dave, as do many of us from ’81. Thanks to social media, I stay connected with a few classmates, including Sarah Lummus, who hosted an exchange student from France this past spring. It looked to me that she had a lot of fun showing this young teenager what life is like in Boston and on the Cape. Vaughn Harring’s daughter is on a very successful crew team at Middlebury College. He and his wife live an active life cross-country and downhill skiing and bike riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge, which is a fundraising event to help cure cancer with donations going straight to Dana Farber. Pam Boulanger Joyal works in the mental health field and this past April her daughter made it through training to earn her wings as a flight attendant for JetBlue airlines. Randy Reading is in the insurance business, engaged to his longtime sweetheart, and welcomed a new puppy into his house this past year.

For many of us, this was the year we celebrated our 60th birthdays. Congrats to all who joined this milestone club. I continue to work at Champlain College overseeing admissions, spending my extra time teaching an online course at the University of Vermont, and volunteering on the KUA Board of Trustees and at my local animal shelter walking dogs and taking care of cats. I’ve come to enjoy hot yoga and recently did a road biking trip to Acadia National Park and

Nova Scotia. My daughter, Annie Gronlund ’11, has been living in San Diego, Calif., for the past few years and working as a nurse on a bone marrow treatment floor of a local hospital. She was recently engaged and accepted into grad school at the University of Southern California to become a nurse practitioner. With a wedding to plan in the coming year, I have plenty to do! Wishing you and your family well. Please stay in touch by sending me an email at rgronlund11@gmail.com with your contact information and any news to share in the next issue of the magazine!

1983

Lauren Dole (971) 235-5973 lauren.dole@me.com

I am writing to share about the Class of 1983 40th Reunion. Chris Harris, Greg Nardone, Elise Stigum (and sister Tova), and Rob McGloughlin were also in attendance and all had a great time. I enjoyed the “State of the School” conversation with Head of School Tyler Lewis and was reminded that when we become a student, we become a part of a legacy. The conversation was an overview of the students before us, fun facts about the school’s history, and plans for the future. Rob’s quote for the weekend: “This is not the school I went to!” Tyler’s information gave me a sense of pride. I was impressed with the school’s approach to teaching based on neuroscience and working with the teen brain of today. Students are involved with sugarhouse and

farm, the planning and construction of the new dorms, gaining real-world skills as well as sustainability and environmental responsibility. Though the Snack Bar is gone from the original location, the “bones” were used to recreate Daniel Kimball’s barn by the lower fields. We had so many laughs and enjoyed going down memory lane. I learned a lot about the misadventures of life in D-R but also enjoyed hearing stories of life after KUA. Also in attendance were former faculty Woodie Haskins, who would love to hear from the hockey players, the Bishops and Mike Taupier. Mike led a fun and informative KUA trivia night.

The beauty of the KUA area was wonderful to see again as well. Request to classmates: I would love to communicate with you, but we are missing class contact information. Please email me at lauren.dole@ me.com or the Advancement Office at advancement@kua.org to share updated address, phone, and email of you and any classmates.

1989

Melissa Longacre

(603) 306-2024

mlongacre@myfairpoint.net

The Class of ’89 continues to be a bit elusive! I want you all to start planning right now to return to Meriden in June for our 35-year reunion! Yes, you read that right—35 years! Surely that warrants a trip to The Hilltop. I feel a bit more vested in KUA these days as I’m working in the Student Life Office here. Dhamay Tenzing Norgay and Ray Mann were both on cam-

pus this May for the graduation of their daughter and son, respectively. Congratulations! Both of Andrea Bueno Keen’s children are here as well and I see Andrea at most musical performances, as Seb is involved in jazz and Pip is involved in music and theater.

Candi Osgood Strickland and her family have moved to Orlando, Fla. She invites anyone in the area to get in touch!

Kurt DePoy is in Dallas, Texas, with his two children. He works for Aethon Energy as its talent acquisition manager. He loves to travel and attends as many concerts as possible!

So far this year, Jim Jonas has had at least two children get married. His family—as well as his Goat Milk Stuff business—continues to grow in leaps and bounds.

Robin Amison Tarnoff eloped in February and has relocated to eastern Tennessee on Cherokee Lake. She loves it there and welcomes guests, so reach out if you are in the area. Her sunset pictures and garden are amazing!

Call your KUA buddies and start planning—you will be so happy you did! The campus looks amazing and exciting things are happening here! Did you know there are sheep and chickens on campus or that two new dorms are being built? Reconnect with your friends and remember why KUA is such a special place! Till next time….

Isn’t it great to return to routines:

vacations, gatherings, sporting events, and celebrations!

So many of our classmates— Drew Blicharz, Chris Yoshida, Colby Eldridge, Danielle Adams, Eric Dudenbostel, Jennifer Lenz, Joe Noguchi, Kate Stephenson, Kristine Pratt, Meaghan (Fuller) Stoddard, Meredith (Cass) Diamond, and Stephen Overman—had some great trips both local and international and a few of us were caught wearing our KUA gear. Alex Pierson is back to touring, so catch him the next time he’s in your neighborhood.

Many of us—Andrea McKnight, Benjamin Fisher, Bianca Saul, Bonnie (Jordan) Skobel, Caroline (Mans) Kolb, David Sefton, Evan Thompson, Jared Reigstad, Jessica (Landers) Bendell, Jonathan Romero, Justin Lillie, Meg Giulano-Otte, Pao Meader, Peter Schieffelin, Samantha (Holmes) Domagala, Sara (Benelli) Memmi, and Eric Dudenbostel—have been joyfully gathering with family or enjoying the thrill of watching our kids play in their respective sports, be it skiing, hockey, figure skating, biking, races, football, lacrosse, or gymnastics. Yali Ratheau can proudly say that her son, Corbin, is a jiu-jitsu champion!

Whether celebrating milestones or lives well lived, it is so nice to be able to do it together again.

pivoted with the many changes during three and a half years, and made it to their graduation through resilience and grit. I am in awe of the Class of 2023. Of course, I couldn’t help but recall with nostalgia our class, our graduation, and how in a flash we’re only three years away from our 30th reunion. Mixed with nostalgia was gratitude for all the efforts taken by the administration, teachers, and staff to make the high school experience special for us and all the kids who have walked on The Hilltop.

KUA also stepped up this past fall, when we lost our beloved Miss Howe. Although I planned to attend the celebration of her life in person, I was glad to have the option to join virtually to celebrate her legacy and proudly wear purple in her honor. I hope that our classmates Charles Donham and Lori Lamanuzzi were able to experience a celebration of life worthy of their fathers. Life is like a journey on a train: Be a good passenger to others and enjoy the ride!

Please feel free to share your news with me for future class notes at bianca@borislow.com.

2000

Kelly Farrell Millar kellyjanefarrell@gmail.com

bianca@borislow.com

Congratulations to Jessica (Jones) Purdy’s eldest, George, who graduated this spring from high school. I had the great pleasure of attending three graduations this year. In attending these graduations, it dawned on me what a milestone it is for students who were interrupted as freshmen with a pandemic,

Kelly Condon and I work in the same office at the University of New Hampshire. We get to see each other every single day—talk about keeping the KUA connection!

“Whether celebrating milestones or lives well lived, it is so nice to be able to do it together again.” BIANCA SAUL ’96

Class Notes

2008

Tai Nixa Peterson 603-731-4055 nixatai@gmail.com

Zach Dayno, Sarah Roberts, and I attended our KUA 15th Reunion on campus in June. We look forward to seeing more of you at our 20th Reunion in 2028!

2015

Alyson Young (603) 443-2107 aly.e.young@gmail.com

In honor of Shannon Walsh, who passed away on March 20, 2023, members of the KUA community shared their remembrances and reflections. Her parents, Kevin and Kim Walsh P’15, shared, “Shannon loved KUA, and she cherished the friends and relationships that she made. Thank you to all for the many great memories of her. Peace.” Some of the submitted memories from the Class of 2015 are shared here and more can be found online at adobe.ly/44cKQvQ.

Jaime Hier writes: “Shannon was an incredible light and a beautiful, dear friend. Watching her dance was always awe-inspiring; her athleticism on the stage and on the field was truly something to behold. Shannon was always kind and never had a bad word to say about anyone. The love she showed for her sisters and her parents always made my heart warm. The world is dimmer without her, and I will miss her very much.”

Mamadou Moustapha says Shannon was “one of the sweetest hu-

DISPATCHES NEWS FROM ALUMNI

man beings I’ve ever known. I had the privilege to know and share a lot of time with her as we shared the same passion for soccer. After KUA, we both went to play at UConn. She knew I was an international student, still adjusting to life in the United States, and she’d constantly message me to see if I was doing well or knock on my door and hit me with her usual, ‘Do you need anything, Moumou?’ That’s Shannon—a genuine and kind person. Thank you for being there for me. I do believe the most important thing for a person is to have a positive impact on the people they come across. Well, that she did. I’ll never forget you. All my condolences to her friends and family. Shannon, may you rest in paradise, where you belong.”

Taylor Ong wrote: “Shannon was a wonderful friend. She always knew how to make you feel heard and accepted. She cared and always took the time to show her support and, boy, did she know how to make you laugh! She had this knack for telling the funniest stories—she could brighten any day. I am forever grateful I got to be a teammate and friend to such a beautiful soul. Shannon, you will always be loved and missed.”

Morgan Sebor wrote: “Shannon was my first friend at KUA. We were neighbors in Kilton and shared a tent on our freshman camping trip. We bonded over our love of food and comedy. Shannon kept me laughing through our four years together at KUA. I am so lucky to have been roommates and friends with Shannon. Her kindness, incredible sense of hu-

mor, and commitment to arts and athletics always inspired me. I will cherish our time together and am forever grateful to have met her.”

Brandon S. wrote: “When I first got to KUA, I had a hard time finding my way around and fitting in. Shannon was there to lend a helpful hand or even just sit and talk. She always had a kind thing to say and made friends with everyone she came across. Shannon was one of the nicest and purist souls I have even known. This world is worse with Shannon not in it.”

Aly Young wrote: “Shann was a safe haven for me pretty much from the start—our friendship came together early freshman year in the way that the best ones do: quickly, with lots of laughs, and where everything feels comfortable. I was recently explaining this to a friend, and they reminded me that finding such a friend is so special and not everyone finds a person such as this in their lifetime, much less so early. I’ve said it a lot and mean it every time: I am lucky to have all the memories of Shann, that I’ve had her as my cheerleader and confidant and advice-giver, and that I have her family as my own. Thank you for carving out the space in your heart and your life for me for so many years—and being able to do that for so many of the other people and experiences that brought you joy. You’ve changed my life and played such an important role in shaping who I am. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for that. My biggest love to you; thank you for having the kind of soul that makes a once-in-a-lifetime best friend.”

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Deaths

Anthony J. Abbondanza ’04

Carleton F. Auer ’62

Craig Benware ’65

John W. Blodgett ’59

Wilbur W. Bullen Jr. ’50

James C. Carver ’50

Phillips Carter Cooke ’50

David J. Dean ’49

Lane Durgin ’54

Charles Frederick Geiger ’57

Ian A. Inverno ’96

Margaret Kurth H’10

E. Ted McNamara III ’50 P’02

Terence Prout ’74

Timothy Sample ’58

Shannon Clare Walsh ’15

Charles David Winslow ’81

The KUA community shared remembrances and reflections of Shannon Walsh, who passed away on March 20, 2023.

“Our friendship came together early freshman year in the way that the best ones do: quickly, with lots of laughs.”

ALY YOUNG ’15, REMEMBERING SHANNON WALSH ’15

1. Colby Eldridge ’96 was caught boating with his wife in KUA gear.

2. Alex Pierson ’96 reports he is back to touring.

3. Chris Harris ’83 and Greg Nardone ’83 enjoy a round of golf at Reunion.

4. Meg Fauver ’12 married Nick Shafir.

Find Your Way Home to The Hilltop

We invite Kimball Union alumni, families, and friends to join us on campus and around the country for events throughout the coming year. Save the dates and stay tuned for details and registration!

 September 21

Boston Harbor Cruise

 October 13-14

Family Weekend

 December

Regional Holiday Parties

 February 10

Ethics Day

 February 11

Feichtinger Cup and Harry Robinson ’74 Memorial Ski Day

 April 11 Day of Giving

 April 20

Grandparent’s Day

 May 31-June 2

Reunion

Make sure you’re getting all the KUA news and event information by updating your contact information at kua.org/update

Last Word

A Legacy of Lessons Learned

When Dustin Meltzer ’05 addressed students at the annual Senior Dinner, he recognized a member of the Class of ’23. She was fearless and courageous, he shared. She studied physics, algebra, and English; played basketball and tennis; enjoyed skiing and hiking around campus; and performed Shakespeare her senior year. That student, Laura Fellows Meltzer Class of 1923, was Meltzer’s grandmother and would be celebrating her 100th reunion this year. Here, he looks back at his trajectory to Kimball Union and the lessons he’s learned from his family’s more than 100-year span on The Hilltop.

In a world before LinkedIn and Google, my grandmother found her first real job in Cleveland. Today, the drive from Meriden to Cleveland is just shy of 10 hours, but her journey on dirt roads and in primitive automobiles, we presume, took much, much longer. There were two problems: She didn’t have a car; nor did she know how to drive. Unfazed by these two obstacles, she found something she could afford at a dealership, got a quick driving lesson right then and there in the parking lot, and off she went, with plenty of road between here and Cleveland to figure it out.

She taught me that when life presents an obstacle, be fearless and figure it out. Hop in a car, learn how to drive, follow your heart, and make it work.

By 1964, she was back in New England, raising two teenagers with her husband. While spending a week in Enfield, New Hampshire, on Mascoma Lake as the school year approached, she fondly recalled her time at KUA more than 40 years prior. As family legend goes, she asked my father, “Dale, how would you like to go to KUA?” Moments later, the entire family was traveling by boat down the lake to pay a

surprise visit to Headmaster Fred Carver at his summer cottage. With the boat anchored, the family approached the house with my dad still wearing his swim trunks. After an impromptu interview, Dale Meltzer ’66 was KUA’s newest enrolled student.

Weeks later, he moved into Densmore Hall and wrote his own KUA story by working on the school newspaper, yearbook, and even starting a radio station, WKUA, from his dorm room. The most important part of Dad’s KUA story, though, may be making a lifelong friendship with a classmate, John Kluge ’66. They have stayed close since their time here as students, through thick and thin and life’s highs and lows.

I learned from Dad and Kluge the importance of keeping your friends in your life no matter what. You will need them, and they will need you too.

Fast-forward to 2001 as I arrived on The Hilltop. In the years to come, I’d enjoy 11 seasons of theater activity, where I’d discover a passion and learn the true meaning of hard work. I found satisfaction and purpose inside the walls of Flickinger Arts Center. I learned to believe in myself, to blossom as an artist, what it means to be a good friend, and so much more.

In the years following my graduation from KUA, life took me on a journey to Ohio, Chicago, London, and back to the Upper Valley, where I returned to KUA. It’s where I work today alongside my best friend from high school and my wife.

The lesson I can share: Come back—whether to visit friends and teachers; to see the musical, a game, or graduation; for reunion; or, eventually, maybe, one day, to work here. Come back. K

Laura Fellows Meltzer with the Kimball Union senior class, 1923

“She taught me that when life presents an obstacle, be fearless and figure it out.” DUSTIN MELTZER ’05