Hilltop Magazine Fall 2021

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A recent graduate of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, Herfort is a vocal and fervent advocate for climate action.

Noah Herfort ’17

Former All-School President Haynes broke out of her shell and broke into the film industry.

It was reading Al Gore’s book Our Choice in Dr. Kopp’s AP environmental science class that helped lead Noah Herfort ’17 to where he is today. A recent graduate of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, Herfort is a vocal and fervent advocate for climate action and has pointed himself and his career at solving what he describes as our “gargantuan issue.”

“My parents always impressed upon me the value of environmental stewardship and made me aware of climate change before it was a well-known thing,” he says. “When I went to KUA, I took AP environmental science and it really piqued my interest in climate change. It really carried over to my university life and my outside jobs.”

At St. Andrews, Herfort pursued a joint honors degree in sustainable development and international relations. He served as editor-in-chief of the campus environmental magazine and as a student representative on the school’s Environmental Sustainability Board, which devised a plan for the university to hit net-zero carbon emissions by 2035—ahead of Scotland’s target.

“We live in a system that values economic returns and profits at the expense of the environment,” he says. “Real climate action requires a revision of the economy and the

“When I went to KUA, I took environmental science and it really piqued my interest in climate change.” political system.”

To learn how to do just that, he sought meaningful internship opportunities at home and abroad. At the American Embassy in Croatia he examined how the embassy could become more sustainable and use environmental awareness to foster stronger relationships between Croatians and Americans. Herfort then interned with the Climate Institute in Washington, DC, where he authored a paper on “The Impacts of Climate Change on the American Rural Health Care System.”

“I tried a breadth of different experiences beyond academics, which shaped what I want to do with my life,” he says. “I knew my passion, but this shaped the way I exercise my passion.”

Herfort is now working toward an innovation, public policy and public value MPA at University College London. The new program, designed by a leading economist, teaches students to lead in the public and private sectors to confront the challenges of the 21st century.

“Climate change and environmental degradation are systemic problems we can’t solve with cosmetic changes. The full breadth of society and our leaders need to step up to the plate.” K | FA L L 2 0 2 1 |

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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.

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Kimball Union draws from 200 years of experience to provide a 21st century curriculum that meets students where they are academically and prepares them for achievement in college and life.

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Facts Matter 25%

Day Students

340

TOTAL STUDENTS

75%

Boarding Students

GRADES 9 THROUGH 12 AND POST GRADUATE

22 countries represented 1,300-acre campus 10 miles to Lebanon Airport 12 miles to Dartmouth College

40,000 square-foot indoor, heated turf field

13 miles of mountain bike and

Nordic ski trails

6:1 student-faculty ratio 11 students in an average class 130 unique course offerings 20 AP courses 74% of faculty with advanced degrees

111 students accepted

at 207 colleges and universities in 2021

21 interscholastic sports 4

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Inside A View From The Hilltop. . . . . 5 The Faces of KUA. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Community Voices. . . . . . . . . 1 0 Campus Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 Student Voices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 Faculty Voices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 What is KUA Design?. . . . 20 In Class. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Cullman Scholarship. . . . . 2 6 Pursuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Hilltop Insider. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 4 Alumni Voices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

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| A V I E W F R O M T H E H I L LT O P |

Dear Student and Families,

I

encourage you take some time to explore the stories that are woven through these pages. I believe you’ll discover a shared culture that exists for every member of our community. It is one of belonging. In images, you will see smiles, camaraderie, bold ventures, confident performances, and a grounded sense of place. Here on our campus, you feel it in the way our people build meaningful relationships and create a safe and highly engaging daily life and connection. It’s a culture we’ve nurtured for more than 200 years.

As an educator and parent, I know that choosing how, where, and with whom to spend your high school years is one of the most profound decisions you can make. In exchange, we will make a genuine investment in knowing, affirming, and respecting the value you will bring to our community.

We offer a richly designed environment of intellectual growth and exploration, but your educational path will be yours to define.

Our role is to design intentional experiences and challenges that allow you to lose yourself in the intellectual pursuits, new ideas, and discussions that will help you write your own narrative. Our goal is to help you find learning both rich and rewarding so that you can develop the knowledge, voice, and character to find purpose in your life and make impact in the world.

I encourage you to come see Kimball Union for yourself. Meet our warm and welcoming faculty, our supportive coaches, and a community of students that can’t singularly be defined. They are here to welcome you, ignite your curiosity, and redefine what high school means for you.

I look forward to seeing you on The Hilltop!

TYLER LEWIS

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Day Student Varsity Lacrosse Global Scholar

THE FACES OF KUA

Dorm Proctor Lacrosse Player International Proctor Campus Activities Board

Class of 1969 AP English Teacher College Advisor

Arts Scholar Theater Tech International Proctor Varsity Soccer Campus Activity Board

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“There is an amazing feeling of community here where people feel so supported.”

Dean of Faculty Art Teacher Dorm Parent

STEM Scholar Captain, JV Girls Hockey Library Proctor

Academic Dean Dorm Parent Yearbook Advisor Science Teacher Baseball Coach Learning Center Farm Team STEM Scholar Tennis

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| COMMUNITY VOICES |

Alexis Liston ’03 A

s dean of community and belonging, Alexis Liston ’03 is tuned into the needs of students and works to ensure that all students find a true sense of belonging on the Kimball Union campus.

As part of the Student Life Office, Liston and her colleagues are focused on the health, wellness, and social-emotional needs of the students so that they feel well prepared for all facets of life. After graduating from KUA in 2003, Liston attended Mount Holyoke College and worked at independent schools and Dartmouth College before returning to her home on The Hilltop.

What is the goal of KUA’s student life programming?

Liston: We try to strike a healthy balance

between having room to try things and having room to fail and learn from those experiences. At the same time, we want to have a healthy safety net and provide information before students enter situations where they’re not equipped to make decisions. Students’ frontal lobes still have a way to go before they’re fully cooked. They need to understand the consequences that come from decisions, so we practice them and talk through them so they’re not so challenging for a young person.

Why is high school such a critical time in someone’s life?

Liston: I don’t know of any other time in

a human life when people are working so closely with other people who span a broad range on the path of development.

Developmentally, a ninth-grader is going to have different needs than a 12th grader, so we are intentional about what programming they receive and when they receive it. We work through critical topics such as health and wellness, time management, healthy relationships, and relationships with substances.

Why is belonging such a key part of the KUA experience?

Liston: Students at this stage are also 10

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working a lot on identity development.

It’s an important time to work with them on this process—who you are, who you want to be, or who you think you should be. We have such an amazingly supportive community that wants to push issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging forward, from alumni to faculty to parents. Our goal is to provide spaces for all of our community members to truly feel like they belong. It goes beyond a slogan or phrase.

Students have a lot going on. How do you deliver so much content?

Liston: We provide all this information in

a lot of different ways. Advising provides a space where you have a trusted adult and a group of peers for open, honest conversations. At All School Meeting students hear from outside speakers and experts. And our Choices program is particularly important for our ninth-grade class. It helps them as they transition from wherever they are in the world to high school.

You’re an alumna, what brought you back to the community?

Liston: We have 17 alumni working for the

school in various capacities from a range of class years. This is a testament to where we were, who we are, and where we’re headed.

I didn’t realize how hard this job is, but all the values and beliefs were instilled in me as a young person and being able to give that back to people is so special.

As a student, I had incredibly close relationships with a number of adults on campus. It was nice to have adults in my life, in addition to my parents, who could provide different perspectives and supports. One of the best parts of my job is having those relationships with students.

I love connecting with young people, to hear them and what’s exciting in their world, and what’s bringing them down.

Sometimes I offer advice and sometimes I just listen. That’s one of the most important parts of KUA. K

Liston is the head dorm parent in Bryant Hall, where she lives with her husband, Joshua, and daughter Winnie.

Dean of Community wants everyone to know they belong.

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Building the Foundation for a Happy, Healthy Life

Campus Life

At KUA, learning happens everywhere, which means it doesn’t stop when classes end.

Our program is designed to enable each student to achieve academic success through personal growth. Campus life offers you a family that supports, accepts, and helps you realize your full potential. It’s also a whole lot of fun.

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Advisory Program You will be assigned an advisor from the start of your time at KUA through college matriculation. This will be a trusted adult who is there to guide you and ensure that you get the support you need to find success and personal growth.

Residential Living KUA has a variety of residences for boarders to choose from, and students have a voice in where they’d like to live. This fosters the development of relationships within and across classes and gives every student the chance to thrive in the nurturing environment of multiaged supporters.

Each dorm is guided by a dedicated faculty member, or house head, who creates a healthy environment where students can find friendships, connections, and space in different ways. Each house head has their own approach to creating a “home away from home” that speaks to the individuality of the residents. For some, weekend baking and crafts are a favorite activity, while other dorms enjoy grill nights and Sunday afternoon football games. Dorm families eat together, study together, tackle problems together, and find space away from each other when necessary, just like a family. Typically, dorm meetings are held on Tuesday nights as time for discussion and general housekeeping, but also for community time and celebration. Student proctors help create a sense of culture and maintain respect within the dorms.

Day Student Life Day students are fully engaged members of the KUA community and are often described as “boarders who sleep at home.”

There’s no way to distinguish between our boarding and day students until the day is done. Our day student community —about 87 students—is fully invested in the KUA experience, participating in all academic, athletic, extracurricular, and weekend activities. They hold leadership positions and help shape the life of the Academy and the community and join their friends for meals in Doe Dining Commons.

Choices Program Choices is an integrated course for ninth-graders that focuses on social and academic skills and prepares students for their initial year and a successful career as a Kimball Union student.

Grade-Specific Programming Each year students are engaged in specific programming that promotes academic, social, and personal growth on topics such as leadership, ethics, and the transition to college.

All-School Meeting

Twice a week the entire school gathers for All-School Meeting, an important time for students and faculty to share, reflect, honor, and highlight the critical work transpiring on The Hilltop and in our world at large.

48 Adirondack chairs throughout campus for recreational and class use

20 Gallons of local chocolate milk consumed in an average week at Doe Dining Commons

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A New Mindset

BY HANNA ’21

I

like to dream big and set the bar high with everything I do.

I work hard to achieve whatever I determine the goal. The downside occurs when the goal becomes out of reach. If there is one thing that I have learned this year, it is that you never know what life is going to throw at you—but it all happens for a reason.

I love my family more than anything in the world; they would do anything to help me reach my dreams. My dad taught me how to skate when I was 4, and ever since hockey has been at the center of my life. I love the fast-paced, competitive edge needed to play the game. However, growing up in Utah, hockey is not a popular sport, let alone a popular girls sport. I played with boys. I always made the top boy team, and for two years I was invited to play on an all-girls tournament team based out of Vermont. At age 14, after my boys’ team competed in the USA Hockey National Tournament, my parents and I made the decision that I would go to the East Coast and attend a boarding prep school to pursue my dream to play in college.

With very little exposure to that part of the country, we stumbled upon Kimball Union Academy. The school had a beautiful campus, engaging staff, diverse student body, and strong hockey program. I instantly fell in love. Starting in my sophomore year, I settled well into the prep-school life of academics, sports, and friends. I looked forward to winter and the start of hockey season. With little experience playing with girls, I quickly differentiated myself with my size, strength, and physicality. I had been talking to coaches on both the D I and D III college levels, preparing myself for recruitment during my junior season. I worked very hard during the summer between my sophomore and junior years to prepare. I thought I was tough, but I found I am not invincible.

At the beginning of my junior year, I was required to play a fall sport, which ended up being field hockey. On September 18, I was defending a girl’s shot in a game. She followed through with a high stick. She nailed me in the chin and all I felt was a heavy thud. The girl who shot stopped cold, looked panicked, and asked if I was okay. With little pain at the time, I shrugged her off. I was determined to stop the other team from scoring—all I could think about was how I needed to keep playing.

It was not until four minutes later, when the game ended, that I started to taste the blood. It was then I felt the panic flood in. I was not okay.

The trainers told me it was a mild concussion, that I would be back on the field in two weeks. When two weeks rolled around, I was still unable to read a book for five minutes without feeling like I was going to throw up. My main symptoms were nausea, headache, lightheadedness, and sound sensitivity.

My pupils didn’t dilate the same, and my left eye would veer off.

I could not even remember my own phone number. Eight weeks later, my Spanish teacher, who was also the dean of academics,

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told me that I was going to get an incomplete in my fall trimester classes. I could not believe it had come to this. I was far from home, struggling with school, feeling awful, and nowhere near able to play the sport I loved. I saw vision therapists and physical therapists and got prescription reading glasses. I was taking four pills a day to help with migraines, nausea, and head rushes. It felt like an endless road of Band-Aids and shattered dreams.

Needless to say, I was confused, frustrated, and alone. I was angry about the impact on hockey, school, dwindling opportunities, and my general well-being. One day I called my mom, upset and complaining. She told me to snap out of it, focus on what I can do and stop dwelling on what I could not. I realized I had been fixated on everything I was missing—and it was making me miserable. So, the next day I set out to change my mind set.

I went to the art studio, somewhere I had never been before. It was calm inside and, as I walked through the door, I could feel some of the anger inside of me being lifted off my shoulders. I started going there every day. It was my escape.

I learned other things about myself. Being outside brings me joy and diving into cool water brings me peace. I enjoy helping others and was elected student body president for my senior year. As all-school president, I set out to create an environment that was safe and supportive for everyone, that showed people how to love KUA in the way that I love KUA. When social unrest starting happening in our country, I took it upon myself to really get informed and address it so I’d be comfortable talking about it. I worked closely with the Queer-Straight Alliance and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Committee and ran a workshop on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on white privilege and social bias. Last summer I took a neuroscience course at Stanford University through a Cullman Scholarship. It was probably the coolest experience I’ve had. It made me consider what else could I be doing if hockey wasn’t on the table in college.

These new discoveries within myself have helped to adjust my passion for hockey and the previous expectations of who I thought I should become and what my next steps would have been.

This experience has taught me that I am not a person to sit back and let things happen to me. Instead, I decide my attitude and my perspective each and every moment. Life is too short to be sad over something that may or may not change. This year I came to terms with that fact. I am proud of myself that I took the opportunity to look outside and learn more about myself.

There is so much now that brings me joy, not just one sport.

To this day I work to manage my symptoms and make an effort daily to find the joy and focus on what I can control. I often look back on that day in September, the day life threw me a major curve ball. Hockey will always be a part of me, but I am grateful for all I have now. K

Hanna is from Park City, Utah. She attends Western Washington University, where she studies ethics and neuroscience.

As she recovered from a concussion, this student-athlete discovered more resilient strengths and passions.

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| COMMUNITY VOICES |

Neruda ’21 & Clyde ’22 K

imball Union prides itself on being a student-led school, one that enables students to identify the areas in which they want to focus their time and talents.

Neruda ’21 and Clyde ’22 joined forces to create an affinity group for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). The BIPOC Affinity Group began meeting weekly, offering students a space to talk openly about issues and topics of importance in their lives and receive faculty and administrative support. The group offered a critical gathering space for students to discuss and process national and local social justice issues.

What inspired you to start the BIPOC Affinity Group?

Clyde: My dad is very big in activism. At

work he’s been identifying internships for people of color. He’s helped me get the courage to get the club underway.

We watch Black history movies together.

We like to be well-informed and ready to help others. I had a conversation with my parents about how there wasn’t a space for people of color to talk about stuff. They said, “You should start one.”

Neruda: When I applied here in 2017, I said in my interview that my goal was to create a space for students of color. I went to a predominantly white school before KUA, and I like having a space like that.

I carry my Puerto Rican and Afro-Latino heritage proudly. That’s why I’m not afraid to speak up. My country has gone through a lot of things with a hurricane and with COVID. My grandmother in Harlem died of COVID. I’m blessed that I’m here right now, but I know where I come from. That’s why I do the things I do. I never take anything that I do here for granted.

What are the meetings like?

Clyde: The meetings are confidential, and

you speak only if you’re comfortable. We start by asking how the week was, the highs and the lows. We clap for each other if we have a high in our week. We only had two people at the beginning, but then with word of mouth it started to grow. We had 16

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some people come at first because they saw we had pizza, but they listened and we talked about the election and one girl came up to me and said how much she appreciated it.

Neruda: The affinity group includes some people who don’t identify as people of color.

We sometimes start in a circle and also form small groups to talk among ourselves or if there’s a serious topic we want to talk about, such as the killing of another one of our Black men. The conversations range from week to week. They can be serious to warm to all laughs. Faculty have attended the meetings and shared stories. It’s good to hear their voices.

What has the group meant to you?

Neruda: It’s students speaking up. We’re

learning people care about issues and our voices. I found connection through that meeting and now I’m even closer to people than I was before. It’s allowing people to branch out. With Clyde and I, our paths didn’t cross last year, but we’ve now become good friends.

What can KUA do to support you?

Clyde: We need more faculty of color. It can

be hard having a white teacher teaching Frederick Douglass or Toni Morrison.

Neruda: I’d like to see more students of color and someone working in the Office of Admission who looks like me, someone who makes me feel comfortable. The person who took me on my tour spoke Spanish to me and that made me feel welcomed. I’d also like to see more tour guides who are students of color.

What’s next for you and for the group?

Neruda: I want to call Clyde next year

and hear how he’s doing, hear how the club’s doing. We have to carry this on so others can have it. I’m graduating and I want to come back and see change. We can’t do this by ourselves. It’s a question I asked on my college visits: Are there any affinity groups? Utica College is a pretty diverse community. I’m going to continue speaking up. K

18 Campus clubs From BIPOC to Ultimate Frisbee and everything in between.

Neruda ’21 and Clyde ’22 formed a friendship through a common goal of ensuring that students of color felt a sense of belonging at KUA.

New affinity group for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) encourages a range of voices.

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| COMMUNITY VOICES |

“[Students] find the joy of problem-solving and collaboration.”

Scott Domingos Scott Domingos is usually game for anything. Hoping to lift the spirits of students learning from home in 2019, he gleefully strapped on a pink unicorn helmet and hurled himself from a toddler trampoline and into a neighboring pine tree while on camera. It may not be the austere image you expect from the chair of the mathematics department, but it’s highly effective in engaging students.

Domingos’ approachability, combined with a drive to make math both accessible and challenging, has made him a fan favorite on The Hilltop. Last year, he was selected as the Baccalaureate speaker—for the second time since arriving in 2018 from Brewster Academy. Today, after 25 years of teaching, he leads a team of math educators who are finding innovative ways to bring their subject matter to life.

“We’re constantly discussing and collaborating how to be better math teachers,” he says of the department. “We never arrive at ‘we’re done.’ We’re always looking for ways to make it a better experience for students.”

Students are offered three levels of Algebra II and Pre-Calculus. “We spend a lot of time looking at data to know how to place kids when they arrive at KUA, so that they are challenged but not overwhelmed,” he says. “Kids need to be supported and encouraged.”

Students can access one-on-one help with teachers or peers through the Math Tutor Center. Math competitions have also become a popular campus activity. A dozen students competed last year online against students from high schools across the country through Math Madness. The team competes on weekends and trains using practice problems. This year the team competes against other New England prep schools through the Math League.

“The math team gives students confidence in their abilities and gives them a sense of how they compare to students on a national level,” he says. “They find the joy of problem-solving and collaboration.”

Helping kids find joy and spark a competitive spirit is working. Last year more than 100 students participated in the Mathematical Association of America’s American Mathematics Competition exam. Three students were invited to move forward to the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), with one competing in the U.S. Mathematical Olympiad, the top invitational competition for high-scoring AIME participants.

Outside of math, Domingos can be found at Akerstrom Arena with his other team—the girls JV hockey team. “The team is a blast,” he says. K

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“I’ve never loved the city so much as when I’ve lived here, because now I have the best of both worlds.”

All-School Co-President Varsity Soccer Cullman Scholar Theater

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33 Dogs live on campus with faculty members

Arthur Day Welch Chair of Mathematics Girls JV Hockey Coach Math Team Coach Domingos lives in Brewster House with his wife, Keilah, and children Luca and Emerson.

Sebastian ’22 When Sebastian ’22 chose to attend KUA and repeat his sophomore year, he felt nothing but annoyance. Today, he says that decision was one of the most transformational parts of his educational experience.

“That year probably played a significant role in my development and in becoming president of the school,” he says. “I had more confidence and made more connections.”

Sebastian, a New York City native, plays varsity soccer, serves as All-School Co-President, participates in theater, and has developed a passion for community service. This summer he worked with Resilient Power Puerto Rico, a grassroots initiative to bring solar energy and green jobs to Puerto Rico, and spent time with faculty at Harvard’s Phillips Brooks House to research the history of service learning and develop a service model that supports long-lasting relationships through an established network.

“If there’s one thing I’m doing as president this year, it’s laying the groundwork for service in the next five years. KUA gives you a chance to be in a leadership role really quickly, and I’ve jumped at that. The fact that this place looks beyond your record

when you arrive and sees who you really are is beyond golden.”

Sebastian also works with the Gosselin Learning Center, a team of specialists who work closely with students from across the institution on individualized and structured support to help them navigate the academic curriculum and build lifelong skills. “One of the things I like the most about the Learning Center is that it’s a place where I can go and talk,” he says. “I realized an adult was thinking about me daily and that settled me.”

KUA, he says, is a competitive place but one where student don’t criticize other people’s hardships. “What’s really cool is that the library study rooms are at the gate of the Learning Center, so all students are using the same rooms in the same area.

We’re all just trying to better ourselves.

Each person has their own journey, so we’re not going to knock each other for trying to improve ourselves.”

“I love it here,” he says of KUA and the Upper Valley. “I’ve never loved the city so much as when I’ve lived here, because now I have the best of both worlds. For people who haven’t visited the Upper Valley, it’s special. I want to soak this place up.” K | FA L L 2 0 2 1 |

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What Is KUA Design?

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Using relationships as our foundation, we leverage everything we know about the science of learning and how the brain works to create intentional experiences and challenges that are appropriately designed for each student. As a result, you’ll find your voice, develop new knowledge, and strengthen your character through a robust academic curriculum.

KUA Design is our approach to learning at Kimball Union Academy. Your unique experiences, interests, and abilities influence the way you learn and engage inside and outside the classroom, and tell us how best to support and inspire you.

That’s why, from the day you arrive at KUA, it’s our mission to learn about you.

This philosophy is infused throughout our environment. Learning transcends classroom walls; it occurs on a soccer field, on the stage, in an advisory group, over a shared meal, and throughout our residential programming. You’ll find that everyone here is highly invested in the intellectual and individual growth of our students. Our teachers engage you in all your pursuits, help you build confidence, and make education feel rewarding and satisfying. | FA L L 2 0 2 1 |

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In Class

A snapshot of what Kimball Union students are studying

What’s Going On in This Graph?

Math students learn graphical literacy Math teacher Beth Gilmartin is always thinking about how to deliver information that goes beyond mathematical equations, often bringing the world to the doorstep of her classroom in Fitch.

“One of the key ideas is teaching 21st-century skills and thinking about graphical literacy,” she says. “The truth is not all the kids are going to use a quadratic formula in their lives, but being able to look at graphs and interpret them is really important.”

To help prepare her students, Gilmartin’s Algebra I class participated in The New York Times’ weekly feature, “What’s Going On in This Graph?”

In February, the class examined “World Cities’ Air Pollution” graphs that show the air quality for 12 major cities from November 2018 to November 2019. Prompts such as “What do you notice?” and “What do you wonder?” encouraged the students to analyze the information and share their comments online, where discussions are moderated by teachers, industry professionals, and a collaborator from the American Statistical Association.

Gilmartin says that the students took particular note of air pollution spikes in Delhi, India, and San Francisco, California. Correlating the cities and the dates, they were able to piece together a larger picture of how life on the planet impacts air pollution. They took note of a crop-burning cycle in India’s capital and the impact of wildfires on air pollution in San Francisco. “This is teaching kids ways of getting stories. It’s not just about math, but also about social science to some degree,” says Gilmartin. “They’re learning good quantitative reasoning.”

Each week, The Times circles back to share insights from the student conversations and reflections. On February 25, the paper’s website cited Teegan ’24, who crafted her own headline to capture the story of the air pollution graphs: “Air Pollution, the Silent Killer.”

“Everyone is going to have to read and interpret graphs,” says Gilmartin. “The skills we’re developing can be used in all sorts of applications in the real world.” K

“This is teaching kids ways of getting stories.

It’s not just about math, but also about social science.”

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An Interdisciplinary Odyssey Students chart the velocities of the epic poem’s journeys.

Two ninth-grade classes— Literature of the Quest and Conceptual Physics—combined forces for an interdisciplinary class period to chart the velocities of Odysseus’ journeys.

Jenny Blue P’24, the Peter Holland ’57 Lionel Mosher Chair of English who teaches Literature of the Quest, provided students with the steps along Odysseus’ journey; while science teacher Jesse Mathers, who teaches Conceptual Physics, posed questions related to Odysseus’ velocity.“The disciplines aligned well since the epic poem provides an application for the formula that students in conceptual physics are learning: velocity=displacement/ time,” says Blue.

They collaborated to tackle questions that drew from both disciplines.

Mathers offers an example from the course: Scylla and Charybdis travel to Helios (perhaps near modern-day Malta).

The journey continues as they sail to Helios’ island (Thrinacia) through stormy seas. Upon arriving in Thrinacia, they encounter Helios’ sacred cattle. The stormy seas slow their travel and they are only able to travel at a speed of 25 kilometers each day. How long (in hours) did it take them to make their escape from the horrors of Scylla and Charybdis if they made it 290 kilometers fighting against the sea? K

AN ARTIST’S SELFIE Visual Art Teacher and Dean of Faculty Julie Haskell P’13 assigned students to create a “close-up self-portrait” in her Advanced Studio Art class with stunning results.

Alissa ’22 used pastel for her 12-by-12-inch piece.

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KUA’s three Scholar Programs prepare students for lives of leadership in areas of critical importance to our world. Working closely with KUA faculty, students explore a passion or interest through a two-year course of study. Each program combines coursework, community service, and experiential learning that culminates in a Senior Capstone project.

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Students don’t need to pursue a future major or career in their program area to benefit from a Scholar Program experience. They graduate with problemsolving skills, creativity, critical thinking, and initiative—essential skills for college and the future of work. Students may apply to a Scholar Program in the spring of their sophomore year, and new juniors may apply at the start of their first year.

Global Scholar Program

“It doesn’t matter that I didn’t become an art major. The seminars helped me develop an artistic eye from every corner of life, and the senior capstone nurtured my creative mind to combine different disciplines of art to send my message to the outside world.”

In an increasingly globalized world, you can become an active citizen of our global community through the Global Scholar Program. You’ll develop an understanding of the economic, political, cultural, and social issues facing our world.

The program is structured in three key areas: academic, experiential, and application.

Students admitted into the program maintain a rigorous academic course load with an emphasis on courses international in nature. Instruction in language will round out your academic experience.

Coursework is brought to life through travel, experiences, and immersion in our global society. Scholars benefit from KUA’s participation in the Global Alliance for Innovative Learning, which offers exchanges and conferences for students in eight countries. Through active participation in events on and off campus, Global Scholars develop communication skills and present their findings through a culminating Senior Capstone project.

Arts Scholar Program Do you enjoy learning through the creation and exploration of art? As an Arts Scholar, you’ll navigate a unique path that will enrich your education and give you the tools and creative voice to ask difficult questions and solve complex problems.

Through coursework, special arts seminars, and independent study, the Arts Scholar Program develops curious learners who engage the world with fresh and original perspectives.

The Art Scholar Program is structured to ground students in five areas: theory of art, creation/experience, community service, leadership, and appreciation. Arts Scholars present their work through a culminating Senior Capstone project.

STEM Scholar Program If you’re interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), you can tackle real-world challenges through the STEM Scholar Program. The program is structured in three key areas: academic, experiential, and application. Traditional coursework is paired with academic exploration through research and lab work. You’ll also participate in substantive fieldwork through internships and research programs, an honors course in design thinking, as well as STEM-related lectures and events, that all culminate in a Senior Capstone project.

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| CULLMAN SCHOLARSHIP |

An Immersion in Journalism E

mma ’21 immersed herself in campus life from day one at KUA. A natural-born leader, she is active in the yearbook, newspaper, Farm Team, Theater Activity, Selects, the Queer-Straight Alliance, and the Writing Center, as well as head of the Honor Board. A day student, McGonigle received a Cullman Scholarship and completed The New York Times Summer Academy.

Why did you choose a program with The New York Times?

I had enjoyed consuming media and had a passion for freedom of speech. I’ve always been politically and socially active. Honing in on my skills felt important. I won an award in eighth grade for an article on mental illness, so I guess I’ve taken some baby steps toward being a journalist. Before this program I thought about going to medical school to be a psychologist. I think that’s changed.

Were you able to connect with teachers and classmates?

I had to attend the program virtually at home in Vermont. Our teachers were all over the country and our classmates were spread around the world.

All of these incredible people had good stories to tell themselves. We were able to form these bonds because we had similar goals and aspirations. There was a willingness to discuss and a mutual respect.

What type of courses did you take?

I got into the foreign correspondence program, which was my dream program. We learned about the technical process of reporting, ethics, and how to be a good storyteller. We got to meet a lot of incredible people. I did a live interview with someone in the Harsham Internally Displaced Persons Camp in Iraq. He’s a computer science major, and I got to hear his story and his perspective on the world. It took him two hours each way to go to school. It’s like we are living on two different planets. His story was heartbreaking and inspiring.

That was my favorite experience of the course.

Any key takeaways from the program?

I did a photojournalism project with Tara TodrasWhitehall. I’m more of a notebook-and-pencil type of gal, which was good because you write about what you know to get started. I wrote about life on a mountain farm in Vermont. My homework was to sit and observe—dripping water, cat meows—just observe and be a part of it. It made me observe the beauty of my life. K 26

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KUA Activities: Yearbook, Newspaper, Farm Team Theater Activity, QueerStraight Alliance Writing Center Head of the Honor Board 2020 Cullman Scholar Valedictorian

“I wrote about life on a mountain farm in Vermont. My homework was to sit and observe.

It made me observe the beauty of my life.”

The Cullman Scholarship

46 Countries visited

by Cullman Scholars since program began

Created in 1983 by Hugh Cullman ’42, the Cullman Scholarship Program supports students in off-campus study opportunities. Previous recipients pursued courses of study ranging from serving as an international physician’s assistant in Warsaw, Poland, to studying microfinance in Kathmandu, Nepal. Last year, faculty representatives selected the 2021 scholarship recipients.

2021 Scholars: Aidan ’22: Bird watching, nature photography, and climate studies in Arizona Ariatnny ’23: Shadowing a Doctor: Global PreMed in the Dominican Republic Ben ’22: Working on conservation with the U.S. National Parks Helena ’22 : Studying with the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab and the Western Colorado Conservation Corps Libby ’22: Studying neuroscience at Harvard Summer School, researching epilepsy at Korle-Bu Hospital, and performing community service in COVID-19 Safety in Ghana Margaret ’22: Shadowing a Doctor: Global PreMed in the Dominican Republic Sebastian ’22: Supporting solar energy and working with Resilient Power Puerto Rico on energy incubation Sophie ’22: Working with Grassroots Soccer to combat HIV in South Africa Shannon ’22: Working with the Nature & Climate Project in Iceland Yohan ’22: Studying Community, Leadership, and Politics at George Washington University and volunteering at the Public Policy Office of Korean Congress in Seoul | FA L L 2 0 2 1 |

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Pursuits Beyond the classroom The Hilltop is thriving throughout the week as well as on weekends with students fully engaged in academic and extracurricular life.

Our student-centered approach means that students determine what they are passionate about, how they’d like to grow, and the ways in which they want to invest their time.

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6 Pigs cared for by the Farm Team

10 STEM Activity STEM Activity is open to all students to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through experiential projects. As a team, students work together to solve a problem or answer a question related to STEM by using the scientific method or engineering processes.

Projects are guided by the interests of the instructors and students, with some examples including developing an IoT network, designing and building an underwater ROV, exploring biotechnology, and making use of the KUA campus for environmental research.

Gallons of maple syrup produced using KUA’s syrup evaporator

Farm Team The KUA Farm Team practices sustainable agriculture on campus.

Students raise hogs and chickens, construct animal housing, tend a hydroponics greenhouse, and raise seasonal field crops. The Pork Project is our flagship program.

Food waste from the dining hall is fed to pigs, offsetting up to 15 tons of CO2 emissions annually and generating a positive cash flow for the club. Farm Team data are incorporated into the science curriculum, and the team’s work helps raise community awareness about sustainable food production.

KUA Fire Brigade The Kimball Union Fire Brigade is the only program of its kind in the United States. It is comprised of students and two faculty advisors who serve as active members of the Meriden Volunteer Fire Department.

Throughout the year, students undergo extensive firefighting training to respond to emergency fire and rescue calls.

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Pursuits Outing Club The KUA Outing Club is an afternoon activity that creates opportunities for students to explore and enjoy the outdoors through onand off-campus adventures at all levels. Canoeing on the Connecticut River, overnight trips, hikes, and backyard explorations are a few of the many events the club undertakes each year.

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Potato Patch An extensive network, including the campus “Potato Patch,” offers maintained and groomed trails on approximately 50 acres suitable for biking, nordic skiing, running, and walking. The trails are used by KUA’s Mountain Biking and Cross-Country teams and connect directly to the main Pope Fields athletic complex.

 58 Students participating in the Winter Musical

Visual Arts Our visual arts program offers a rich selection of both trimester and yearlong visual art courses and a vibrant afterschool program. Learning from teachers who are also working artists, you will explore a variety of media as you learn the important technical skills of the different disciplines. Our hands-on studio classes will help you find and develop the creative voice that will give expression to your ideas, feelings, and experiences.

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Performing Arts Performers of all abilities are encouraged to participate. Our unique Ensemble Period is a dedicated “sacred space” in the daily schedule free of conflict with other school activities that guarantees all students full access to music and dance ensembles.

Students earning at least one varsity letter each year

Athletics KUA provides excellent athletic facilities for the entire community. Nestled in the heart of the Upper Valley, our campus is the ideal training and recreation center for athletes of nearly any discipline and at all levels.

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| SPORTS |

Camaraderie of Competition E

ach spring as New England emerges from winter, the athletic teams at Kimball Union are already well underway toward the spring season. For the girls and boys lacrosse programs, led by head coach Nick Antol and head coach Whit Willocks, respectively, there is a sense of joy and camaraderie that can be felt from the locker room, to the weight room, to Pope Field. While Antol and Willocks both saw their seasons impacted by COVID-19 over the past two years, they’ve instilled a sense of purpose in their players lives that extends far beyond athletic competition. Here’s their outlook on coaching.

Did COVID-19 offer any silver linings?

Willocks: The biggest thing about losing a season was it made us appreciate what we have. You don’t know how good you have it until you don’t have it.

We learned to cherish every practice, every workout, and all of our time together. That played into the overall team atmosphere and the love they had for one another, and that translated on and off the field.

Antol: You realize quickly that you don’t need to have 20 games and a spring trip to make lacrosse special. We took the opportunity to get better instead of just focusing on winning. We had this mentality that you’re so grateful for the opportunity to play. Even if a game got cancelled, we were so grateful just to have the next ones.

How are the KUA lacrosse programs doing?

Willocks: We saw considerable growth in the program this season. We brought in some very skilled players and saw the overall level of play increase two-fold, a testament to senior leadership and the amount of buy-in and trust from the team. We were highly competitive.

These players were always ready to 32

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learn and to challenge themselves and their teammates. They were hanging in at parts of the game with schools we didn’t usually keep up with.

Antol: In the past, we didn’t have many kids that played spring sports. They came out of hockey and then decided to play spring sports too. Now we have kids that are dedicated spring sports athletes. This is their primary focus.

There’s more energy around it and on the campus. We hadn’t beaten a few teams for 10 years and we beat them last year – all at home. I’ve been coaching in New England for 17 years and lacrosse has really improved. This is really exciting because we are competitive not only in the Lakes Region but further south and into Boston, too.

What’s on the horizon?

Willocks: Female athletes at KUA are primarily multi-sport athletes. I value that and I want them to be proud of it.

In the off season I don’t want to overwhelm them and I allow them the time and space with their respective sports, but I also want them to be competitive.

I’m excited for what the future holds for girls lacrosse. I also attribute this to Nick [Antol] and his leadership and insight and the success he’s had.

Antol: If we’re going to make waves, it can’t be two little waves. We’re going to join forces. I want all these players to find another way to break out of lacrosse and lean into the community in other ways. I want other people on campus to find them to be good people. We all give these kids a chance to completely develop into student-athletes and not develop into just one thing. It’s not hard to sell a family on the KUA experience. This place helps kids turn it on. I feel super supported by the teachers here, and the student-athletes do better here than anywhere else, not because it’s easier, but because people care. K

13 2021 varsity lacrosse graduates playing in college this year

Girls Varsity Lacrosse Head Coach Whit Willocks has been at KUA for four years, previously coaching at Dartmouth College, Choate Rosemary Hall, and Andover High School.

Athletic Teams “The student-athletes do better here than anywhere else, not because it’s easier, but because people care.”

FALL

Cross Country Soccer – Boys Soccer – Girls Field Hockey Mountain Biking

WINTER

Ice Hockey – Boys Ice Hockey – Girls Basketball – Boys Basketball – Girls Alpine Skiing Freeskiing

SPRING

Lacrosse – Boys Lacrosse – Girls Baseball Softball Tennis – Boys Tennis – Girls Golf Track Rugby – Boys

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Hilltop

Insider

Your guide to 11 unique spots on and off campus that make the KUA experience special.

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Potato Patch An extensive network, including the campus “Potato Patch,” offers maintained and groomed trails on approximately 50 acres suitable for biking, Nordic skiing, running, and walking. The trails are used by KUA’s mountain biking and cross-country teams and connect directly to the main Pope Fields athletic complex.

Chellis Pond Students find themselves in this body of water every season of the year, whether they’re paddling across in a canoe race during our inter-class Tower Cup competition, playing pond hockey during Winter Carnival, piloting a watercraft they built themself in STEM Activity, or taking the polar plunge to raise money for charity.

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Hilltop Insider

3

Flickinger Arts Center “Flick,” as it’s known around campus, is an expansive facility for both the visual and performing arts. Painting, jewelry, ceramics, dance, music, and even a recording studio are available for artists of all levels. The theater stages both a fall play and winter musical each year, and every member of the community joins together in Flick twice a week for All-School Meeting.

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4

The Stu

Potato Patch

KUA’s Barrette Campus Center, or the “Stu,” is at the crossroads of campus life. The mail center, lounge, student life faculty offices, and school store are available throughout the day as well as comfy areas to sit and study, read, or play games and catch up with friends. Fierce table tennis and chess games are known to go down on any given day.

An extensive network, including the campus “Potato Patch,” offers maintained and groomed trails on approximately 50 acres suitable for biking, nordic skiing, running, and walking. The trails are used by KUA’s Mountain Biking and Cross-Country teams and connect directly to the main Pope Fields athletic complex.

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College is just 12 miles from campus in nearby Hanover. Trips to the Hood Museum of Art, the Hopkins Center for the Arts, a Dartmouth hockey game, and visits from Dartmouth faculty expose students to the incredible academic, cultural, and athletic offerings of our neighbors.

The Barn Field House

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The Barn is one of the premier indoor playing surfaces in northern New England. The facility is built with high-quality turf that allows student-athletes to train year-round and pursue their passion, even during the winter months.

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Hilltop Insider

Lake Morey Nordic skating on Lake Morey follows the longest skating trail in the United States, a 4.5-mile loop around the lake.

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Meriden Bird Sanctuary The club was founded in December 1910 to advocate for bird protection in response to wasteful exploitation of birds for years for food, by egg collectors, and especially by a large feather trim industry for clothing and hats. In 1911 the club became the first in the nation to own and maintain a sanctuary for birds. The 32-acre sanctuary sits adjacent to campus and offers several paths for walking through towering pines.

7 10 Mount Ascutney Just 20 miles south of campus, the summit of Mount Ascutney is visible from several Hilltop locations. Each fall the entire school pauses from campus life to climb the 3,144-high mountain for Mountain Day. It’s a tradition that first began in the 1900s, when KUA seniors enjoyed the company of friends and took in magnificent views. Students describe the experience as rewarding and memorable—even the first-time hikers!

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Ski Country Located in the heart of northern New England, Meriden is within 15 minutes of two local ski hills, Whaleback Mountain and Storrs Hill, both of which are used for recreational skiing and alpine race training and competition.

Within an hour of campus are Mount Sunapee, Suicide Six, Killington, Pico, and Okemo ski areas.

French’s Ledges At the center of Meriden lies French’s Ledges, a small, rocky summit that offers spectacular 360-degree views from Mount Ascutney to the southwest, most of the Green Mountain ridge, the White Mountains, and the Meriden Valley. KUA land below the Ledges also has a rock outcrop camp site with excellent views to the west.

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| ALUMNI VOICES |

“Everyone went to college, and I decided to explore before taking the next step.”

Emu Haynes ’17 Emu Haynes ’17 prefers to take the road less traveled. At KUA she navigated campus by skateboard; today she tackles Los Angeles gridlock en route to freelance gigs. A senior at Chapman University, Haynes is building her portfolio to become a director of photography in L.A.’s cutthroat film industry. She wouldn’t have it any other way.

After graduating from high school, Haynes opted for a gap year.

“Being in a small bubble, I wanted to see more of the world that my fellow KUA students, especially international students, felt and experienced,” says the Connecticut native. “Everyone went to college, and I decided to explore before taking the next step.”

Haynes connected with a fellow KUA alumna in Vietnam before backpacking through Thailand. She did a film internship in South Africa during the nation’s water crisis and presidential transition. “I saw the presidential exchange take place right outside my office,” she recalls.

Haynes then designed a solo backpacking trip through Europe, where she connected with KUA friends and connections from previous travels before returning to the States and selecting Chapman for college.

“I remember immediately feeling like it was home, like I felt about KUA,” she says of Chapman. “They have an amazing film program that is up and coming and very competitive. They give you a camera on the first day of school. It was very hands-on, which is what I was looking for.”

Haynes got her first taste of filmmaking at KUA, thanks to the encouragement of her advisor, Art Teacher and Dean of Faculty Julie Haskell. “There wasn’t a film class at the time, but teachers let me try and explore the realm of film,” she says. “I made film projects sometimes instead of writing an essay and created a short film as a capstone. The faculty and my classmates were pushing me and giving me the platform to explore film further.”

Creative encouragement from faculty helped Haynes land first place in a Vermont film festival, an accomplishment she proudly used for college and job applications. Today Haynes is picking up freelance jobs on film sets while balancing her college courseload.

“Cinematography is the end goal. I love shooting films that have real stories behind them, things that people feel drawn to and relate to on a personal level.

“When I first arrived at KUA I was very shy, and I broke out of my shell and was pushed to try new things. I became a proctor, joined the Campus Activities Board, and then ran for All-School President. I built up so much confidence over my time there.” K

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A recent graduate of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, Herfort is a vocal and fervent advocate for climate action.

Noah Herfort ’17

Former All-School President Haynes broke out of her shell and broke into the film industry.

It was reading Al Gore’s book Our Choice in Dr. Kopp’s AP environmental science class that helped lead Noah Herfort ’17 to where he is today. A recent graduate of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, Herfort is a vocal and fervent advocate for climate action and has pointed himself and his career at solving what he describes as our “gargantuan issue.”

“My parents always impressed upon me the value of environmental stewardship and made me aware of climate change before it was a well-known thing,” he says. “When I went to KUA, I took AP environmental science and it really piqued my interest in climate change. It really carried over to my university life and my outside jobs.”

At St. Andrews, Herfort pursued a joint honors degree in sustainable development and international relations. He served as editor-in-chief of the campus environmental magazine and as a student representative on the school’s Environmental Sustainability Board, which devised a plan for the university to hit net-zero carbon emissions by 2035—ahead of Scotland’s target.

“We live in a system that values economic returns and profits at the expense of the environment,” he says. “Real climate action requires a revision of the economy and the

“When I went to KUA, I took environmental science and it really piqued my interest in climate change.” political system.”

To learn how to do just that, he sought meaningful internship opportunities at home and abroad. At the American Embassy in Croatia he examined how the embassy could become more sustainable and use environmental awareness to foster stronger relationships between Croatians and Americans. Herfort then interned with the Climate Institute in Washington, DC, where he authored a paper on “The Impacts of Climate Change on the American Rural Health Care System.”

“I tried a breadth of different experiences beyond academics, which shaped what I want to do with my life,” he says. “I knew my passion, but this shaped the way I exercise my passion.”

Herfort is now working toward an innovation, public policy and public value MPA at University College London. The new program, designed by a leading economist, teaches students to lead in the public and private sectors to confront the challenges of the 21st century.

“Climate change and environmental degradation are systemic problems we can’t solve with cosmetic changes. The full breadth of society and our leaders need to step up to the plate.” K | FA L L 2 0 2 1 |

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