Academy Journal, Fall 2020

The Academy Journal LAWRENCE ACADEMY FALL 2020

WE RECOGNIZE THE SENIOR C L A S S O F 2 0 2 0 • S E E PA G E 3 0

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2020-2021

Contents

Jason Saghir P’19, President Phyllis Rothschild P’20, Vice President

Around LA

David Stone ’76, Treasurer

2

Spartan Highlights

Karen Brandvold ’82, P’16,’17, Secretary

4

Arts at LA

Robert Achtmeyer ’97

6

Goodbye, Old Girl

Kevin A. Anderson ’85

7

Welcome to LA

Ronald M. Ansin P’87,’85,’83,’80, GP’03,’05,’14

8

Look for the Silver Lining

14

Family Tradition Grows Into School Outreach (Ava DiVincenzo ’21 and Bianca Drouin ’21)

16

On Track for Success (Mehar Poreddy ’21)

18

Empowering Young Girls (Julia Stern ‘20)

20

Pat Stark, LA’s Business Office administrative assistant since 2004, retires

22

Cindy Moseley says goodbye to LA, but not to the profession she loves

Douglas Long P’15,’18

24

Sara Anderson, LA’s librarian since 2005, retires

Bruce MacNeil ’70, P’04

26

Parents’ Assocation Holiday Party

Michael McLaughlin P’23,’23

28

Cum Laude Spring 2020

Peter C. Myette P’00,’03

30

Commencement 2020

Timothy M. Armstrong ’89 Deborah Barnes P’13 Chris Bernene P’19 Randy Chamberlain ’79 Susanna Gallant P’20 Elizabeth Gross P’15,’16 Kiyohiko Hirose ’94, P’22 Bradford Hobbs ’82 Samuel Liang P’18,’19

Pamela Nwaoko ’06 David Santeusanio Edward Steinborn P’23 Alex Sugar P’19 Richard Tyson ’87 Stephen Wilkins HONORARY TRUSTEES George A. Chamberlain III P’79,’81 Albert B. Gordon Jr. ’59 Albert Stone P’77,’76, GP’15 Benjamin D. Williams III, P’82,’84

Alumni 34

Class of 1970 Celebrates Their 50th Reunion Via Zoom

36

New Alumni Association Head Carolyn Balas Zaleski

37

LA Connect

38

Living History: 50 Years of Service (John Curran)

40

Taking the Path Less Traveled (Witney Schneidman ‘70)

44

The Silence of the Boys (1971)

50

A Seat at the Table With the CEO (Courtney Cox Harrison ’83)

54

Alumni Class Notes

74

Stay Connected

76

In Memoriam

ALUMNI COUNCIL 2020-2021

78

Obituaries

Carolyn Balas-Zaleski ’84, P’17, President

81

Gratitude and Philosophy

Marianne Balfour ’88 Pat Donoghue ’06 Brian Drolet ’00 Victoria Hanna ’97

Editorial Team Kate Engstrom Faculty - Learning Coach

Caitlin O’Brien Director of Advancement Communications and Operations

Christopher Hazzard ’03

Joseph Sheppard College Counselor, retired

Hellie Swartwood Director of Parent Advancement

Lindsay Howard ’00

Angela Zimmer Editorial Consultant

Victor Howell ’08

Editorial Council John Bishop Director of Communications

Layout/Design/Production Dale Cunningham Assistant Director of Communications

Paul Husted ’64 Ann McGuire ’03 Catherine Floyd McMenamin ’97 Clare Noone ’14 Ben Stone ’15

Chris Davey Assistant Head for Institutional Strategy and Advancement Jonathan Gotlib Assistant Director of Communications Geoff Harlan Alumni Leadership Advancement Officer Jo-Ann Lovejoy Director of Alumni Advancement

Photography Jonathan Gotlib Assistant Director of Communications Jon Chase Bob Perachio

From Head of School Dan Scheibe

“We must recognize, inspire, and take responsibility.” masters of engagement and connection, grounding day-to-day, purposeful student experience. I imagine the school in its early days in the 18th century operated under a similar sensibility.

The last six months have been a test by crisis, but the fundamental mission and identity of Lawrence Academy have never stood stronger. We were born in the decades following a prolonged period of unrest that ultimately birthed the United States. We have existed through civil and world wars. We withstood a pandemic just over a century ago. Our history attests to mediation amidst turmoil, bringing clarity to and vision for the future. At times, the turmoil is plain adolescence; at times, it is much larger.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to inquire fundamentally about the nature of our roles: What does a teacher do? What does a school do? What is the basic job? As content became secondary to continuity during the spring, it became clear that teachers’ vital roles were not as subject masters, but as

During the national racial reckoning we experienced this summer, we realized again that education is not simply a carrier of content: It is a culture mover and shaper. Recognizing the failures of a system at large, of our understandings of history, and even of our own blindspots and biases at LA, we again experienced a humble recognition of the basis of our job: Do no harm; move one another forward. How do we move not just individuals, but society forward to educate a citizenry?

Our school history describes Lawrence Academy’s founding spirit (in March 1792) to “seed the minds of the intellectually curious with notions of natural rights, political equality, and educational liberalization…to respond to the growing demands of a society in its formative stages.” Society’s formation is not yet complete, nor is the school’s full purpose and response. The need for growth and change is no less significant now than it was in the decades following the United State’s formation or country’s Civil War. We must recognize and claim our founding spirit: an orientation to the greater good and a fundamentally open, inclusive nature. Omnibus Lucet tells us The Light Shines for All. We were

coeducational at our founding in the 18th century. The first two black students to attend Lawrence Academy, Robert Terrell and John Thompson, used their educations in the 19th century to take them to Harvard College and Yale Medical School, respectively and then to auspicious careers in medicine, diplomacy, and jurisprudence.

This joined student legacy and future shows the way through the times. The Omnibus guiding Lawrence Academy is part opportunity and part obligation for all. Those who attended the school in its early days understood that high school education was more than just a sheltered stage of life in preparation for college: The demands of life and “the growing demands of a society in its formative stages” took precedence. Indeed, John Thompson did not even stop at college on his way from Lawrence to medical school, so present were the demands and opportunities before him.

These 21st century days are different now, to be sure, but the need for clarity of mission and purpose abide: We must recognize, we must inspire, we must take responsibility. Whatever the moment, whatever the crisis, whatever the future, we need to have a sense of who we are, what drives us, and what we must do in response to the demands of the time.

Our society and our students deserve this passionate attention. The work is essential.

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Varsity Girls’ Basketball Makes NEPSAC Playoffs

Spartan Highlights Varsity Girls’ Hockey Makes NEPSAC Playoffs

2 LAWRENCE ACADEMY FALL 2020

Boys’ Hockey Wins ISL Title

# GoLASpartans

2019/2020 WINTER ATHLETICS • www.LASpartans.com Ashley Evans Scores 1,000 Points

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#ArtsAtLA 4 LAWRENCE ACADEMY FALL 2020

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Goodbye, old girl…

My old friend, There’s somethin’ I must let you know — I haven’t said it much, I guess I’ve lost my touch,

Goodbye, Old Girl

by Joe Sheppard

Waters House had been a boys’ dorm for close to 30 years when I moved into the second-floor “apartment” (one room and a bath) in September of 1965, three months after graduating from college. As I drove into the driveway in my spiffy green ’65 Chevy 2, half of which was a graduation gift from my parents, I saw a white-haired man walking up the hill from the cow pond area.

“You must be Joe,” he said, holding out a friendly hand. “I’m Norman Grant.” He helped me unload the car, showed me around the house, and then disappeared back down the hill to finish whatever he was doing — and thus began my five-year residency in the battered old dorm that I soon learned was nicknamed the “halfway house” for kids who were about to be kicked out of school. (Apparently my tenure there had been preceded by a few rough years, discipline-wise.)

Jack and Peg Burckes, who lived downstairs, made sure I knew all the lore and urban legends about the place. Miss Waters died in her bedroom — my living room! — because her maid, who hated her, refused to bring the old lady her medicine one night. Then the maid, despondent over what she had done, went and hanged herself in the back stairwell, right outside the fatal bedroom (it’s now a broom closet). Naturally, her ghost wanders the drafty corridors by night, with her head tucked underneath her arm, etc.

Waters was a stop on the Underground Railroad, and there are secret rooms to prove it. This legend, apparently, is true: The closet in my apartment had a trap door in the floor, next to the chimney. Opening it revealed a good-sized cubby hole, maybe five feet square and four

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But, my old girl, I love you so! * feet high — easily big enough to hide a couple of people. (I used it to hide confiscated contraband, like stereos that had been played too loud, forbidden magazines, and cigarettes.) There was another similar hiding place on the first floor, and, of course, there was the fabled Underground Railroad tunnel to the Groton Inn. More than once during my time there, we’d go down to the cellar and look for the bricked-up entrance, or dig around outside in search of remnants of the caved-in passageway. Once or twice, a kid unearthed a brick or a shard of pottery, and we were certain we’d found it at last.

Other than a college dorm, Waters House was my first “home away from home.” I quickly grew fond of the old place and its faded fin-de-siècle elegance, and the comfort I felt among the people there, both faculty and students, helped me realize that this wouldn’t be a bad way to spend my life. In Waters, I spoke my very first words as a teacher to a student: “Not in the building!” to Rob Bradley ’68, who was bouncing a basketball outside my door on the kids’ first day back.

I’ve never forgotten the slight shock I felt when he answered, “Yes, sir.” (Sir? Really? I was 22!)

Waters House’s years as an LA dorm are over. The old mansion has moved on to a new chapter in its history: Now owned by the management of the new Groton Inn, it will be restored and used as employee housing. But it will always have a place in my heart and, I’m sure, in the hearts of the countless teachers and students who lived there over the 80 years of its service to a school both old and famous.

Goodbye, old girl, and best wishes. Thanks for everything. * From the Broadway musical Damn Yankees, copyright 1955.

:

NEWS FLASH: Joe Sheppard has published a collection of 41 of his favorite “Shep’s Place”

columns, originally written for the LA website.

Shep’s Places is available on Amazon in

paperback or as an e-book for Kindle. You can get it here:

Welcome to LA Whether they live on or off campus, all faculty participate in the residential life program, either as dorm parents or affiliates. All serve as advisors as well, and most have coaching or extracurricular responsibilities.

Joining the faculty as assistant dean of students for equity and community affairs is O’Shea Bell.

A 2018 Stonehill College graduate with a B.A. in criminology, he comes to LA from Kents Hill School, where he taught geometry, coached football and basketball, and served as associate director of student life.

Tonja Weimer joins the science department after two years at the Colegio Anglo Colombiano in Bogota, Colombia, where she taught chemistry. She holds a B.S. in education from Miami University, Ohio, and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Cincinnati.

Nicholas Wilder, who comes to Lawrence as a learning coach, most recently taught language arts at Landmark School in Pride’s Crossing, Mass. He is a 2019 magna cum laude graduate of Bates College with a double major in Chinese and English, and is currently a candidate for a master’s degree in moderate disabilities studies at Boston University.

New to the English Department is Chris Whalen, who joins the LA faculty from St. Christopher’s School, where he taught upper-school English. Chris is a 2015 graduate of Kenyon College and holds an M.A. from the Middlebury College Breadloaf School of English.

Previously a temporary assistant in the LA admissions office, Rebecca Gracey rejoins the admissions staff as an enrollment and student registration associate. A 2018 graduate of Skidmore College with a B.S. in theatre and a minor in English literature, she most recently worked at Groton School after gaining experience as an administrative assistant at Skidmore and elsewhere.

Laurel Rossiter is the new assistant director of summer programs. Most recently a therapeutic recreation specialist with the Burlington, Mass., Parks and Recreation Department, she has several years’ experience as a substitute teacher in the Groton-Dunstable school system, and has worked as an ABA therapist with the Nashoba Learning Group in Bedford, Mass.

Laurel is a 2009 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where she earned a B.S. in recreation management.

Alexandra Turner joins the language department as a Spanish teacher. With many years of experience in the classroom and as an educational consultant for both non-profits and private counseling services, she brings a broad range of talents to LA. Alexandra holds a B.A. in Spanish from the University of Massachusetts, as well as master’s degrees from Tufts University and Middlebury College.

Tamara Belmonte joins the Advancement Office as an alumni leadership advancement officer in August. She brings over 20 years of experience in fundraising and volunteer management to LA and was most recently the senior associate director of the Wharton Fund at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to that role, she was a leadership gifts officer at Bentley University, and an associate director of special gifts at Boston College. A Massachusetts native, Tamara received her bachelor’s degree from Tufts University and her master’s from Boston College. She is excited to be back home, closer to family and friends, as she begins her new adventure at LA. Another new addition to the science department is Nicole Murphy. A 2019 graduate of U. Mass.

Lowell, she holds a B.S. in public health and legal studies, and is working toward an MBA in healthcare. Most recently, Nicole taught, developed, and integrated study plans for students at U. Mass. Lowell in a variety of subjects including English, math, anatomy, psychology, and chemistry. Throughout her college career, she was also a three-season Division I athlete, competing in cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field.

Moving to New Positions: Hannah Pierpont, formerly the college office assistant, is now the registrar.

Christine Torigian is now assistant dean of academics.

Peter Hess has become dean of academics.

Pru Glover is now program manager for alumni advancement and trustees.

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Painting by Allie Webster ‘20 8

LAWRENCE ACADEMY FALL 2020

Look for the Silver Lining

by Joe Sheppard

“It was fun to be a student again, learning new skills and getting a taste of what students would be experiencing in the coming weeks,” said math teacher Krista Collins.

“The days felt less stressful in general because of the new pace of our learning,” Isabella Sepulvada ’21 commented.

In these days of never-ending bad news, it’s refreshing and inspiring to read what a group of classroom teachers, faculty advisors, and students wrote about “going to school” at Lawrence Academy last spring, at the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Continued Ms. Collins, for example, “With very little time, I had to investigate and implement online resources that were useful for this term, such as Khan Academy and Flipgrid. Students seemed to enjoy using these online tools to complete homework and master concepts,” adding as a footnote, “It was interesting to see how different some students were in video classes. Some of those students who were quiet and reserved during in-person classes were much more vocal and engaged via video…It was refreshing to see some of these students become leaders of class discussions!”

Isabella, meanwhile, related how her experience with math changed: “Benefits and challenges arose from this new type of learning in my classes. I found that because we had only one class per week for each course, I was given more time

than usual to complete assignments, and my days felt less like a ticking clock. I am a slow learner when it comes to math class, so it was easier for me to understand the topics that we were dealing with. Also, because I had more time on my hands, it was easy to meet with my math teacher when needed.”

Remote learning was not exactly the environment that Kevin Weaver ’20 had grown to know and love as a student at LA, and he not only had to carry a challenging schedule of classes in this new way, but also was called upon to lead the student body as their president. Kevin made the best of a challenging situation, however, and provided his peers with encouragement, the motivation to keep doing their best, and a good laugh along the way.

Some of Kevin’s most memorable experiences during the term came from preparing for Friday morning assemblies with his cabinet and Head of School Dan Scheibe. He found the laughs and vision they shared to be encouraging and stimulating on days that felt heavy with the realities of the pandemic. Working with his team made him excited and confident about the work they were doing; he was likewise inspired by teachers who “worked to maintain their energy and identity in a new setting,” and he took comfort from the routines in their classes.

“While we missed being together in all our usual places every day, this time allowed us to get to know each other, and ourselves, in countless new ways — a bit of a silver lining in the pandemic cloud.”

– Faculty advisor Caroline Heatley

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Joel’s theatre improv class

While his humble nature would not allow him to suggest it, Kevin had a significant impact on his fellow students because of his level of investment and his caring nature.

Through his efforts, the Lawrence Academy community spirit was alive and well last spring, even when some might have doubted it could endure.

Ingenuity also abounded among the faculty, who suddenly found themselves without a “real” classroom. Discovering “the prodigious power of the smartphone,” physics teacher David Strasburger elaborated, “One feature of our lab software is the ability to analyze video. Students all have phones, and all those phones have cameras, some of them capable of taking high-speed video. So how do you teach the acceleration of free fall? Video things falling! Newton’s laws? Video analysis again!”

“Problem solving and dealing with the unexpected are big ideas at the heart of theatre classes at LA, so facing this new virtual situation was a perfect challenge.”

- Theatre director Joel Sugerman

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Joel Sugerman, LA’s veteran theatre teacher, commented, “Problem solving and dealing with the unexpected are big ideas at the heart of theatre classes at LA, so facing this new, virtual situation was a perfect challenge. Our spirit of experimentation and play was stretched and reshaped, but the spirit remained…Among other projects, students created videos where they played all the parts, interviewed people in the community about their pandemic experiences, and created movement that connected their boxes in a variety of ingenious ways.”

In her biology class, Bo Murphy found a “silver lining to a pandemic cloud,” as she related. “My students and I started the spring term of 2020 by embarking on the study of DNA and moved into protein synthesis,” she continued.

“While respecting the gravity of the situation, we were able to make grand connections between our class work and what was happening in the world around us. Highlights were plentiful: DNA extraction from strawberries using household materials, amazing and impressive presentations by the kids on genetic disorders, exposure to the Human Genome Project and CRISPR.”

Sometimes, however, the best-laid plans just don’t quite work out. History teacher Kira Shaikh prepared meticulously for her first online class — except, when she thought she was ready, something was wrong. “Over break, I decided to set up my ‘classroom’…I was ready to tackle online teaching!” she recounted. But then, “on the first day of class, I learned that I was not ready. I felt extremely awkward; it was weird, uncomfortable, and I had no idea what I was doing even though I had been interacting with my students for months, in some cases for a couple of years.

“I thought to myself after just two classes, ‘What would I be doing right now if I were in Ansin 215 and the students were circled around the room?’” Ms. Shaikh explained.

The answer? “Stand up. Walk around. Move!”

“I had prepared this cozy, clean desk to instruct my online courses, but realized that I never sit down while teaching, so why would I change it now?” she added. “I realized I just had to do ‘me’ and what I would normally do in class, only now it was over a screen. Nothing changed. Except, I did wear sweatpants to class every day.”

“I realized I just had to do ‘me’ and what I would normally do in class, only now it was over a screen.

Nothing changed. Except, I did wear sweatpants to class every day.”

– History teacher Kira Shaikh

Here are three frames from a video Alex K. shot to explore non-free fall. His idea was to jump off a chair and push down on a soccer ball while it fell. He used the video to compute the ball’s acceleration, and compare that to the acceleration the ball has when falling free.

“Students all have phones, and all those phones have cameras that can capture high-speed video. So how do you teach the acceleration of free fall?

Video falling things! How about Newton’s laws? Video analysis again!”

- Physics teacher David Strasburger

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All-school assembly

Science Class - DNA exctractions

French 4 and 5 Honors

LA Singers - Basses

Cats + Teams meeting

Spanish Class

1 2 LAWRENCE ACADEMY FALL 2020

French 3 Honors class, Kevin Lorden is recording a video — showing us around his house in French.

Teachers at Lawrence Academy don’t just teach; they also serve as faculty advisors, a responsibility that they both enjoy and take very seriously. Some advisory groups made the virtual transition easily, as Assistant Director of College Counseling Chris Margraf related: “While we were not present physically, our Teams platform made it easy for us to feel connected.

In fact, it really only took us a day to adjust to our virtual meetings before things went back to normal. Mornings became a daily routine of connecting face-to-face and getting a ‘temperature’ on how everyone was doing (adults included) with me facilitating the conversation …One would be amazed at how quickly 15 minutes can fly by.”

Other advisory groups, including Assistant Athletic Director Caroline Heatley’s, experienced a few bumps before they adjusted. She described how “the first week, all the girls came ready to go, joining the group from their desks, kitchens, and from wherever they had created their work space. We all talked about the changing landscape for the world, the low inventory of toilet paper, life at home with all their siblings back from college, elementary school, or from a rival school across town…”

them, thinking, let’s capitalize on the fact that they are at home. We did weekly picture themes: baby pictures, family pictures, summer pictures. We got the tour of their rooms and, in some cases, their houses. Topics of conversations ranged from bloopers that happened during classes to where they would travel if they could go anywhere.

“The most unexpected takeaway from this experience was the one-onone time with each advisee.

Every Monday, there was time to review comment cards, talk about how this experience was shaping them, and whether they had learned any new skills. I was blown away by how each of them had learned a new skill or explored a path of interest,” Ms. Heatley concluded. “While we may have missed sitting in MacNeil Lounge together every day, the gift of time allowed us to get to know our advisees on a whole new level.”

Her last comment could describe the whole LA community’s response to a memorably challenging time in our lives: “While we missed being together in all our usual places every day, it allowed us to get to know each other, and ourselves, in countless new ways — a bit of a silver lining in the pandemic cloud.”

“By week three, though, the novelty had worn off — things were grim. Most mornings I was joined via a phone screen from their beds,” she continued. “I thought I needed to get some more buy-in, so I refocused it on

“I was blown away by how each of them had learned a new skill or explored a path of interest. While we may have missed sitting in MacNeil Lounge together every day, the gift of time allowed us to get to know our advisees on a whole new level.”

– Faculty advisor Caroline Heatley

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Ava &Bianca 1 4 LAWRENCE ACADEMY FALL 2020

Family Tradition Grows Into School Outreach

by Kate Engstrom

Ava DiVincenzo ’21 and Bianca Drouin ’21 are good friends with a shared history of family involvement with Lazarus House Ministries in Lawrence, Mass. The two have always cared about what the organization does for people in need — provide clothes, food, and necessities and help them get back on their feet — but in the past year, they felt it would be all the more powerful if the Lawrence Academy community to get involved, too.

Ava and Bianca were moved to rally their peers around the local charity after doing a walk for Lazarus House in their hometown of Andover.

They started raising awareness on campus by making posters and asking for the help of their fellow students.

In January, Ava and Bianca organized a coat drive, during which they collected 100 clothing items to deliver to Lazarus House just before the novel coronavirus pandemic. Because of the COVID-19 crisis, they could not serve meals or stock shelves, so they created a GoFundMe page, through which they raised $690, well above their goal of $500, with the help of the LA community.

Walk for the Lazarus House in Andover last fall

When Ava and Bianca delivered the check, the Lazarus House staff were incredibly grateful, as they, like many other organizations and individuals, were struggling. Since then, Ava and Bianca have made posters to encourage and remind those who work at and are served by Lazarus House to maintain social distancing and stay safe.

As more people find the support of Lazarus House to be a lifeline, Ava and Bianca continue to be motivated to find ways to help. The two young women have hearts for helping others and hope to see such efforts continue to be a part of the Lawrence Academy community’s outreach work.

Ava and Bianca embody the vision of Lazarus House by offering hope and being driven by joy. By partnering with the organization, their work has helped restore dignity to individuals experiencing hardship.

Since opening its doors as an emergency

homeless shelter in 1983, Lazarus House

has been breaking the cycle of poverty in

the Merrimack Valley region.

Lazarus House’s food and clothing

programs assist families by stretching their dollars so they can afford rent,

heat, and utilities. Housing provides a safe haven for homeless families

and individuals.

www.lazarushouse.org

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MEHAR POREDDY ’21

1 6 LAWRENCE ACADEMY FALL 2020

On Track for Success

by Kate Engstrom

Mehar Poreddy ’21 is already a driven young businessman involved in the world of sales and marketing.

He is on the ground floor of the creation of a productivity tool called OnTrack, which will help students stay focused while they are working online.

Originally, Mehar’s team wanted to create a tool for high school and college students that, unlike similar products, does not ask users to input their own sites; rather, it blocks any that are not related to the topic at hand. Now, however, he and his team are working to adapt their product to be one of the most efficient on the market as they further understand the demands of entrepreneurship during a global crisis.

The complex nature of OnTrack’s original goal and the novel coronavirus pandemic redirected the team’s efforts toward creating a version that allows parents to “block distracting websites, keep an eye on their child, and increase their overall focus.” While it was a difficult decision to make, Mehar recognizes that it is pivots like this one that have made well-known companies successful. OnTrack will return to their initial idea as they gather momentum with additional funding and expertise.

Mehar began work on OnTrack while attending Leangap in California with other similarly motivated students; there, he joined forces with five other young men who had similar ideas, with each adding their own area of expertise to the development of the product. Mehar’s role on the team is one of marketing and design: He has secured partnerships with area elementary schools, created OnTrack’s website, and done some of the coding to develop the platform.

The group knew they were onto something when they won first place in Leangap’s pitch contest, judged by venture capitalists from Sequoia Capital, Founders Fund, and Benchmark. Mehar and his team continue to participate in competitions and apply for grants to promote their product and secure support.

Currently, OnTrack is still in the closed beta phase, during which they are seeking feedback from users.

Parents and educators alike are invited to visit JoinOnTrack.com for more information and watch a video overview of the product.

In addition to his efforts for OnTrack, Mehar plans to continue to bring his passion for business to Lawrence Academy by staying active in his club, which he started. This year, he’ll be working to find the right student to take the lead in the group after he graduates.

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Julia Stern ‘20

Empowering Young Girls 1 8 LAWRENCE ACADEMY FALL 2020

by Kate Engstrom

Julia Stern ’20 is moved to share her passion for STEM and empower the next generation of women through innovative education. She is working alongside four other motivated young women to bring their dream of inspiring young girls to life with First Empower, the social enterprise team she joined last winter.

First Empower recruited Julia for her video and photo editing skills and to work on social media promotion. As a result, she became their chief branding officer, and the project has piqued her interest in the business world.

With hopes for workshops at elementary schools around the country, the team will use STEM as a tool to show girls ages six to 10 that they can do whatever they set their minds to with the problem-solving skills that such activities teach. The realities of the novel coronavirus pandemic, however, redirected First Empower’s efforts from in-person experiences to virtual opportunities called STEMtivities, hoping to promote the work of women in STEM fields while also serving a need for families trying to fill their remote learning days with meaningful activities.

While it was challenging to shift gears when the group could not host face-to-face events, Julia’s neighbors’ support in testing out their offerings has been the most rewarding part of the experience thus far. Her partners have also continued to inspire and motivate her as they “talk STEM” and share ideas on a regular basis.

As they move into college, Julia and her team hope to develop their offerings as they network with more schools and recruit other team members who are just as dedicated to giving girls a step up in STEM education. Julia’s drive and positive energy are infectious, and she is sure to inspire many as she continues on this journey.

check out www.firstempower.com

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“It’s not just a job at LA — you really care about everybody there.”

– PAT STARK, L A’S BUSINESS OFFICE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT SINCE 2004, RETIRES –

by Kate Engstrom

For the past 16 years, anyone calling Lawrence Academy received a warm and professional greeting from Pat Stark, the Business Office’s administrative assistant. No matter their need, she could either meet it or direct them to the person who could. Pat embodies LA’s commitment to personal connections with families and students, and she will be greatly missed in her retirement.

Pat had been working for nine years at Groton’s First Parish Church when, in 2004, Gail Burne, secretary to Lawrence Academy’s head of school, shared that there was an opening in the LA Business Office. At first, her responsibilities included sorting mail, working with deposits and packages, and occasionally helping students, but as the years passed and Pat’s institutional knowledge grew, she took on more roles within the Lawrence community, and was ready and able to help students, faculty, and staff alike with a host of tasks.

After graduating from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in printing management, Pat took a job with Digital Equipment Corporation, doing typesetting and design work for technical manuals. She then moved to Atex, a supplier of software and hardware for newspapers and magazines, where she worked in applications engineering, training and beta testing for the software’s installers. As her two sons grew up, however, Pat decided to take a part-time position at the United Methodist Church in Westford, Mass. Her time there overlapped with her work at First Parish.

Pat’s experience interacting with both technology customers and the churches’ staff and members equipped her with the skill set necessary to manage a variety of responsibilities in Lawrence Academy’s Business Office. Whether setting up equipment rentals for Buildings and Grounds or arranging learning coaches’ schedules, she wanted to make sure everyone was happy and had their problems solved. Her work was not only administrative, but also very personal: As she says, “It’s not just a job at LA — you really care about everybody there.”

In her first days working the switchboard, mail, and postage meter, Pat could be found in the basement of the Schoolhouse, where the school store is now; however, when she moved to the third floor, she was able to support both the Academic Support Office and international students in even greater ways. Her relationships with community members across campus, including the women she worked alongside for many years in both the Business Office and the Development Office, grew with each new duty.

Pat has never sat at a desk and done one thing all day long; variety has been a constant in all of her professional endeavors.

One thing remained the same, however: her commitment to helping anyone who needs it. No matter who you were — an international student having a tough day or a coach looking for a bus key — you could always count on leaving Pat’s office with needs met... …and a few Jelly Bellies for the road.

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2 2 LAWRENCE ACADEMY FALL 2020

“The best part for me is working with the kids...”

– CINDY MOSELEY SAYS GOODBYE TO L A, BUT NOT TO THE PROFESSION SHE LOVES –

by Joe Sheppard

Cindy Moseley came to Lawrence Academy’s science department 20 years ago with plenty of experience under her belt, both as a high school teacher (Quabbin Regional High School and Greater Lowell Vocational Technical School — a “really fun experience!”) and as a private tutor for the 15 years prior to her arrival on the elm tree-shaded hillside. She credits the years of tutoring with giving her “a real advantage in understanding different learning styles” when she came to LA. Tutoring students in nearby Townsend, where she and her family have lived for many years, Cindy came to know not only siblings from the same families, but their parents as well.

She cherishes the relationships that such a situation affords, and her teaching style reflects the importance she has always placed on personal contact.

Over her time at LA, Cindy has taught chemistry, biology, anatomy, and forensics. Asked how science teaching has changed during her career, she said, “The way I’ve approached it has changed. I’ve gotten away from this whole idea of the teacher being in the front of the room…” Having learned about POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning) at a workshop sponsored by the National Science Teachers’ Association, Cindy became a guide rather than a dispenser of information: Her students work on a given problem in small groups, figuring things out together, with only one member of each group allowed to ask the teacher an occasional question.

muddle their way through in small groups. They would play roles within the group, and only one person could ask me a question. I would just kind of circulate around the room, constantly listening to them thinking through this exercise, and I would never answer their question with a statement. I would always answer with another question…It’s really a Socratic way of teaching where you're asking the kids to think and discuss and give and take. That group dynamic, I think, is really important for 10th-graders.”

Cindy admits that adapting her methods to online learning last spring was difficult, but that challenge has proven beneficial at home. The Moseleys have a 5-year-old granddaughter, whose “curiosity is just off the charts,” Cindy relates. Since the pandemic, the NSTA has been sending out links to countless online science projects for children of all ages, so Cindy and her granddaughter “have our little science lessons here and there.”

Retirement will be busy for Cindy: “We have plenty to do without needing to leave the house,” she says. Between grandparenting duties, working on renovations to a second home that she and her husband Simon bought recently in Rindge, N.H., and catching up on her beloved quilting, she’ll still find time, we hope, to serve as a substitute teacher for some fortunate kids.

“I really love that technique,” she said, with a smile. “I developed my honors chemistry curriculum around that early on. I would tell them at the beginning of the year, ‘I’m not going to really be the teacher here. You’re going to be the learners and you’ll see what that means as we go along.’ My task was to put learning opportunities in front of them, which, they would then

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2 4 LAWRENCE ACADEMY FALL 2020

Giving Kids a Roadmap of Their Own – SARA ANDERSON, L A’S LIBRARIAN SINCE 2005, RETIRES –

by Joe Sheppard

Sara Anderson’s career wasn’t much different from those of many people who work in schools: She started out on one path and ended up somewhere completely different.

An anthropology major at Wheaton College, Sara dated, and eventually married, a Dartmouth man, shortly after graduation.

He continued on to the Thayer School, while she took a position at Dartmouth’s Baker Library, thinking she would like to remain in academia before going on to her next step. “It was just by accident that I ended up working there,” Sara recalled with a smile. “And the rest…” …is history — 45 years’ worth. Upon realizing she loved library work, Sara moved to Boston, where she earned her master’s degree in library science at Simmons. With four years of Dartmouth library experience under her belt, she went to work in the reference department at Harvard’s cavernous Widener Library, and later as the librarian at a corporate Boston law firm. A long stint at her alma mater, Northfield Mount Hermon, followed, and ended only because of downsizing, when the merged schools sold the Northfield campus.

Sara arrived at Lawrence Academy in the fall of 2005, just in time to be informed that the entire Ferguson Building was about to be renovated. Fortunately, the newcomer’s initial shock was mitigated somewhat by the fact that she was able to provide input on the renovations to the LA library, a process that included visiting other school libraries with the late Tim Delahaunty and Mark Burkholz. Among other things, Sara convinced the architects to include several group-study rooms, in addition to a library classroom.

The modernization of Lawrence Academy’s library ushered in a new era for the 40-year-old facility. “When I arrived,” Sara said, “the library had one online database, some historical

newspapers through ProQuest, and the library catalog on CD-ROM at work stations within the facility.” Today, “all resources including the library catalog are online (over 100 databases) and hosted in ‘the cloud,’ with the exception of the print books;” Sara “managed all the library technology, knitting it all together.”

The COVID-19 pandemic, of course, hastened that emphasis on technology. Its permanent effects on the library’s form and function remain to be seen.

Suffice it to say, Sara guided the library through this current crisis, and through a 15-year period of growth and change, with dedication and an expert hand. As for her hopes for the library’s future: “I’d like to see the vetted resources that we have continue to be used, as an adjunct to whatever main course materials teachers are assigning,” she reflected.

Lawrence Academy is also fortunate to have a Discovery tool that allows students to do a Google-type search through library resources. “Since we are a prep school, I would like the students to be facile with using these databases before they enter college, as they will see them and many more at their college libraries,” Sara added. “We need to help them to become aware of their own metacognitive skills — of what their research process is.

If they have a roadmap of their own, they’ll be better served as they move beyond LA.” Newly settled in Keene, N.H., where her family has roots, life-long history buff Sara plans to join the local historical society as well as, of course, volunteer at the local library. Like the many students she has helped over the years, she has her own roadmap for retirement. We hope that her journey will include a visit to Groton from time to time.

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Parents’ Assocation Holiday Party WINTER 2019 2 6 LAWRENCE ACADEMY FALL 2020

Rachel Kelley (Alexander ’20, Abby ’21)

Thayer Swartwood (Auggie ’23, Ham ’23)

Annie Montesano (Peter ’23), Dan Scheibe, Head of School (Peter ’23), and Kathy and Bill McCullen (Billy ’22)

Eric Healy (Liam ’18, Olivia ’20), and Chris Davey, Assistant Head of School for Institutional Strategy and Advancement (Sara ‘10, Margaret ’16)

Rob Moore, Associate Head of School (Grace ’04, Kat ‘06, Ellie ‘09), and Sumner ‘97 and Michael Reed (Logan ’23)

Lori Healy (Liam ’18, Olivia ’20), and Noreen Crandall (Elizabeth ’22)

Krista Martin (Brita ’22, Jorgen ‘24) and Sarah Pendleton (Annie ’23)

FALL 2020 LAWRENCE ACADEMY 27

Cum Laude THE ANNE AND DAVID ROSENTHAL PRIZE FOR LITERARY APPRECIATION Presented by the Rosenthals’ son, Robert, ’56, and awarded to that senior who has been a member of the Academy for at least two years, for appreciation and understanding of good literature and for excellence in writing a scholarly report on the books read.

Presented to: Sophia Lando ’20 THE BAUSCH AND LOMB HONORARY SCIENCE MEDAL Awarded to a member of the junior class who has displayed outstanding achievement in mathematics and science.

Presented to: Ethan Paek ’21 THE BROWN BOOK AWARD Established by the Associated Alumni of Brown University, the Brown Book Award is given annually to that member of the junior class who best combines a high degree of ability in English expression, both written and spoken, with outstanding personal qualities.

Presented to: Sebastian Sepulveda ’21 THE CLASS OF 1957 AWARD Awarded annually to the underclassman who displays the most outstanding citizenship, as voted by the student government.

Presented to: Shelby Richards ’22 THE CLASS OF 1965 PRIZE FOR ART Awarded to that senior who shows the most outstanding achievement in the field of art. The Class of 1965 Prize for Art is awarded in memory of Virginia Smith Gray ’82.

Presented to: Chandler Bentley ’20 and Kevin Weaver ’20 THE CLASS OF 1965 PRIZE FOR DANCE Awarded to that senior who shows the most outstanding achievement in the field of dance.

Presented to: Eve Meyer ’20

SPRING 2020

THE CLASS OF 1965 PRIZE FOR MUSIC Awarded to that senior who shows the most outstanding achievement in the field of music.

Presented to: Mary Grabowski ’20 THE CLASS OF 1965 PRIZE FOR THEATRE Awarded to that senior who shows the most outstanding achievement in the field of theatre.

Presented to: Mia Gage ’20 THE ELEANOR AND CAMERON SMITH POETRY PRIZE Awarded to that junior or senior who shows talent or aptitude in poetry composition and/or who demonstrates an appreciation of a poetic approach to life.

Presented to: Chandler Bentley ’20 THE FRANCIS A. HEAD AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM Established in Mr. Head’s memory by the 1971‐72 Turning Point Editorial Board, for a junior or senior who has displayed outstanding talent in the field of journalism.

Presented to: Eric Wang ’20 THE FRESHMAN BOOK PRIZE FOR ENGLISH The Freshman Book Prize is awarded to a student whose improvement in English attests to a demonstrated interest in literature, learning, and composition, and a desire to do well.

Presented to: Tegan Young ’23 THE HOLMES PRIZE Established by Corey S. Finkelstein, an alumnus of the class of 1972, in honor of James P. Holmes, mathematics and computer science teacher at Lawrence from 1968 to 1981. Awarded to that student who has demonstrated outstanding proficiency in either math or computer programming and who best emulates the qualities of excellence and dedication that were so characteristic of Mr. Holmes’ work.

Presented to: Mary Kim ’20

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THE LANGUAGE PRIZE – CHINESE

THE MAY SARTON POETRY PRIZE

The Language Prize is awarded to a member of the senior class whose expertise in a language other than English is exemplified by a strong and continued interest, versatility, and scholarship in the study of foreign or classical languages.

Awarded to a junior or senior who has made a serious and continuing effort to develop a personal creative voice in the written arts and whose produced works are evidence of substantial talent and achievement.

Presented to: Kayli Grise ’20

Presented to: Fred Lian ’20

THE LANGUAGE PRIZE – FRENCH

THE PETER S. YOZELL ’41 HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCES AWARD

The Language Prize is awarded to a member of the senior class whose expertise in a language other than English is exemplified by a strong and continued interest, versatility, and scholarship in the study of foreign or classical languages.

To a senior who has displayed a scholarly approach to and an outstanding appreciation of the study of history and the social sciences.

Presented to: Roisin Casey ’20

Presented to: Roisin Casey ’20 and Rahul Ulman ’20

THE LANGUAGE PRIZE – LATIN

THE RENSSELAER MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE AWARD

The Language Prize is awarded to a member of the senior class whose expertise in a language other than English is exemplified by a strong and continued interest, versatility, and scholarship in the study of foreign or classical languages.

Awarded to a member of the junior class who has displayed outstanding achievement in mathematics and science.

Presented to: Sebastian Sepulveda ’21

Presented to: Claire Lanzendorf ’20 THE THOMPSON ENGLISH PRIZE THE LANGUAGE PRIZE – SPANISH The Language Prize is awarded to a member of the senior class whose expertise in a language other than English is exemplified by a strong and continued interest, versatility, and scholarship in the study of foreign or classical languages.

Established by the Classes of 1885 and 1886 in honor of Rev. Nathan Thompson, principal of the Academy in 1881.

Any student above the first year is eligible. This award is given to a uniquely qualified student of English at Lawrence.

Presented to: Lori Donohoe ’20

Presented to: Miela Zahavi ’20 THE TOWER MATHEMATICS PRIZE THE MANSFIELD BRANIGAN MEMORIAL PRIZE Established by his classmates at Lawrence in 1932, for excellence in the first three years of secondary school mathematics.

Established by the pupils of Alfred O. Tower, a former headmaster (1889‐1897). Students taking advanced courses in mathematics are eligible.

Presented to: Tan Cholaseuk ’20

Presented to: Andrew Huang ’22

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COMMENCEMENT 2020

“As old and worthy as this school might be, there is no way to describe today’s ceremony other than historic.”

– Head of School Dan Scheibe

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by Allie Goodrich ’13

Sometimes you don’t know what you’re made of until you’re truly tested. The Class of 2020 met the challenges of rounding out their Lawrence Academy careers virtually amid the novel coronavirus pandemic as if they’d been training for it their whole lives.

It was not easy — it was new, different, and uncharted territory for everyone — but there was no other choice but to forge ahead. It is a testament to this graduating class’ strength of character that they did so with grace, tenacity, and spirit.

In the days leading up to graduation on May 29, the LA campus was transformed in an effort to reflect the school community’s admiration, affection, and support for the Class of 2020. There was no white tent on the Quad this year, but by May 26, each senior’s name was chalked in bold letters down Powderhouse Road. The following afternoon, those seniors who were able to drive through campus for a socially distant, parade-style farewell arrived waving through sunroofs and open windows (or, in one case, ingeniously riding in an Adirondack chair in the bed of a pickup truck).

On May 28, the Zoom congregations began in earnest. While the seniors tuned into the Alumni Council breakfast, Powderhouse Road underwent another makeover, this time lined with lawn signs featuring each Lawrence Academy senior.

The signs disappeared after Prize Night, only to reappear the morning of graduation on the hillside overlooking the football field, just in

time for Senior Sunrise. This year, the annual tradition was live-streamed via GoPro.

2020 Graduation Speakers

At 10 a.m. on Friday, Lawrence Academy’s 227th graduation exercises began on YouTube. “As old and worthy as this school might be, there is no way to describe today’s ceremony other than historic,” remarked Head of School Dan Scheibe.

John Curran, this year’s graduation speaker, has witnessed 50 years’ worth of change to the LA campus while teaching history to generations of students, and he had one last lesson to give the graduates: “How will this change us?” he asked as he considered what it means for both a place and people to adapt while continuing to cultivate a sense of self.

“As a teacher, what a treat it was to open those Microsoft Teams meetings and see you come to class. You came, and you leaned in,” Mr. Curran continued. “You’ve always been an outstanding class, and my respect and affection for you has grown, as they would say these days, exponentially. It’s not a cliché: Apart, we have grown closer,” he noted.

John Curran, faculty

Nick DeValpine ‘20

“Over time, you will demonstrate your exceptional bond with the school; I think your class reunions will be amazing”; he added. “By your own nature, and by this crisis, you are a very special class.”

Nick de Valpine ’20, a four-year boarder from Lincoln, Mass., was one of this year’s senior class speakers. “Even though we aren’t able to see each other in person,” he began, “we’ve all learned how to stay relatively connected, and connections are one thing I’ve learned LA is really all about. Especially in times like these.”

Anna Pedreschi ‘20

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“I know somehow this happened to us because the world knows we can take it and make something amazing out of it.”

Anna Pedreschi ’20

Reflecting on the meaningful relationships he has developed over the past four years, Nick said, “This confluence of connections from all areas around campus pushed me forward and strengthened my versatility. I felt like there were so many things to look forward to every day, and I tried to cherish that feeling and never take it for granted.

“The silver lining in all of this is that once we are able to go to college and to see our friends again, we are less likely to take connections for granted,” Nick added. “We will live our lives in much more of the moment, and we will celebrate the people around us.”

Anna Pedreschi ’20 also noted this sense of purpose as she delivered her remarks. A four-year day student from Shirley, Mass., Anna reflected on the uncertainty gripping the world in the fall of 2001, when she was born, and the experience of her uncle, Patrick Callahan, the ROTC brigade commander leader at Cornell University on 9/11.

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“I tell this story because it’s our turn. It’s our turn to go out into the world, to go our separate ways, and to make a change,” Anna said. “The world is craving a class as strong as ours: a class that was born into a tragedy, and a class that is graduating in a tragedy.

“I miss those small moments, like sitting on the Quad with friends…supporting teams on game days; laughing and crying at One Acts, plays, and musicals; lunch table debates; slide-tackling on the muddy soccer field… warm nights on the Quad where we were all just enjoying one another’s presence,” she admitted. “I crave these moments every day, and wish we could have them all spring long, but unfortunately, we can’t…”

“I know somehow this happened to us because the world knows we can take it and make something amazing out of it,” Anna concluded. “So keep overcoming; keep breaking boundaries; never stop bringing the rowdy; and step up — because now, it’s our turn.”

A Socially Distanced Senior Send-off

2020 Graduation Awards Senior Awards The Adrian Chen ’92 Award (linguistic and cultural fluency): Veronica Saldanha The Benjamin Davis Williams Prize (leadership and innovation): Madison Dicks The David Thomas Kinsley Prize for Public Speaking: Nick de Valpine The Faculty Award (conduct and character): Kevin Weaver The Ferguson Prize for Leadership: Róisín Casey The Howard Glaser ’55 Award (school spirit): Anya Brown The Mary Elizabeth Chickering Prize (academic accomplishments and wholesome attitude): Chandler Bentley The Melvin Mann Award (leadership and respect): Lori Donohoe

Julia Stern ‘20

The Norman and Catherine Grant Award (sportsmanship): Anna Pedreschi The Pillsbury Prize for Character and Conduct: Christopher Davis The Pillsbury Prize for General Improvement: Jackson Avila-Connerney The Proctor Award (integrity, initiative, and responsibility): Mia Gage The Raymond A. Ilg Jr. Award (achievement in athletics): James Broderick The Richmond Baker Prize (athletic leadership): Jenna Seibold The Thomas Park ’29 Memorial Award (loyalty and dedication): Andrea Colmenares Colantuoni and Ciarra Coston The Treisman Prize for Superior Scholastic Achievement: Claire Lanzendorf

Just retired faculty member Cindy Moseley

The Whitehurst Prize (exceptional growth): Dylan Egan

Underclass Awards The Carl A.P. Lawrence Award (competence and loyalty): Calum Tinker ’21 The Dartmouth College Book Award (intellectual and extracurricular leadership): Isabella Sepulveda ’21 The David Soren Yeutter Memorial Award (appreciation of natural beauty and LA): Amaya Benzaquin-Magill ’21 The Harry and Ann Davidson Prize (effort to achieve): Tessa Griffith ’21 The Harvard Book Prize (scholarship and character): Ethan Paek ’21 The James E. Baker Prize (development in attitude and scholarship): Enock Musyoka ’21 The Margaret Price White Award (motivation and work ethic): Abigail Schuster ’22 Maya Headley ‘20

The Thomas B. Warner ’75 Memorial Prize (determination to achieve): Emma Anane ’21 and Arhant Ghanta ’21

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Class of 1970 Celebrates their 50th Reunion via

ZOOM!

by Kevin McDonald ’70

On exactly the same date that the Class of 1970 graduated from Lawrence Academy, we gathered together around our laptops, desktops, smartphones, and tablets on June 6th to celebrate our 50th reunion via Zoom. The pandemic had interrupted our best-laid plans to gather on the Quad in Groton and visit with classmates and former faculty to share memories and catch up on each other’s lives, but we were not to be denied the pleasure of each other’s company and to bring each other up to date on a very fast 50 years in the rearview mirror!

Welcomed by Head of School Dan Scheibe and Director of Alumni Advancement Jo-Ann Lovejoy, some 24 members of the class commenced a two-and-a-half-hour session, which had to be a first in the annals of LA reunions. We were joined by Dick Jeffers, George Peabody, Joe Sheppard, and two others who were celebrating their own 50th anniversaries: Ben Williams, who was installed as head of school 50 years ago, and John Curran, who was celebrating his 50th year of teaching history at LA. It was truly a memorable afternoon, as we listened to the faculty members share their recollections with us and as we shared our stories with each other. Classmates logged on from Hawaii, Rome, Kansas City, the Los Angeles area, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.

Bruce MacNeil, Witney Schneidman, and Kevin McDonald served as reunion co-coordinators for this year’s gathering. All have graciously agreed to continue in their respective roles for the next

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year as we look forward to gathering in Groton next June 11 and 12 for an in-person celebration along with the classes ending in 1 and 6.

Members of the Class of 1970 who participated in the 50th Reunion Zoom celebration included the following: George Aelion, Tony Andresen, Steve Barlow, Gayton Bartlett, Andy Black (live from the edge of the LA football field), Steve Bull, Lou Curran, TJ Hegarty, Ben Howard, Jeff Maclaren, Bruce MacNeil, Kevin McDonald, Wit Schneidman, Don Wiggin, Ken Ammenwerth, Bill Horton, Hal Rafter, Chuck Will, Rich Ellis, Carl Sussenberger, Raymond McConnie, Bob Kimball, Randy Fernley, and Rob Valentine.

Class of 1970 L-R: Tony Andresen, Jeff Maclaren, Head of School Dan Scheibe, Chuck Will, Andy Black, Bob Kimball, Steve Barlow, and Kevin McDonald

Kevin McDonald named first Chair of the Class Agent Executive Committee 2020-2021.

From an interview with Jo-Ann Lovejoy, Director of Alumni Advancement

Kevin McDonald ’70 arrived at LA in the fall of 1966. As a runner-up for the Spaulding Scholarship, which awarded a full four-year stipend to one student each year, he received enough financial aid to enable him to come to the Academy. Kevin has remained grateful to the school, and his half-century of work as a class agent is his way of thanking LA for the opportunity it afforded him.

Asked how he became a class agent, Kevin recalled that the late Francis Head, who was the school’s alumni secretary, reached out to him during his freshman year at Holy Cross to ask him if he’d take the job. Kevin said yes, and shortly thereafter, he received a large box containing a class list, postcards, and sufficient postage to mail a note to each of his LA classmates. All of the work was done this way — by hand — until the next headmaster, Ben Williams, started a formal development program.

Kevin has remained as enthusiastic about his class agent work as he was on the day he started. He’s inspired, he says, by “a deep appreciation of the school and how it has grown” over the last 50 years. Specifically, he mentions coeducation, innovative programs such as Winterim and the IIP, the growth of the Board of Trustees, and especially “Ben Williams and all he did for the school.”

Though Kevin has spent a good deal of his life in sales, he explains, “You don’t need to be a salesperson to do this job.” He describes class agent work as “a way to challenge yourself and to have conversations with people you already know. You work to keep them up to date with what’s going on at LA and to keep your classmates engaged so they will stay connected with the school.”

Reflecting on his class’ virtual 50th reunion, Kevin says, “I’m really proud to be a member of this class. I’m only the messenger to all of them…I’m proud of our class participation and support for the Annual Fund. Our class is setting a new level of engagement as we work to establish a class endowment fund in recognition of our 50th reunion. And I’m looking forward to seeing all my classmates on the quad again in June of ’21.”

We are, too.

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New Alumni Council President Carolyn Balas-Zaleski ’84 Hopes to Involve More Alumni Carolyn and son Thomas at LA graduation 2017

by Kate Engstrom

Carolyn Balas Zaleski ’84 brings not only a vibrant spirit but also a wealth of professional skills to her new position as Lawrence Academy’s Alumni Council president. Her family’s experiences as part of the school community have instilled in her a profound commitment to the elm tree-shaded hillside. Having been on LA’s Alumni Council since 2015 and invested as a parent as well, Carolyn could not be more thrilled to step into this new role and give back to a place that means the world to her.

Carolyn came to appreciate the progressive feeling and diversity of Lawrence Academy’s campus as a day student in 1980, after hearing about the school from a neighbor.

Her sister, Chrysa Balas Dunser ’87, also enrolled, as a boarding student, and Carolyn watched her son, Thomas Zaleski ’17, grow by leaps and bounds thanks to LA’s commitment to individualized learning. Tom has now found success at Kenyon College, and Carolyn credits his dedicated learning coach and teachers with his ability to thrive in a demanding academic program. She hopes to see current and future LA students continue to benefit from the expertise of their mentors, especially by integrating more alumni who are knowledgeable in a variety of fields.

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When nominated for the Alumni Council president position, Carolyn harkened back to the words of her greatgrandfather and the example of her father, two men deeply involved with the Polish community in Lowell, Mass.: “Those who can, have a moral obligation to…give back to your community.” She could not help but be moved by this guiding principle, and since her years with the Council had been nothing but positive, the timing felt right.

Carolyn, Marathon Staffing’s director of sales since 2017, is excited to give back by making the most of all that Lawrence Academy’s accomplished alumni have to offer the community. Her experiences opening her own franchise and as the only female manager at Pfizer, who also set a record for promotions of her staff members, equip her with the tools necessary to lead and accomplish the team goals she sets, and she is ready to partner with alumni to coordinate get-togethers for recent graduates, and to offer a career-focused speaker series for current students.

Carolyn sees many resources at the Lawrence Academy community’s fingertips, and in an era in which technology brings us closer together, there are countless opportunities.

She looks forward to making an impact in her new role and anticipates forging many meaningful connections with alumni along the way.

TO SHARE Inquiring minds want to know what you are up to! We would love to publish news of your life and what matters most to you in our Class Notes. Contact Pru Glover at pglover@lacademy.edu by January, 2021, to be included in the spring issue of the Academy Journal

Connect with LA

TO REMEMBER Consider joining your reunion planning committee this year if you are part of a class ending in 0, 1, 5 and 6, or begin to look ahead to next year with classes ending in 2 and 7. Contact Jo-Ann Lovejoy at jlovejoy@lacademy.edu.

TO INSPIRE Join the dedicated legions of class agents inspiring connectedness among your classmates and serve as a critical link between your class and Lawrence Academy. Contact Tamara Belmonte at tbelmonte@lacademy.edu or Kevin McDonald ’70, P’10 chair of the Class Agent Executive Committee, at mcdkev@comcast.net.

TO SPEAK Contact us to share your interest in participating as a panelist on a future Alumni for LA career panel series. Contact Jo-Ann Lovejoy at jlovejoy@lacademy.edu.

Connect with the Alumni Advancement Team: Tamara Belmonte and Geoff Harlan, alumni leadership advancement officers; Pru Glover, program manager for alumni advancement, and Trustees; Jo-Ann Lovejoy, director of alumni advancement

TO GIVE Contact us to discuss the traditional and non-traditional ways you would like to demonstrate your support of LA. Contact Jo-Ann Lovejoy at jlovejoy@lacademy.edu.

TO OPINE Participate in the DEI Alumni and Community Read and book discussions this year. Contact Geoff Harlan at gharlan@lacademy.edu.

TO MENTOR Join LA Connect, Lawrence Academy’s online and mobile alumni community, to mentor and inspire LA alumni jobseekers and to utilize the job boards and other features. Contact Geoff Harlan at gharlan@lacademy.edu or visit https://lacademyconnect.com/ for the desktop version.

For iOS: Go to the App Store and download the Graduway Community app, then search for “Lawrence Academy Network.”

For Android: Go to Google Play and download the Lawrence Academy Network app.

TO UPDATE Moved? New phone? New email? Please think of LA as life continues to move at warp speed. Updating your contact information enables us to share all of our communications with you reliably, in a timely fashion, and at a cost savings to the school. Contact Pru Glover at pglover@lacademy.edu.

TO SUGGEST We are working every day to improve our alumni program in all aspects and would enjoy hearing from you with your ideas, feedback on our work, and innovative ways we can improve. Contact Jo-Ann Lovejoy at jlovejoy@lacademy.edu.

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50

L IVING H ISTORY:

Y EARS OF S ERVICE

J OHN C URRAN

by Kate Engstrom

Lawrence Academy history teacher John Curran has come a long way from one of his first classes, when students came to him complaining about the inaccessible reading he assigned for homework. Now, students flock to his classes, and Senior Honors History: The U.S. and the World Since World War II, better known as Nukes and Commies, is a course that many alumni call their most memorable.

Mr. Curran “stumbled into” that course idea in 1971, but his students can attest to the thoughtfulness and intrigue behind its design. The curriculum grew from a one-term elective to a year-long honors course, and it is a significant part of his career at LA. Mr. Curran started at Lawrence Academy in January 1970, replacing a 10th grade teacher in the middle of the year.

His teaching career was a “family endeavor,” he says: Wife

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Mary Lou taught at LA for a total of six years, and daughter Clare graduated from the school in 2007. It’s the opportunity to teach and work with kids that’s sustained him all these years: “I love seeing them grow in their confidence, skills, and the sophistication of their thinking,” he explains.

As a U.S. history teacher, Mr. Curran deeply values his students’ ability “to be able to make connections between the past and the present,” and he provides them with plenty of opportunities to experience the predicaments that people have faced in the past. In fact, his most memorable days in the classroom are those when he’s asked students to step into the shoes of figures in history: for example, the time a student playing former Soviet Union leader Nikita Khrushchev held her own debating with the History Department chair for 40 minutes during a trial on the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The morning a student acting as Libyan revolutionary Muammar al-Gaddafi came out of a tent in the classroom, held down with buckets of sand, to give his presentation is also etched in Mr. Curran’s memory, and he can’t help but smile while remembering the fictional Doctor Neutron’s presentation on nuclear physics in a lab coat. Personally, he takes great pleasure in playing Great Britain Prime Minister Lord North, German philosopher Karl Marx, and Cuban politician Fidel Castro in costume. In his classes, parents who experienced firsthand the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the killing fields in Cambodia have also spoken about those pieces of history. These classes, which allow historical events to sink in on a personal level, have brought great satisfaction to teacher and students alike.

Lawrence Academy has given Mr. Curran opportunities to grow not only as a teacher but also in other aspects of his identity. He is considered one of “founding fathers” of

Winterim and has benefitted from the experiences of those in-depth courses, too: He values his improved skills as a chess player and outdoor leader, all the more meaningful because they were learned alongside students. In addition, Mr. Curran served as the boys’ varsity tennis coach for 30 years, a role he never imagined he would hold. In these ways, he has been an integral member of a community committed to individual growth and supporting one another along the way.

Mr. Curran can be found reading and creating art by the beach when he’s not teaching. The latter is a hobby not many know about, but it makes sense: He truly has made an art form out of teaching in his 50 years at Lawrence Academy. The creativity and engagement of his lessons are hallmarks of an excellent educator, and his classes are a place where students not only learn lessons of logic and argument, but also get to live history alongside a legendary teacher.

AND A PASSION FOR T EACHING AND L EARNING

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Taking the Path Less Traveled WITNEY SCHNEIDMAN ’70

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Witney in Jerusalum

by Joe Sheppard

It’s hard not to smile when you’re talking to Dr. Witney Schneidman ’70, for when he reflects on his life’s work, his face lights up like a kid who is showing you the A-plus he got on the hardest assignment he’s ever had.

Witney’s “assignment” for over 40 years, in fact, has been Africa — all of it. Currently senior advisor for Africa at the international law firm Covington & Burling, based in Washington, D.C., he has most recently been involved in the Brobdingnagian task of providing policy and governance advice to agencies of the UN and the African Union and the leading cell phone companies on the continent in order to provide free texting service to facilitate the flow of healthrelated information during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Though he works for a law firm, Witney is not an attorney.

His doctorate, earned after a B.A. cum laude in African and American history from Temple University, is a Ph.D. in international relations from the University of Southern California. His passion for Africa started during a gap year between graduation from Lawrence and college. “I knew I wasn’t ready for college,” he recalls. “It would have been a disaster. I graduated but didn’t have an idea about what to do with my year off.”

The answer came several weeks after graduation during a kitchen-table conversation at home in Philadelphia, where Witney grew up, hearing a woman talk about her experiences on a kibbutz in Israel. “I was fascinated by her description of life on the kibbutz, and pitched to my mother the idea of going to one,” he explained. “My mom said, ‘Okay, you can go to a kibbutz and then travel in Europe for the academic year, September to June. I’ll make $1,000 available to you, which I will send in $300 installments every three months, so you don’t blow it all at once.’” It turned out that the Kibbutz also required him to learn Hebrew, which initially seemed fine.

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The kibbutz was great; the “sitting in a classroom learning Hebrew, doing homework and taking tests,” not so much.

He met some students from Kenya, who told stories of “game parks and hippo pools and endless beaches.”

Captivated, Witney started visiting the library at the kibbutz. “Looking at the map of Africa,” he remembered, “I realized I could get to Kenya and home from there by June. So I wrote my mom and said, ‘Please send the next $300 care of American Express in Nairobi, because that’s where I’m going.”

Mozambique. A job followed at the State Department, where he worked as the South Africa analyst writing for the Secretary of State.

Africa was changing, and Witney wanted to be involved in that change. Leaving the State Department, he joined a non-profit company that assessed whether American businesses in South Africa were being good corporate citizens during the apartheid era. He found that most of them were doing just that: integrating their workplaces and importing American values. Inspired by one factory foreman who had risked arrest for integrating his workplace — following U.S. guidelines but in defiance of South African law at the time — Witney saw where his future lay: “I’m going to focus on being an advocate for U.S. investment in Africa and make sure there’s a developmental dimension to it,” he thought at the time.

Witney’s arrival in Nairobi marked the start of a monthslong odyssey through East Africa, highlighted in January, 1971 by the coup d’état in Uganda, when Idi Amin seized power. He experienced the coup in the small town of Mbarara, Uganda, where he was visiting some acquaintances. Borders closed for a week, then opened, and Witney “went back to Achieving one of his goals, he Nairobi and on to the Kenya was appointed deputy assistant coast,” he related. “I then took a secretary of state for African boat to India and from there affairs in 1997 by President traveled mainly on buses Clinton when he was 45. through Pakistan, Afghanistan, During his tenure, he was Iran, into Turkey, up to the instrumental in getting the Black Sea, took a boat to African Growth and Opportunity Istanbul, and then flew to Act, a milestone piece of Amsterdam, London, and home. legislation that significantly I started college the following changed American’s relationship fall…and soon realized what with Africa. Instead of being kind of work I wanted to do.”

Witney Schneidman recipients of American foreign His goal was to foster an aid, African countries became understanding between the business partners. “With this United States and Africa and, one day, help shape U.S. legislation, AGOA, as it’s called, it became more about policy toward the continent. During his gap year, Witney mutual benefit and mutual gain. And we're using trade as traveled 25,000 miles, across three continents and 15 the stimulus for economic development, which is much countries and found his purpose in life. All for $1000.00 healthier and beneficial for Africa,” Witney explained. (about $6000 today).

“I’m really passionate about two things: One is accelerated economic development in Africa leveraged through the private sector.

The other is strong U.S.–African relations.”

After college, Witney’s mom wanted him to go to law school. He said no, explaining to her that he wanted to go to Africa to learn everything he could about the continent and prepare for his intended career. By age 25, he had earned a master’s degree from the University of Dar es-Salaam in Tanzania, and been to 30 countriesd. Realizing that a Ph.D. would help him in his planned career as a policymaker, he enrolled at USC, where he wrote his dissertation on U.S. policy toward Portugal, Angola, and

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With a change in administrations in Washington, Witney found it most expedient to start his own consultancy, Schneidman Associates, to help businesses “navigate the African market.” Working on his own for 10 years, he eventually attracted the attention of Covington & Burling, who invited him to join the firm on a full-time basis. When Witney protested that he had not gone to law school, they said, “That’s okay. You travel the world, and you know the continent. We would really like you to help us establish an

With the arrival of the pandemic, health-related communication across the continent became a critical need.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, or UNECA, was asked to put together a platform for health messaging. “The health ministers and the finance ministers needed real-time access across the continent to find out whether people are getting enough food to eat, who is sick, what's going on, etc.,” Witney explained. “What UNECA did was they got all the cell phone companies to come together to provide text messaging service. And then they got the Africa Center for Disease Control — the health dimension of the African Union — to be part of this.”

Pro bono, Covington put together the governance framework for the life-saving project. “When it's all up and running,” he continued, “the African Union and UNECA will have access to some 600 million people across the continent who have cell phones on a real-time basis.”

Witney welcoming Nelson Mandela in 1998 Africa practice.” He would be his own boss, “teamed up” with lawyers from across the firm, and he would be evaluated “qualitatively. “He explained: “It was never just about dollars or billable hours. For me, I saw an opportunity to help Covington develop the best Africa practice of any U.S. law firm.”

It was an offer he couldn’t refuse, even though Covington had no office on the continent at the time. “I’m really passionate about two things,” Witney continued, the broad smile lighting up his face once again. “One is accelerated economic development in Africa leveraged through the private sector. The other is strong U.S.–African relations.

So the way I approach my work with clients is to help them align their commercial objectives with a country’s economic development objectives. There needs to be a clear win-win.

If I don’t see the possibility of a win-win outcome, I don’t get involved in the project. That’s a pretty easy conversation to have with most American companies; they get it.”

Covington, through its international offices, held out the possibility to work with companies from India, Korea, Japan, and China to stimulate economic development on the continent. In 2017, five years after he joined Covington, the firm opened an office in Johannesburg. Twenty attorneys work there, and Witney has chaired the Africa practice for the last eight years.

When we remarked that the new network could save a lot of lives, he replied simply, “It should. That’s the whole point of it,” summing up the career of a man who has dedicated his life to bettering the lives of the population of an entire continent and strengthening relations between Africa and the United States.

“When it’s all up and running, the African Union and UNECA will have access to some 600 million people across the continent who have cell phones on a real-time basis.”

Witney Schneidman

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THE SILENCE OF THE BOYS compiled by Joe Sheppard, who was there when it all happened

Picture it: The study hall in the main building of a venerable boys’ school in an old New England town. It’s 1971: a beautiful spring day. The morning assembly is almost over. The boys are getting antsy, but the headmaster hasn’t dismissed them yet.

“I have one more announcement,” he says. A hush falls over the crowd. “Good,” he says.

“You’re paying attention. I am happy to announce…”

From the back of the room, some kid fakes a drumroll on the desktop with his hands.

“I am happy to announce,” says the big man, “that starting next fall, Lawrence Academy will be accepting girls. We will be a coeducational school.”

One teacher starts to clap. Suddenly, he stops, because he realizes that no one else is clapping.

The room is quiet — too quiet.

The big man waits. And he waits. Silence. Nothing. He’s wondering if he’s just made the worst mistake of his career.

“Well, that’s it,” he finally says. “I guess you’d better go to class.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

The story of Ben Williams’ announcement of coeducation at Lawrence Academy, and the deafening silence that allegedly followed it, has long since passed into the realm of urban legend. But the fact remains that LA did return to coeducation in the fall of 1971, after 70-odd years as a boys’ school. We contacted five of LA’s first four-year senior women, asking them to share their memories of their earliest days on the elm tree-shaded hillside. They were happy to do so, and we hope you will enjoy their recollections.

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MEET THE GIRLS BARBARA ANDERSON BRAMMER ’75 “My brother, Bruce ’73, transferred to LA in the fall of 1971 as a junior, and I happily joined in the journey, not fully understanding what a special year it would be. We were greeted kindly and enthusiastically by those enrolled. The school was smaller, closer to 300 students, so it did not take long for everyone to become acquainted.”

ROBIN MARTIN ADAMS ’75 “I believe that high school is a big transition for any teen, but transitioning into a (formerly) all-boys’ school was something I wasn’t prepared for…I never experienced any of the upperclassmen vs. newbies that my friends in other schools told me about. I knew everyone, and everyone knew me. It truly felt like a community. The teachers were approachable, caring, encouraging, and nothing felt out of reach, except maybe sports.”

MEG JONES MEEKER ’75 “At the tender age of 14, I walked onto the LA campus and noticed that it felt wholly male. I can’t pinpoint exactly why it felt this way, but it was clear that girls had not walked the halls. Our locker rooms were freshly converted male ones. As one of four girls in a class of 30, I felt odd and out of place. Some guys embraced us; others made it clear that we didn’t belong at LA.”

STACEY BENNET T BEGG ’75 “I was shy and insecure. I appreciated some former students introducing me to LA, helping me to find a better future. I had never been on any campuses before; this was beyond-belief lovely, and the resources were so exciting to me, all years! I needed to be guided, about the rules, the ways, how to juggle so much, and to be encouraged to be brave, daily.”

SANDY SWEENEY GALLO ’75 “My mother, Marjorie Sweeney, worked for Dick Pickering and then for Gordon Sewall in admissions. Although she was not supposed to tell, I remember the day in ’71 when she confided to me that Meg Jones and I had been the first girls accepted at LA…I would say the boys felt uncomfortable with some anxiety, excitement, and just a little bit of lust?…

More like, now what? We have to behave? No swearing in class? Why is this little freshman girl in my French class with seniors! Why does she have to be so smart? Ahh, but she is cute…Maybe I will put on better clothes tomorrow and wear deodorant.”

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P L AY I N G W I T H T H E B OY S When he became headmaster in 1969, Ben Williams was committed to bringing coeducation to Lawrence Academy.

He was equally committed to making sure the girls had a quality experience — a considerable challenge, given that every building on the campus had been used almost exclusively by males for the better part of a century.

Getting the campus ready was the first priority; given time constraints, it had to have been a challenge. Over one summer, dormitories were adapted, the huge boys’ bathroom in the basement of the Schoolhouse was divided in two, and a girls’ locker room was carved out of a space next to the furnace room in the basement of the Gray Building. The girls would enter by the concrete cellar stairway at the rear of the building, near Spaulding Hall.

“Those of us who wanted to play something showed up at boys’ practices and tried to inch our way onto the teams. The best we got were positions as managers — not because the school was sexist, but because we were entering uncharted territory.”

Meg Meeker ’75

Providing a decent sports program for the new arrivals was, of course, a vital priority. A few faculty wives were recruited to serve as coaches; for a year or two, some girls practiced with boys’ teams. Robin Adams recalled, “When we came to

1971: First LA girls’ basketball team, coached by Tanya Sheppard: First row, L-R: Jessica Sullivan, Nancy Moyer, Paula Bell, Pat Franz, and Stacey Bennett; Second row, L-R: Mrs. Sheppard, Nancy Newcomb, Ann Carter, Lee Johnson, and Sandy Sweeney.

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Thirds soccer in 1971 with a few girls, including Sandy Sweeney, Meg Jones, and Barb Anderson

campus in 1971, there was a sport requirement, which posed a problem for two reasons: No. 1, there weren’t really enough girls to make a team, and No. 2, not all of us were athletic (I most certainly was not!)”

“But this was Lawrence Academy, so you were always encouraged to create a solution, and that’s exactly what we did,” she added. “Recreational sports was the result.

Mr. Campolieto came onboard as our ‘coach.’

We did such challenging activities as badminton, long walks, and maybe volleyball?

It was wonderful. We had our own space for conversation and camaraderie.”

Coach Bob Kullen

Coach “Campy”

of him, we won a lot of games. And each year, we won a lot more,” she continued. Only two years later, the team went undefeated.

Playing on a boys’ team wasn’t a complete waste of talent, though, as Barbara Brammer related. “It took another year until enough girls were enrolled to begin to field our first varsity team (soccer), but efforts were made to allow anyone who wished to participate in practicing with the boys’ teams. I joined the boys’ thirds soccer team, which launched my athletic career, and I was able to play varsity sports when I attended the University of Vermont.”

Winter brought basketball, which Tanya The first couple of years weren’t quite so easy Sheppard coached. As with soccer, the squads for girls who were athletes and craved good were small for the first year or two, and as competition. Meg Meeker remembered, “We Stacey Begg recalled, “The entire game was so had no soccer, lacrosse, basketball, softball, or exhausting; it taught me what I could do.” other sports teams. So those of us who wanted to play something showed up at boys’ Reminiscing about her experience on that first practices and tried to inch our way onto the girls’ basketball team, Sandy Gallo recounted, teams. The best we got were positions as “Thank goodness for teachers’ wives who were managers — not because the school was willing to take on the girls’ sports issue… sexist, but because we were entering We only competed against the Cushing girls. uncharted territory…I remember practicing We were a mixed team of semi-athletes, some soccer with the freshman boys’ soccer team Headmaster Ben Williams P’82 talented and some not at all. I know I was terrible and being intentionally kicked in the shins.

(See class notes, page 55) at the game, but somehow, I endured for two But I didn’t tell Coach Gagné because I knew seasons. I had what Nancy Moyer ’74 called ‘sticky fingers.’ he would kick the offender off the team. He, like every staff I hated away games because I could never figure out one end member, supported, encouraged, and challenged us…” of the court from the other. I was much better off planting seedlings in Vince Skinner’s basement for a winter ‘sport’ “LA life changed for me when Bob Kullen, an Olympic activity along with Kelly Lewis ’76.” hockey player, decided to coach our soccer and lacrosse teams. He pushed us no less hard than the boys, and because

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LOOKING BACK There were a few bumps in the road that first year — a few students, and faculty, nervous about how daily life would change with girls around, an athletic program trying hard to adapt — but on the whole, the small group of “pioneer women” felt welcomed and valued from the start.

Sandy Gallo recollected about how excited she was when she got her first part in a play: “For the first time in a very long time, girl students (not teachers’ wives or boys dressed as girls) played female parts in plays and gave a sweeter sound with the mixed chorale groups. I loved participating in chorus and being a member of Shep’s Nibelungs [an a cappella singing group].”

Stacey Begg, for whom “living in the same environment for four years was very important,” given her family’s frequent moves, said, “Teachers, coaches, campus families, and workers were fabulous role models and friends. I found things I have loved, that continued: the Symphony, making herb planters, and baking apple pies!…The beautiful Groton environment was strategic in fostering my passion for preserving homes and farmland.”

Robin Adams echoed a common sentiment: “I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have been part of something so wonderful and unique. It was an opportunity that very few will experience, and it continues to be one of the most memorable and transforming of my life…”

Fondly, Barbara Brammer recalled, “I doubt the experiment of that first year would have been nearly as successful without the support of the faculty wives, who were on campus and

an integral part of supporting the success of all students during that special time. We have had many years to reminisce, and one of my favorite reflections was when Edi Baker noted that one thing she noticed immediately in the fall of 1971 was the general aroma of the boys in her dormitory had improved dramatically!”

“Our headmaster, Ben Williams, routinely asked me how life at LA was for me,” Meg Meeker remembered. “I never said thank you, so I say it now. You made me feel important, and that changed who I became as an adult…Women currently lament that they have experienced sexism, sexual harassment, or offenses by male counterparts. Aside from being kicked in the shins once, I can honestly say that I never experienced any of these at LA. Not once.

“I owe Lawrence for the confidence, intellectual stimulation, and steely resolve to excel they gave me,” she added. “It prepared me well for the years of male-dominated medical school, residency, and private practice I entered. I could never have asked for more.”

A faculty member commented late in the fall of 1971, “It’s as if the whole place just opened up and smiled.” Thank you, pioneer women. We’re still smiling.

As for that assembly, the truth came out years later, at the Class of 1972’s 40th reunion: When Ben Williams asked the alumni why they sat in silence when he announced coeducation, their response was, “We didn’t believe you!”

“I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have been part of something so wonderful and unique.

It was an opportunity that very few will experience, and it continues to be one of the most memorable and transforming of my life.”

Robin Adams ’75

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Watching Cross country coming home 1974 Carol Bolger, Sandy, Meg

Greece Winterim 1973

Sandy Sweeney, Deb Baker, Sandy Meade, and Meg Jones

Sailing in the Caribbean Winterim 1975

Girls singing, 1975: Barb Anderson, Meg Jones, and Sandy Gallo on far right

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Courtney Cox Harrison ’83 5 0 LAWRENCE ACADEMY FALL 2020

A Seat at the Table With the CEO

by Joe Sheppard

“I see my role in life as ‘leading the way’ and showing others what is possible,” says Courtney Cox Harrison ’83.

“I was raised by parents who told me I could do anything in life I wanted as long as I focused and worked hard.”

Having gone from the first girl on her hometown’s T-ball team to frequently being the only woman on an executive team, Courtney has become a major force in the business world, putting her vast experience to work training executives to be better leaders in rapidly changing times — and loving every minute of it. Currently, she is a chief human resources officer at OneLogin, a cybersecurity company based in San Francisco, as well as a principal and co-founder of her own consulting business. Courtney, who lives in Denver, Colo., with her husband, Chris Zlocki, sits on several business boards. She has been an adjunct professor in MBA programs for 20 years, is in demand as a keynote speaker on the future of work and sexual harassment, has been profiled in the Harvard Business Review, and most recently was selected to speak for the second time at SXSW in Austin on “mental health in the workplace”, a topic that has become even more relevant with the arrival of COVID-19.

So much for the résumé, which is long, high-powered, and interesting. In talking with Courtney, it’s quickly clear that this outgoing, energetic, warm, and friendly person

has arrived at a point in life where she is profoundly happy with what she is doing, and is doing it incredibly well. However, finding the right path took time.

As an advertising and marketing major at Penn State, Courtney wanted to go to graduate school, “and so I went to Drexel, and I got an MBA”, she recalled. But, Courtney confessed, “I struggled.”

“I went in as a finance major, funnily enough. I thought I wanted to be a stockbroker,” she added. An “MBA cousin” advised Courtney to “concentrate in something,” so she picked finance, “but I kept coming home all excited about these HR classes.”

Having parents in the hotel conference center industry, Courtney had spent her whole life working any and every hotel job she could. Sitting in a basement office keeping personnel records wasn’t her idea of a career, but the field was morphing from “personnel” into “human resources” right at that time. “They said, ‘Wait, wait. We’re starting to realize that people are a pretty important part of running a company,’” Courtney related, with a knowing smile. “Someone said, let’s give it a new name, human resources, because people are at the center of everything — certainly at the center of companies. And I started taking more psychology classes, and I was fascinated by that. Then I took sociology classes, trying to understand group behavior…”

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It was life-changing to Courtney, whose husband encouraged her to change her MBA concentration from finance to human resources because he recognized her passion every time she talked about the latter.

Prophetically, he had said to her, “I think it’s changing.

You will have a seat at the table with the CEO if you join the right firm, because people are such a huge part of running a high growth, sustainable company.”

“The study of psychology and sociology has led to critical business challenges today about change and agility, and that has led to what I’ve studied the rest of my life and what my consultancy is about: the integration between culture, innovation and change,” Courtney explained.

“I would say these are my passions and probably my best skill set.”

People hate to change, Courtney continued, because “neuroscience explains that we’re wired to stay right where we are. We’re wired for security and safety, but companies change constantly. At some point, everything gets thrown out the window, and none of us like it; we’re not wired for it.”

When Courtney was working for American Express in the 1990s and early 2000s, her CEO asked her how the company’s culture could become techoriented rather than product-oriented, to keep up with changing times. “I’m like, Courtney and her boss from her ‘Hmmm, you have days at American Express, CEO 120,000 people. That’s Ken Chenault, whom she credits for her success in her career.

10 years at best before you change people’s mindset and get them out of their comfort zone of being a product company to a tech company,’” she recalled.

“And so it just became my journey — helping companies transform and come out stronger on the other side of disruption. I got in right at the right time with a great brand, company, and CEO.” Later, she joined the United

States Olympic Committee as part of a “turnaround mission” (they had four CEOs in five years and were struggling financially) in preparation for the Beijing Olympics. Three years later, the U.S. Olympic Team won the most Olympic medals in their history and were financially sound for the first time in decades.

In 2015, Courtney co-founded the Medius Advisory Group, a consulting firm that puts her psychology training to good use. Through Medius, she advises CEOs and C-Suite teams at companies such as Starbucks, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, Tesla, and numerous start-ups. “My expertise is integrating your business strategy with your people strategy,” she shared, adding, “They’re not separate.

HR tends to sit over there and do engagement surveys and performance reviews with their employees. Many of the tools HR still deploys worked for the Industrial Age, not the Digital Age, and therefore aren’t necessarily attached to what companies are trying to do! What are they trying to change? And what are the gaps? Are these tools and processes remotely fast and agile? I use my education to fill that gap. And then I use my career path of Fortune 500 companies, midsize companies, startups, the Olympics.”

An early customer of Medius Advisory Group was OneLogin, a company providing “next-generation identity and access management.” The CEO knew Courtney from a previous job, and hired her company to help them rebuild after a tumultuous time. When he offered her the position of head of HR at OneLogin, she was reluctant at first, but accepted because she had fallen in love with the people and the mission, as well as because he supported her quest to continue consulting on the side, on work she was passionate about that was not cybersecurity related.

“We just sort of made an agreement,” she explained: “Five to 10 percent of my time, max, on my business.”

That’s the way it still is today, with Courtney able to take speaking engagements, and continue multi-year executive coaching agreements with CEOs and C-suite executives.

It’s taken Courtney several years, and a good deal of research, to come up with a clear answer as to what makes a good leader. She’s learned that “the context in which you work in a small company is different than at a

Courtney Cox Harrison ’83 5 2 LAWRENCE ACADEMY FALL 2020

Many of the leaders who have survived these crises and prospered have Courtney to thank for their success. She is doing what she loves, coaching executives and teams through disruptive times.

Courtney speaking on stage at SXSW 2019 in Austin, about sexual harassment in the workplace

Fortune 500 company, and the context in which you work at the Olympics (a not-for-profit) is different, but leadership is not.

people would do anything for them. The leader will say, ‘Trust me, I know this is scary,’ and people will trust them, take that step forward even though they're fearful.”

“People follow people for the same reason in a 10-person company that they do in a 100,000-person company: It’s about followership,” Courtney explained. “And if you have enough people who are following leaders and trust them, you’ll be better at creating change in your organization of whatever size you are, quickly, which is exactly what is needed now in the world, right? With artificial intelligence, machine learning, and pandemics, companies have to keep going like this – constantly adapting and moving forward. And people will only follow people they trust.

Courtney has been through several scary times in her career, in fact, from the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which she witnessed firsthand standing under the shadow of the World Trade Center, to the financial crisis of 2008, to the current novel coronavirus pandemic. Through it all, however, “leadership has not changed, for me,” she stated.

“Lots of bad leaders survive in good times, but when they’re really exposed in times of crisis, we watch them fail miserably,” Courtney added. “You get to finally see people who shouldn’t be in leadership positions get pushed out.”

“Trust sounds like a touchy-feely word in the world of business,” she continued, “but I’ll go back to it every time, when I’ve studied both companies that failed and companies that succeeded…I had a lot of global leaders, and I got to watch what worked and what didn’t. I got to watch why somebody fails, why somebody doesn’t. And then I got to watch the fallout. When people don’t trust their leader, we have to keep turning them over. They spend time gossiping, sabotaging, becoming toxic, and then innovation and productivity come to a halt. Then I looked at the leaders — who are very few, sadly — where

Many of the leaders who have survived these crises and prospered have Courtney to thank for their success. She is doing what she loves, coaching executives and teams through disruptive times, and, in her words, “doing everything she can to make a living out of it.” Courtney herself is a leader in an industry that is much needed in today’s ambiguous and uncertain world.

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Alumni Class Notes

Have a note to share in the Spring 2021 Academy Journal? Forward info and pictures to pglover@lacademy.edu.

Golden Alumni Reunions 55th Reunion 1965 and 1966 60th Reunion 1960 and 1961 65th Reunion 1955 and 1956 70th Reunion 1950 and 1951 75th Reunion 1945 and 1946

55th Reunion

1965 50th Reunion

1970 George Aelion ’70 wrote us at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic: “Finally, so much time to reflect after three weeks of being house-bound in Rome with another three weeks certainly to follow. If I’m not careful, this could be a long class note. I retired from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in 2014, and, after more than 22 years out of the U.S., decided to stay in Italy, where WFP is headquartered and where I continue to do the occasional consultancy.

“On my 2019 pilgrimage back to the U.S., I asked Kevin McDonald whether anyone from Lawrence Academy was living in the Sarasota, Fla. area. He gave me Stephen Heard’s ’70 contact details, so I was delighted to learn of an ongoing

George Aelion ’70 and Steve Heard ’70

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Class of 1965 tennis team

annual tradition that included classmates Bob Kimball and Andy Black planting themselves at Steven’s house for the week. I managed to spend an afternoon reminiscing about old times at LA. “My last direct contact with anyone was a visit to see my daughter, Leah, who is doing a junior year (Erasmus) in Vienna.

My other daughter, Julia, was also visiting, so it was a nice reunion. My flight back to Rome was one of the last before the border closed.

“The good news is that with the postponement of the 50th Reunion, I can now plan to attend.”

Ray McConnie ’70 wrote us after his class’s virtual 50th reunion in June: “Now that I am semi-retired, the four boys are out of college, graduate school, and on their own as solid citizens. The horizon seems closer than when my wife and I started out with this saga that is family life and what some may call the professional responsibilities prompting us to prove ourselves every day. Asima Saad Maura will be retiring from academe next December.

Together 47 years, we have shared the brunt of all manner of provocations and satisfactions. Asima has many talents on tap that have continued to take shape in works of literary criticism on early modern

Spanish and Latin American colonial poetry for publications in the trade under her name. Asima is also a fine artist with a particular gusto for oil pastel representational work. The subjects of my devotion, at least for now, encompass Buddhist philosophy and practice, mind-training (lojong), history of political economy, improving on modern languages that have languished in the onslaught of time, acquiring familiarity with ancient tongues, and trying to make ends meet as a consultant after a long solo career of freelance service in applied linguistics as a conference, legal, and forensic interpreter/ translator. We try to go back home to Puerto Rico, away from home in Philadelphia, a few times each year. Feel free to stay in touch. Life is terminal for good reason. As the saying goes, ‘So little time, so much to do!’”

Boys of 1970: Meeting outside Pillsbury House ’66-’67.

L-R: Bill Fender, Bruce Allen, Mark Rosborough, Steve Barlow, Steve Dizard, and Tony Andresen

50th Reunion

1970 The Class of 1970 – Kneeling, L-R: Kevin McDonald, Steve Barlow; 1st Row, L-R: Tony Andresen, Carl Sussenberger, Jack Eutsler, Don Wiggin, Bill Stafford, Bob Kimball, Jeff Maclaren, and Bruce MacNeil; 2nd Row L-R: Tom Willits, Steve Bull, Gayton Bartlett, Bill Fender, and Andy Black.

Honoring the 50th Anniversary of Ben Williams

Ben at Graduation, 1970

The members of the Class of 1970 are not alone in celebrating a 50th anniversary! With this issue of the Academy Journal, we honor Benjamin D. Williams III, who completed his first year as headmaster of Lawrence Academy a half-century ago. With quiet strength and an unwavering vision for the future, he led the old Academy into a new era over 14 years, ushering in coeducation, curricular reform, and a more democratic style of leadership that contrasted sharply with his predecessors’ top-down management. His legacy lives on in the strong and vibrant institution that is Lawrence Academy today. Thank you, Ben. We celebrate with you.

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Mr. Holmes 1971

50th Reunion

1971 1974 Rich Johnson ’74 has been honored with the Legacy Award, the lifetime achievement award of the International Association of Sports Museums and Halls of Fame. Personal friend and former Sports Museum chair Dave Cowens presented Rich at the luncheon hosted by the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I. in October. Last April he sent the following letter: “Dear Lawrence Family: Lately, during these troubling times, I’ve been about as reflective as a funhouse mirror. The news about John Prine being gravely ill with COVID has me down and listening to a lot of his tunes. It inspired me to write this poem (box on right), as my buddy Tom Warner ’75 and I loved listening to Prine’s music.

THE OLD HOUSE

To plead with the Lord to halt our friend's fall

By Richard Johnson ’74

A check of five figures I'd happily sign

They sold the old house with the room that he died in

For granting us all just ten minutes’ time

The kitchen, the porch, and the den that we cried in

Yes ten minutes’ time, on that hill by our school

Where laughter once pealed and a bullet once flew

To run fast as deer while laughing like fools

Our memories abundant, yet tangled in blue

Embracing a cloud in the shape of our friend

That home was a place, yes, a vessel of love

While hoping that dream…that it just wouldn’t end

Where once we gave hugs and oft received shoves

I'm not real religious and really not pious

With rooms filled with music and long drawn-out talks

Just mindful of life and all that flies by us

Those woods and that coffee and cold morning walks

He's somewhere I'm sure with Roy, Rosie and Pat

Let’s cherish our friends and ponder times past

Though he left us his trademark lucky green hat

Of goals boldly scored and races run fast

The leaves from his tree on the side of our hill

Of girlfriends and sad ends, that waitress at Christians

Trampled by runners just feeling the chill

Our hormones all pumping like uncontrolled pistons

Straining while striding on well-traveled feet

’Twas no stopping fate, the sad news from his scan

True hearts ever striving avoiding defeat

But no thwarting our friend, then just barely a man

So let’s not be maudlin or droopy or sappy

He went back to Amherst, despite all that pain

Our memories of him, they should make us all happy

With only the wish that he'd go skate again

His kindness, his courage, his laughter, his grace

No bargains for us who'd have given their all

The look that he gave us right after a race.

fully-lit meerschaum and punched a hole in the drywall above their living room couch. The boys thought it was part of the movie until some dust from the freshlymade bullet hole drifted down to the couch below. I soon reminded Major Warner that even smoking a PIPE was bad for his and everyone else's health.

45th Reunion

1975

Tony Sampas ’74, Sandy Sweeney Gallo ’75, Eric (Harry) Reisman ’75, Rich Johnson ’74, and former faculty Carlton Davis met up with Patrick Warner ’80, his partner Nicole DiCello, and Kevin Keady ’80 (not pictured) at Bedlam Book Café in Worcester

Sandy Sweeney Gallo ’75 reports that she has moved to the country, a new home in Wilton, N.H. with lots of land, a stream, and plenty of wildlife. She and Tony Sampas ’74 enjoy discovering and photographing New England’s hidden wonders accompanied by her Dandie Dinmont Terriers, Robbe and Martha.

Sandy is an independent global hotel consultant for HelmsBriscoe, helping organizations find the perfect venue for their meetings. She, Tony and her clients are eager to start traveling again. Sandy frequently sees members of the Class of ’74 and ’75 at various LA mini-gatherings. As your reunion coordinators, she and Ben Lord are making big plans for the joint reunion next June!

Sandy Sweeney Gallo ’75 and Greg Cope ’74 during the Tom Warner ’75 Memorial 5K Walk/Run in June 2019

L-R: Jamie Katter ’75 and Ben Lord ‘75

Stay Safe, Rich Johnson, ’74”

“As you all know, Tom died at age 22 of a non-cancerous brain tumor.

“No explanation on the poem required, I hope — apart from the fact Tom’s father once lit his pipe on a night they were all watching the movie Pork Chop Hill and a bullet, misplaced in the tobacco pouch he carried while hunting, burst out of the

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Ben Lord ’75 lives in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., with Nancy, his wife of 37 years. The Lords have two daughters, two sons-in-law, and two grandchildren. Ben continues to work in golf media and marketing. He remains close with classmate Jamie Kattar; both will be back for the “45th +1” reunion next June. They wrote us over the summer: “We have been working the phones and received REUNION commitments from: Augie, Duff, Madigans, Bob Motley, Freddy, Gordo, Harry, Jay, Opie, Johnny, Heini, Mark Chase, Sparky, Spike, Nick, Russ, Flakey, Teddy, and Vinnie.”

The roommates added, “Re-live the OLD NORMAL, if you are not on this list, GET ON IT and call others!”

45th Reunion

1975 The Class of 1975 gathered at Reunion 2010.

a grandpa. In the span of two months during the pandemic, I became a grandpa and a father-in-law, both much earlier than expected and very exciting. Wife Sheryl and I will celebrate 30 years of marriage in November. Check me out at my Gentle Man website: www.ericreisman.com."

Working the phones! Jo-Ann Lovejoy, Ben Lord ’75, and Sandy Gallo ’75

Eric “Harry” Reisman ’75 sent us this update: “I have lived in Baltimore, Md., for over 30 years. I am entering my 34th year of teaching high school special education, and hoping to make this my last year. It has been a great career, but it’s time to throw in the towel. In retirement, I have several irons in the fire: working on The Gentle Man, a program I have started to help boys become compassionate men; writing a book about my father and me, and how we became who we are; and being

After 15 years of heading global real estate for Epiphany, Apple, and Brocade Communications in Silicon Valley, Duncan Schmidt ’75 and his wife started a business manufacturing and selling CBDinfused supplements for pets in 2016. The brand is Holistic Hound, and the products are carried in over 2,000 pet stores across the country. They recently sold the company and have been focused on transitioning responsibilities. The Schmidts live in Mill Valley, Calif., and “love the proximity to the ocean and San Francisco!”

45th Reunion

1976 40th Reunion

1980 Matt Haynes ’80 writes: “As it has been for most of us, 2020 has been a challenging year. Despite the restrictions and social distancing, I had planned to take my son, Will, on a golf trip for his high Matt Haynes ’80 and son Will school graduation gift. The destination — Bandon Dunes in Oregon. Despite the pandemic, we decided to keep the trip on the books. Bandon is on the southwest coast of Oregon. A beautiful venue, great golf, and very remote. We went for four days of golf, preceded by a few days in the Portland area. Any avid golfers should definitely consider a trip to Bandon. It was a good break from the quarantine.”

Dick Jeffers 1976 Eric Harry Reisman ’75

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FALL 2020 LAWRENCE ACADEMY 57

40th Reunion

1980 The Class of 1980

Patrick Warner ’80 lives in Worcester, Mass., with his partner of 20-plus years, Nicole DiCello. Together, in 2018, they created Bedlam Book Café, in Worcester’s Canal District, and became part of the blossoming cultural scene in the Bay State’s second-largest city. While Nicole owns and runs Bedlam full time, Patrick continues his professional career of over 20 years as a lead software tester with Medical Information Technology, a privately-held medical software firm founded in Cambridge by an MIT graduate in 1969.

Eric Jenney ’80

Eric Jenney ’80 wrote from Down Under: “I moved to Melbourne, Australia, in 1992, and have enjoyed the Aussie life at its max. Surfing, rock climbing, camping... it’s all here in the great outdoors! I have three kids, and I try and keep up with their numerous activities. I currently work for the Victorian Department of Environment, providing logistical support for forest firefighters during the bush fires, including support for American and Canadian Forest Service firefighters who travel to Victoria to aid in battling the fires. Last year’s fires were particularly bad, as it consumed over 4 million acres. I spend my free time keeping physically fit, writing short stories, and coaching lacrosse at the club and state level. My two sons have both represented Australia at World Lacrosse Championships, most recently in 2018 in Netanya, Israel. I do miss the States, family gatherings at Thanksgiving, going to Bruins games at the old Boston Garden, and hanging out with friends in Truro on the Cape.”

Chris Russell ’80

Chris Russell ’80 sent us this note: “Nothing much going on here. I still live next door in Littleton. My family is well and safe, including Katie ’10, who is living in Ayer now, and Teresa ’12, who moved to Washington, D.C., with her new fiancé.

I still get out and do my endurance sports.

Ran a 100-miler a couple years ago, and am going to run my 21st Boston Marathon virtually this fall. Happy to be alive. Also, my brother Dave ’76 is doing well and living in New Hampshire.”

Patrick remains grateful to the Academy for lifelong friendships made: Ted ’80, Quinny ’80, Ellen ’80, Alec ’80, Carolyn ’80, Richard Johnson ’74, Greg Cope ’74, Tony Sampas ’74, Tom Fahey, ’74, Eric Reisman ’75, Sandy (Sweeney) Gallo ’75, Carole (Bolger) Esposito ’75. Additionally, Patrick remains best friends with Kevin Keady ’80. Kevin and Patrick grew up together in Shirley, and are both four-year LA graduates.

A bookstore owned by Patrick Warner ‘80

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40th Reunion

1981

The Class of 1981

40th Reunion

1981 Suki (Hamburger) van Dijk ’81 writes: “I have just started as campaign manager for Stephanie Keegan’s campaign for New York State Assembly District 94. Campaigning in the time of COVID (like everything else) is a challenge, but we are finding new ways to reach out, engage, and listen to voters — all from home. Other than that, this summer I’m spending lots of time in the garden, growing flowers and vegetables, and playing with my dog in the yard. I’m sure Mr. Whipple and Mr. Gagné would be very pleased to hear that I am now at over 100 days of perfect attendance to my DuoLingo French and Spanish lessons.

Hope to see you all at Reunion next year!”

1982 Karen Mitchell Branvold ’82 writes: “I have been living with my husband in Bolton, Mass., where we raised our two college-age daughters. I have always loved my LA experience, so when we had the opportunity to send both our girls to LA

we did (Amalie ’16 and Victoria ’17). It was through our girls that I reconnected with LA. It was a pleasant surprise to find other ’80s alums’ kids were also at LA — Darren Messina’s son Nick, Sue and Dev Barron’s daughter Annie, and Carolyn and Steve Zaleski’s son Tom, to name a few. I work with my brother-in-law, Scott Sloan ’83, and between my sister, Sandy Sloan ’84 and Scott, we manage to keep in touch with and see ’83 classmates Jay Dunn, Chris Rogers, Sam Pelham, Darren Messina, and Courtney Harrison, as well as Matt Haynes ’80. If you haven’t visited LA in a while, you should try to stop in and see the new entranceway. The school really looks great.”

Much reminiscing took place, inevitably leading to the inclusion of Dave Mardirosian ’82 and family, Steve Stein ’83 and family, David Messina ’81, and a special cameo from our “Guest from the West,” Courtney Cox Harrison ’83.

Unsurprisingly, the Class of ’83 spirit remained strong well into the evening and, given the Zoom call’s success, has even led to credible threats of a “Session #2”, planned for the fall, spearheaded by our very unofficial class representative, Lt. Colonel Pelham. Please note that Session #2 participation is welcome for any and all ’83 classmates (as well as surrounding class years, as per Session #1).”

1983 Scott Sloan ’83 sent us an update on ’83 activities, along with an invitation: “While the pandemic forced cancellation of a planned May get-together in New Orleans (Sam Pelham, Darren Messina, Chris Rogers, Jay Dunn, and Scott Sloan), it couldn’t prevent a highly festive Zoom video reunion for this bunch, complete with Darren’s Bourbon Street backdrop.

Scott Sloan ’83

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FALL 2020 LAWRENCE ACADEMY 59

35th Reunion

1985

The Class of 1985

35th Reunion

1986

The Class of 1986

30th Reunion

1990 Andrew Troth ’90 has recorded several audiobooks, including American Prep by Ronald Mangravite, a guide to applying to and succeeding at boarding school. It’s available on Audible. He wrote to us, “Naturally, I thought of my experience at LA frequently as I was recording this book.

Our school gets only one brief mention (in an overview of the history of boarding schools in this country), but I found

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myself in agreement with much of what the author wrote about the particular benefits and advantages of boarding schools in general, based on my own experience at Lawrence.”

30th Reunion

1991 Robin Soloway Farmanfarmaian ’91 writes, “My third book is out, Facilitating Virtual Events: Driving Participant Engagement & Interaction. I’ve given a lot

of keynotes virtually now, so while I miss traveling all over the world, it gives me time to start more companies!

“I co-founded a new (stealth) digital health company with two neuroscientists and a physician. I’m also working with MindMaze, a BCI company using VR for stroke and brain injury rehabilitation. I’m also advising X-Therma, a cryopreservation company currently in mouse trials, working on preserving advanced cell therapies and organs (heart, lungs, liver, kidney) for transplant.”

30th Reunion

1990

The Class of 1990

30th Reunion

1991

The Class of 1991

Matt Ramsay ’91 emigrated to Canada in 2008 with his wife Mimi and son Ronan, and they all became Canadian citizens in 2019. They live together at Belterra Cohousing on Bowen Island, British Columbia, which they co-developed on 10 acres of land with 30 other households that share skills, materials, and decisions among a multigenerational community of likeminded people. Matt recently transitioned from an 18-year career as an ecologist, where he served as the Canadian national technical leader for ecosystem restoration

within a global design, engineering, and consulting company. After returning to school for professional training between 2009 and 2014, in 2017 he established his own business in transpersonal psychology, Compassionate Resolutions Counseling & Education, where he offers therapeutic counseling services, trainings, and retreats for parents, families, young adults, and environmental and social activists on such topics as Buddhist psychology, nonviolent communication, deep ecology, and healing systemic or collective trauma. Although he

has not earned the “senior superlative” assigned to him 30 years ago in the 1991 yearbook (“most likely to win a Nobel Prize”!), he remains dedicated to doing what he can to benefit this beautiful and troubled world of ours and is deeply grateful to all the friends and teachers at LA that have contributed to his lifelong learning and inspiration.

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25th Reunion

1995

The Class of 1995

25th Reunion

1996

The Class of 1996

20th Reunion

2000 On July 1, 2020, Chris Milmoe ’00 took over as director of athletics at the Drew School, an independent high school in San Francisco, Calif. The Drew athletic program competes as a member of the Bay Area Conference and the North Coast Section of the California Interscholastic Federation.

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“Any time someone asked me to talk about my athletic experience during the interview process, I always started with talking about my time playing sports at Lawrence Academy,” Chris writes. “The influence Coaches Krein, Sheehan, and Corey had on me really made me want to have a similar impact on future student-athletes.”

Interscholastic competitions in California have been delayed until December due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Chris will use the fall to develop virtual training programs and activities to keep the student-athletes active.

20th Reunion

2001 Michael Clear ’01 writes: “Since the last update, a lot has changed in my life. Most important is the birth of my daughter, Ada, in October of 2018. Being a dad has just been such a blast. Pretty soon after Ada was born, my wife, Cristen, and I moved to Pasadena and love the slightly quieter lifestyle it affords. I’m currently working as head of production at Atomic Monster, a production company in LA that produces film and TV.”

20th Reunion

2000

The Class of 2000

20th Reunion

2001

The Class of 2001

2003 Andrew Milmoe ’03 married Allie Simons, a St. George's alumna, on July 18, 2020, in Breckenridge, Colo. Brother Chris Milmoe ’00 served as best man. The two live in Denver. Andrew works in mortgage lending, and Allie is a graphic designer.

Mike Clear ‘01 and daughter Ada

Andrew Milmoe ‘03

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FALL 2020 LAWRENCE ACADEMY 63

15th Reunion

2005 Chelsie Moore McCarthy ’05 sent us this update: “My husband Joseph and I celebrated 10 years of marriage this June!

We are living in Massachusetts after a few years in North Carolina and then New York City. We welcomed our daughter Clara this April, joining her big brother Lucas, who is two and a half. I am a nurse practitioner working locally in internal medicine.”

15th Reunion

2005

The Class of 2005

15th Reunion

2006

The Class of 2006

Chelsie Moore McCarthy ’05

15th Reunion

2006 Classmates Kelly (Barry) and Patrick Donoghue ’06 are living/quarantining at their home in Sudbury, Mass., with their two kids: Flynn, 2 1/2, and Charlotte, 1.

Patrick is growing a national financial planning practice based in Wellesley, Mass., and the four of them love spending free time outside, particularly running around LA’s campus.

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2007 Helen Kiesling ’07 and hubby Alec Oot ’06 are the proud parents of Alden Alexander Oot, born Oct. 24, 2019. Alden entered the world at 8 lbs, 6 oz. and 20.5” long.

K-9 Officer Greg Steward ’07 poses with K-9 Officer Bane, the Groton Police Department’s new tracking dog. Asked how he became the “dog man” on the force, Greg, who has been a Groton police officer for nearly a decade, replied, “It was just an opportunity that came up, so I put in for it and I got it.” He inherited not only the job of dog training officer, but also a canine companion: Bane lives full-time with Greg and his fiancée in a nearby town.

Greg Steward '07 and Bane

L-R: Jordan Lovejoy ’10, Andrew Gilboard ’08, George Lovejoy ’06, Sophie Hamersley ’08, Sara Lovejoy (Bride), Spencer Lovejoy ’08, Ben Stone ’15, Hannah Pasman ’08, and Ollie Taylor ’09

2008

2009

Spencer Lovejoy ’08 and Sara Jacobson were married in Woodstock, Vt. on Feb. 8, 2020. They celebrated with dear friends from Lawrence Academy, who brought a lot of spirit to the evening, especially on the dance floor!

Shannon Muscatello ’09 and Meade Atkeson were married on June 20, 2020, in Lincoln, Vt.. Due to the pandemic, no LA friends attended the ceremony, but several will be there to celebrate with them next year. Brothers Mike Muscatello '05 and

Luke Rogers '09

Chris Muscatello ’06 were there, of course.

The couple are living in Boston, where Shannon is working as a high school French teacher and Meade is an analyst at an economic consulting firm.

A memorial exhibit of Luke Rogers ’09’s photography will be shown in the Conant Gallery starting on Jan. 15, 2021. Luke had an opportunity to travel to Africa for his work in the travel industry and took many stunning photographs of the animals and landscapes of South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. He journeyed to amazing places over several years, and captured the beauty and diversity that he had come to love. Luke’s photographs will be for sale, and proceeds will be used to support wildlife conservation work in Africa.

Have a note to share in the Spring 2021 Academy Journal? Forward info and pictures to pglover@lacademy.edu.

L-R: is Chris Muscatello ’06, Eileen Muscatello, Shannon Muscatello ’09, Meade Atkeson, Mike Muscatello, and Michael Muscatello ’05

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10th Reunion

2010 Irene Bucken ’10 dedicates much of her time to education and social justice causes since graduating from LA. After earning a B.A. in sociology and government at Connecticut College in 2014, she started a dual master’s degree for social work and public health at NYU in 2016. Although she moved back home to Pepperell, Mass., in the middle of her studies, she is planning to go back and finish both. After working in a number of different social work and education-related fields in the New York City area, Irene is currently working for Southern New Hampshire Services as a family worker at Head Start Nashua. In her role, she acts as a bridge between the preschool teachers and the low-income families they service in hopes of giving the kids a “head start” when going into kindergarten. She is excited about her work there and remembers that several of her

Irene Bucken ’10

10th Reunion

2010

The Class of 2010

friends at LA had participated in the Head Start Winterim! Irene is also a facilitator for a mental health group in Nashua, and is delivering food to families during the COVID pandemic.

Colin Havey ’10 sent us this update: “After living in Los Angeles for almost 10 years, I moved back to New Hampshire in 2018 to take care of my mother, Claudette Chagnon, who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. After a 10-month battle she passed away in July of 2019. Those who are reading this who knew her or know me and would like to do something, please make a donation in her name to Make-AWish Foundation.

“After Claudette’s passing, I spent two months traveling the world with my girlfriend and am now waiting for work to pick back up once this COVID nonsense passes.

“Over the years, I’ve worked as a video editor, producer, and director on various sports television shows, commercials, and branded content, including shows for UFC (Countdown, Ultimate Insider, Embedded, Road to the Octagon, Bad Blood), commercials for Modelo, Harley, Disney Channel, P3, and more, Joe Rogan’s standup comedy Strange Times, as well as directing a couple of short films and helping to produce and edit various other

Colin Havey ’10

10th Reunion The Class of 2011

6 6 LAWRENCE ACADEMY FALL 2020

2011

sports shows. The highlight of my career so far has been working for Kraft Sports Productions at two separate Patriots Super Bowl weeks in Minneapolis and Atlanta.

Research Fellowship, funding him for three years of graduate research. His research uses lasers and light-matter interaction to develop a molecular picture of the oil-water interface that is helping to advance oil spill remediation efforts. He is still running in his free time and hopes to see his LAXC teammates sometime soon!

“For those that want to see my work, check out https://www.instagram.com/ granitevillefilms/ or email me at colinhavey@gmail.com.”

Will Joumas ’10 lives and works in Manhattan. He is a senior research analyst at Savills, a commercial real estate advisory company, where he covers the New York office market. Before joining Savills in September, he worked at Sentinel Real Estate, a real estate investment firm.

John Plummer ’10 sent us this update: “After studying business in college and working in IT project management for a few years, I decided it was time for a change. So, I quit my job and hiked the Appalachian Trail, and I've been working in conservation since then. I’m currently the outreach and field coordinator for the Green Mountain Club, which is the non-profit that maintains most of the hiking trails in Vermont.”

Kerrin Sperry ’10 is currently serving as a captain in the U.S. Army 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Carson, Colo.

5th Reunion

2015 Kerrin Sperry ’10

10th Reunion

2011 Chris Rutledge ’11 is “mostly” working in New York as a CG/VFX artist for commercials and director for animated shorts. You can find most of his work on his site, www.loaf.zone.

2013 Marc Foster ’13 graduated from Whitman College in 2018 with a degree in biochemistry. He is currently attending graduate school at University of Oregon for physical chemistry; he recently received the National Science Foundation Graduate

Ben Stone ’15 recently began work at Shadow Lion, a small video production studio based in Boston. He has been assisting them with documentary-based projects in the surrounding area.

Conor Melvin ’15 writes “Unable to celebrate our five-year reunion together on the elm tree-shaded hillside, the Class of 2015 Reunion Committee put together this video to remind our fellow Spartans of the good times we shared during our time at LA and of the good times to come when we are finally able to gather in person again!"

2015 reunion video

5th Reunion The Class of 2015

2015 FALL 2020 LAWRENCE ACADEMY 67

And now

from the Class of 2016

We’re indebted to Paige Beede ’16, who wrote to all her classmates — LA’s newest college graduates — to ask what they were doing with their freshly-minted bachelor’s degrees.

Over half of her class responded by our print deadline. We thank them all, and wish them only the best in their chosen endeavors. Here’s what they told us: Billy Adie: I just graduated from Bentley University in May with a degree in managerial economics. Now I am working for my family’s business, Adie-Conway Inc. We own and operate numerous Dunkin’ Donuts franchises. Outside of work, I have been playing a lot of golf and spending time on Squam Lake in New Hampshire.

Marissa Anderson: I just graduated from Williams, and this fall, I am starting grad school! I am going to the University of Pittsburgh in their doctor of physical therapy program.

Paige Beede: I graduated from Lafayette College with a double major in government and law and psychology and a minor in Spanish. I am moving to Somerville in the fall and starting my job as a first-grade teaching fellow at the Learning Project Elementary School in Boston. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone at the reunion in the spring!

Lucy Fan ‘16 and Dariya Apsenbetova ‘16 in San Francisco, Calif., 2017

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Elise Bojanowski: I am moving to Boston in September and starting work through an AmeriCorps one-year program. I will be a graduation coach at a middle school in Lynn, Mass. Once my year of service is through, I am planning to get my master’s in social work.

Evan Bromander: I’ve been doing an internship this past spring and summer at an in-home healthcare company.

Jake Cassidy: I am currently a licensed agent at New York Life, where I opened my own practice helping people with their financial needs, retirement planning, education funding, etc. I graduated from Westfield State, where I was the captain of the football team, and I started for three years at QB after transferring.

Erica Christiansen: I just graduated from Fairfield University, and am currently working in Nantucket for the summer at Straight Wharf Restaurant and Bartlett Farms. I plan on looking for a full-time

Hannah Ghelfi ‘16 and Marissa Anderson ‘16

job back in Boston to pursue a career in marketing in the fall!

Emma Collins: I graduated magna cum laude from Providence College with a bachelor of science (majored in health policy in management, minored in finance and community health). I am now working full time at Strategic Benefit Advisors as an analyst and moving to Boston in September!

Maya Cratsley: I just graduated from Brown with a B.S. with honors in cognitive science, and I’m moving to Los Angeles to pursue my Ph.D. in organizational behavior at the USC Marshall School of Business. I’ve continued to be very dedicated to social justice and examining issues of race, socioeconomic status, gender, etc., both within and outside of my academic work, and my research takes an intersectional approach to understanding how people interact with technology. I’ve also spent the last few years teaching yoga,

Josh Garber ‘16 and Jake Cassidy ‘16

Kate Surette ‘16 and Emma Collins ‘16

5th Reunion

2016

The Class of 2016

rock climbing, hiking, cooking, eating, and drinking craft beer in different parts of the country and the world.

elementary education from Lesley University while working at Belmont Day School in a third-grade classroom.

really been enjoying it. I am also applying to medical school right now, and I’m excited to see what the future holds!

Margaret Davey: I just graduated from Connecticut College, where I majored in psychology and minored in sociology. As I have had a little more time to think about what I want to do over the course of this spring and summer, I have decided to begin to pursue a path towards UX [user experience] design and research this fall through the remote General Assembly program. I’m hoping to stay in the Boston area and look forward to seeing what’s next!

Alexis Dinkel: I just graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in healthcare administration, and am now on to Simmons to get my BSN. I plan to become a nurse practitioner after that.

Emily Duffy Denzer: I’m receiving my bachelor of science in hospitality Management, minoring in psychology and sociology. I’m currently looking into MBA programs with a dual focus on creative leadership and concept development, and hope to become a creative director in the future within the hospitality sector. In the meantime, I’ll be interning in Boston. I’ve also been spending a lot of time volunteering nationally as well as internationally.

Cat Dicara: I just graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a double major in English and educational studies.

This year, I will be getting my master’s in

Jake Duffy ‘16 and Anna Duffy ‘16

Hannah Donovan: I recently graduated from Middlebury College, where I majored in neuroscience and minored in computer science. I loved everything about Midd, and both the people and the place will always have a special place in my heart. I guess it makes sense that I didn’t venture too far away for my post-grad job! I’m working as a medical assistant at a family medicine clinic in Vermont, and I have

Lucy Fan ‘16, Grace Wang ‘15, Jessica Fu ‘15, and Irene Yang ‘15 at LA, 2017

Jake Duffy: I’m living in Scituate with my family and finishing school next semester at Merrimack College, studying business and English. This past summer, I worked

Nick Schutz ‘15, Tami Tu ‘15, Lucy Fan ‘16, Irene Yang ‘15, and Hannah Currie ‘15 in New York City, 2018

FALL 2020 LAWRENCE ACADEMY 69

harvesting and shucking oysters. I enjoy reading short stories and want to illustrate a children’s book in the future.

Dylan Escoll: I just graduated from University of Colorado and am currently studying to take my Colorado Real Estate Broker’s exam at the end of this August.

I will be working as a commercial broker after that, doing acquisitions. I’ll be living in Colorado for the foreseeable future and am still very into the outdoors and skiing.

Lucy Fan: I graduated from New York University with a bachelor’s degree in food studies. I am now working full time for NYC’s online grocery company, FreshDirect. I hope to continue my passion in food and sustainability in the future!

James Finneral: I graduated from Syracuse University in May with a B.S. in broadcast and digital journalism. This fall, I will be pursuing my master’s in management at Boston University. I have also started a roofing and siding business with my cousin, and will be assisting in the U.Mass.

Lowell Athletic Communications Department.

Eddy Fish: After graduating from BC in May, I have decided to go back to grad school there and pursue my MBA, along with working in commercial real estate in Boston. I’ve been doing a lot of traveling and visiting different parts of the country, now that I don’t have such a hectic schedule with football being over. I’m looking forward to getting back into school and pursuing my MBA.

Gabby Reuter ‘16 and Emma Horn ‘16

Talman Fortune: I am now a recent graduate from the University of Southern California. Currently in the process of moving out to Los Angeles, I am hoping to further explore my love of the sea while I attempt to navigate the entertainment industry.

Ben Gainsboro: I’m moving to Connecticut in a few days to hopefully pursue a career in writing and sports media. I’ve remained an avid writer throughout my college days and will be finishing up my bachelor’s degree in English from Stetson University (online) in November.

Josh Garber: I am currently in grad school at Brandeis University in their accelerated M.A. in international economics and finance. I am learning while I figure out what I want to do for my next step — I plan to stay in Boston, but who knows?

Since leaving LA and meeting so many new people, I was consistently reminded how special our experience at LA was as a community and how ready I was to handle college, at least the academic part. Excited to see everyone and hear their stories.

Ian Gelerman: When I went to the job fairs at school, nothing stood out to me.

As an entrepreneurship major, I knew I needed to apply my strengths (sales/ marketing) to a profession I enjoyed. I decided to get into real estate, since Miami offers so much to enjoy. I was hired by Nest Seekers International and have been working hard the past six months to finally launch my own brand. Today (Aug. 10, 2020), my website goes live:

James Finneral ‘16, Jeff Page ‘16, Ben Gainsboro ‘16, and Nick Stone ‘16

7 0 LAWRENCE ACADEMY FALL 2020

LIVIN305.com. I am farming the area and building a brand that is more than just the sale, but also encourages you to live your best life. Make the most of the area you LIV-IN! Hannah Ghelfi: I recently started working for a startup in the pharmaceutical industry.

We work with rare diseases and gene therapies. I studied business in college, so I am on the business operations side. I’m learning a ton, and it has been great so far!

I also recently got a dog named Norman, and the dog mom life is pretty awesome!

Of course, I still stay in touch with Mar. I am living in Charlottesville, Va., so I do not see her a ton, but we talk regularly.

Coby Goodrich: Alrighty, let’s see…I graduated from Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., this year with a double major in philosophy and visual art, and I played on their soccer team. I am currently living on Cuttyhunk Island in Buzzards Bay, working for the town trash department and doing odd jobs. I also continue to study marine biology as a hobby and do work for the Buzzards Bay Coalition. I spend my free time out here surfcasting and other assorted fishing practices. A quick side note/shoutout: I continually think about and apply the many things I learned from Professors Dawson and Engstrom, Libby Margraf, and Artie Karp throughout my college career and beyond.

I also want to thank Chris Margraf for convincing me to go to college, and I owe him a fishing trip!

Elise Bojanowksi ‘16 and Emma Collins ‘16

Katie Lotane ‘16, Margaret Kelly ‘16, and Paige Beede ‘16

Thomas Gross: I’m still in school doing a five-year program. I’m on my last of three six-month internships right now and am graduating in the spring, so not anything too crazy is going on. I’m working at Wellington Management doing algorithmic equity trading, and then have my final semester in the spring.

Andrew Haan: I just finished a B.A. in human development at Eckerd, and I am thankful for having the opportunity to live in Florida, on the beach, for the past four years — some of the best experiences, best friends, that I’ve had in my lifetime. I’ve moved back up to Massachusetts, Arlington, specifically, and I’m starting work as a development specialist at 3L Place. It’s a program created for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, primarily those on the autistic spectrum, and helps individuals to have a space to continue lifelong learning. I’m psyched that I get to help teach and be a part of that process.

Sophia Hager: I will be graduating from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia in December with a bachelor of fine arts in vocal performance, and I’m currently living in Philly and working on music!

Jack Harlan: I transferred to Amherst College from Columbia in 2019, and I’ll graduate this December. I played both basketball and baseball at Amherst this past year; making the basketball team was a big highlight for me. I’ll most likely be looking to go to grad school for either a M.S. in education or counseling after I graduate from Amherst.

Asia Winslow ‘16 and Lucy Fan ‘16 in Barcelona, Spain, 2018

Emma Horn: I am in the 4+1 BS/MBA program at Quinnipiac University, so I graduated this spring with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and will graduate 2021 with my MBA! I studied abroad in Prague for a semester, and I got to explore 14 different cities! I am looking forward to seeing where the next year in school takes me.

Margaret Kelly: I graduated from Connecticut College with a psychology major and double minor in applied statistics and U.S. government. Since graduating, I have been working as a neuroscience research fellow, supporting the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine.

Philippe Lessard: I graduated from WPI in May with a degree in computer science. I also just started a job as a software engineer at 128 Technology, which is a local startup that’s trying to reinvent the internet with software-defined routers.

Brittany LeVasseur: I am currently in school for my master’s degree from Adrian College, and I have travelled to Russia and Kazakhstan for Team USA hockey. I am applying for CBP [Customs and Border Protection] this year, with hopes of integrating into the FBI from there after five years.

Lisa Li: I’ve spent months in solitude since the pandemic started, so I’ve taken this as an opportunity to master my cooking and baking skills and avidly practicing my guitar techniques. I’ve also been finding ways to engage myself in meaningful

Katie Lotane ‘16 and Erica Chistiansen ‘16

projects despite my struggle in my job search. The projects include helping a professor with designing his fall semester classes, working as a remote research assistant, and giving myself time to reflect and question the system we had taken for granted and to brainstorm ways to create change.

Jenny Lin: I work at a real estate law firm in Wellesley as a financial advisor and escrow manager. I also work at a medical device nonprofit doing strategic revenue planning. I also adopted a baby shiba inu during quarantine!

Katie Lotane: After graduating from Denison University, I unexpectedly started interning with a brand-new startup company that was aimed at helping students who lost internships due to the pandemic get connected to new opportunities and get business certified to stand out to employers. I also participated in the Tuck Business Bridge program, where I learned the essentials of the business world from marketing to microeconomics, and everything in between, and am now excited to find my next step from here!

Shae McDonald: I graduated in May 2020 with my bachelor’s degree in communications. Now I’m pursuing my master’s of science in business and analytics for the next year, and I look forward to pursing a career that combines both of my passions.

Brendan Seifert ‘16, Alex Walter ‘16, Alden Bishop ‘16, Dave Murphy ‘16, and Paul Schnebly ‘15

FALL 2020 LAWRENCE ACADEMY 71

Emily Messer: Having finished my degrees in English and Spanish at Dickinson College this May, I started a temporary position as an administrative assistant for GSK while I look for something a bit more permanent. I’m also applying to grad schools, deciding between a master’s in English or education.

Luke Newman: Having just graduated from St. Michael’s College, I was a little worried about finding a job, but was fortunate to land one! As of now, I’m working towards becoming an account manager for Unified Parking Partners, a valet company based in Portland, Maine, but I’ll be overseeing their Burlington, Vt. account and living up here for the future.

Riley Noel: I graduated from Providence College in May and am looking forward to starting my career in Boston in the fall. I will be doing investment research at Business Intelligence Advisors and am excited about moving into the city!

Maddie Olsen: After graduating from LA, I started bathing dogs at a salon in Brookline, N.H. I started training to become a groomer, and it has become my dream job. My new hobbies are competitive grooming and dog showing!

Lucy Opalka: After graduating from American University, I am still loving living in D.C. and pursuing a career in international relations.

Taryn O’Neil: I graduated from Saint Anselm College this past spring with a degree in psychology. I have accepted a

full-time job at Riverbend Community Mental Health as a health mentor as part of their INSHAPE program. And I am still playing hockey!

really excited to get out there and start this next chapter in my life!

Liam O’Sullivan: I just graduated from Saint Anselm College with finance and business degrees. I’m playing hockey professionally next year in Marseille, France, and had a pro stint after my senior season in Roanoke of the SPHL.

Ben Purtell: In the past few months, I’ve had a lot going on. I graduated from Elon University in May and have since moved back to Massachusetts; I’m now living in Somerville. Also, in June I started my doctor of physical therapy program at Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions.

Jeff Page: I graduated from WPI in spring 2020 with a B.S. in chemical engineering.

In August I will be pursuing a PhD in chemical engineering at U.Conn. and hope to work in the area of sustainability and renewable energy.

Jake Rainer: I’m at USC right now studying in the music and film schools. I still talk to plenty of Lawrence friends daily, but they’re all in Massachusetts and I’m not.

Maybe I’ll visit soon. Mr. Olsen still owes me a drink at Gibbet.

Renée Perkins: I recently graduated from Bentley University with two degrees, in marketing and environmental sustainability.

Since then, I started my own marketing consulting company based in Boston and Nantucket, called Nantucket Island Marketing!

Katelyn Reichheld: I graduated from Skidmore College in 2020 with a major in English (concentration in creative writing) and a minor in business. Since then, I have been working on publishing my senior capstone in poetry, a manuscript of 30 poems written under the advisement of award-winning poet April Bernard. I have been beating back the quarantine blues with gardening, songwriting, skincare, and good books. I am currently exploring roles in publishing and trying to land a PR/ marketing role for a company that I admire and respect. In the future, I’d like to get my MFA in creative writing and teach at the college level.

Aiden Perry: I’ve been at Bucknell University studying environmental science and legal studies in hopes of becoming an environmental attorney. Other than that, I have been making and selling clothes with All Street Thrift.

Emily Pratt: I’m going to be moving out to Nebraska in a couple of weeks. I just accepted a coaching position with the women’s basketball team at Hastings College. I’m going to be studying to get my master’s in teaching, with a concentration in physical education. I’m

Kaitlin Rooney: I graduated from Franklin Pierce with my Bachelor’s in Psychology and now I’m attending the University of New Haven and getting my Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice.

Katelyn Reichheld ‘16, James Finneral ‘16, Paige Beede ‘16, Talman Fortune ‘16, and Shae McDonald ‘16 Riley Noel ‘16, Alexis Dinkel ‘16, Emma Collins ‘16, and Kate Surette ‘16

7 2 LAWRENCE ACADEMY FALL 2020

Liam O’Sullivan ‘16

Mark Russell: In May, I graduated from Bates, where I studied economics and mathematics. Also, I enjoyed playing on the baseball team and participating in the investment club on campus. After graduation, I started working in Boston at Fidelity.

character, and service led to my membership in Hai Timiai, the William Smith senior honors society, and in Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest honors society. I can say with confidence that Lawrence Academy prepared me to be my best and most successful self in college.

Nattanan Sajjaboontawee: Last December, I graduated from Penn State. And, currently, I am starting my master’s degree in biology at Tufts!

Jack Templeton: I graduated from UVM in May of 2020. I’ve really gotten into environmental and outdoor education for kids and want to make that my career somehow. I’m also into rock climbing, and I would love to move out to Colorado and work as an environmental scientist or educator, or even just an outdoor educator leading trips into the outdoors to get kids excited about the planet and why we should help protect it.

Rama Sisay: I recently graduated from the University of Hartford with a degree in sociology and a psychology minor. While at the university, I had the opportunity to play on and captain the women’s rugby team! After graduating, I landed a job with The Devereux Foundation, which specializes in advanced behavioral health care.

Kate Surette: I just graduated from Trinity with a B.A in political science and psychology.

Tati Suriel: I recently graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts, majoring in anthropology-sociology and women’s studies with a minor in Spanish and Hispanic studies. Throughout my college career, I was actively involved in my local college town and campus. I was a tutor coordinator for The Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Geneva, a student assistant in the Salisbury Center for Career Services, a sociology teaching fellow, and a study mentor through the Center for Teaching and Learning. My scholarship, leadership,

Rama Sisay ‘16

Alex Walter: After my LA graduation, I went on to study and play soccer at Brandeis University with my classmates Max Breiter and David Murphy. Along with being on the men’s soccer team with Max and David, I also studied abroad with them during the spring of 2019. We visited Belgium, Germany, Spain, and Portugal, where our other classmates, Alden Bishop and Brendan Seifert, came to visit us during their spring breaks. Throughout my college career, I always found myself catching up with LA teammates and classmates. Even though I left LA, I only got closer with my friends from high school, and now we plan on moving into Boston with each other once the pandemic has settled.

Asia Winslow: I just graduated from Drew University, in the midst of this pandemic, with a major in biology and a double minor in Spanish and art history. Between adapting to COVID-19 and dealing with my personal life, I’m not 100 percent certain on what I will do next. However, while I decide on whether I’d like to go to graduate school or attempt to hop straight into medical school, I am taking some time to reconnect with my family, travel (once things clear up), and further enhance my Spanish skills.

Henry Wu: I’m currently enrolled in 4+1 BA/MS program for computer science and still have one more year to complete.

However, due to COVID, I’m taking a gap semester for Fall 2020 and, instead, I’ll intern in Taiwan.

Max Breiter ‘16, Alex Walter ‘16, Alden Bishop ‘16, and David Murphy ‘16

Have a note to share in the Spring 2021 Academy Journal? Forward info and pictures to pglover@lacademy.edu.

Jenny Lin ‘16

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Support the LA Fund Support of the LA Fund has allowed us to remain committed to creating a learning program that stays true to who we are as an institution and what we truly value: individualized teaching and learning; a warm, compassionate culture; exceptionally engaged and connected teachers and students; and a responsive, adaptable institutional mindset to support it all. We have reminded ourselves constantly of the greater good we serve and the broader community to which we are responsible.

www.lacademy.edu/LAFund FALL 2020 LAWRENCE ACADEMY 75

In Memoriam This section is dedicated to the memory of graduates who died more than two years ago. News of their passing has come to us only recently.

Malcolm A. Rougvie ’45 of Ames, Iowa, passed away on Monday, Nov. 13, 2017, at the age of 89. After graduating from Lawrence, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he obtained a Ph.D. He was a founding member of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Iowa State University. He retired from Iowa State in 1993 as an associate professor. Following retirement, Malcolm enjoyed working with the University Museums and Ames Town & Gown, where he served as a board member.

Malcolm is survived by three children, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

His wife, Barbara Spillers, predeceased him.

Raymond Lawrence Mullin ’47 passed away Dec. 20, 2010, at Kindred Hospital in Green Cove Springs, Fla., after an extended illness. He was 82. A resident of Florida for 42 years, Raymond was a Navy veteran of World War II who served in the AsiaticPacific Theatre. After the war, he attended Dartmouth, graduating with an A.B. in English. He then earned master’s degrees in library science from Simmons College, and in English education from Salem State College. He was a professor of English at Salem State and St. Johns River Community College in Palatka, Fla. At the time of his passing, Raymond was survived by his wife of 52 years, Judith Mullin, one son, a brother, a sister, and a nephew.

Edward Skahan Hickey ’49, of Dover, Mass., and Nantucket, died on April 7, 2017. A mechanical engineering graduate of MIT, he was employed by Charles Stark Draper Laboratories in Cambridge throughout his career, specializing in temperature control for navigation and guidance systems. Of his many accomplishments, Mr. Hickey was most

7 6 LAWRENCE ACADEMY FALL 2020

proud of his contributions to the Apollo space program. His skills were critical during the Apollo 13 rescue mission: He communicated directly with the crew to identify and solve problems and was ultimately instrumental in guiding our astronauts safely back to earth. He retired in 1991.

When he died, Mr. Hickey left six children and their spouses, 20 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased in 2010 by his wife of 57 years, Eleanor (Johnson) Hickey.

Joseph R. Linnehan ’50, of Watertown and Mattapoisett, died at home on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016. He was 85. Joe earned his bachelor’s degree from Boston College and an M.A. from Boston State Teachers’ College, enjoying a long career in the Waltham school system after serving in the Army during the Korean War. He was a past president of the Waltham Teacher’s Association, and served as a delegate to the National Education Association.

An avid runner, Joe completed many Boston Marathons as well as various local road races. He loved his summer home in Mattapoisett and time sitting at his muchloved beach, Crescent Beach. At his passing, he left four children, six grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. His wife, Ann (Holland) Lineman, predeceased him in 2003.

Donald V. Comeau Sr. ’51 of Dunedin, Fla., died Jan. 14, 2017, at age 84. At the time of his passing, he left his wife, Estelle, three children, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Selbert Jacobson ’46 of Marblehead and Boca Raton, Fla., entered into rest on Aug. 31, 2019, at the age of 92. After graduating from Lawrence, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and then served in the

Navy. Selbert spent most of his adult life self-employed with a successful appliance repair business. He leaves two children, five grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren;. his wife, Barbara, predeceased him, as did a brother, and a sister.

Burton N. “Pete” Peavey ’51, age 85, passed away peacefully in the Harrington House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Walpole, Mass., on Feb. 23, 2017. A post-graduate student at LA, he went on to Wentworth Institute of Technology, where he earned an associate’s degree in engineering.

He enjoyed a 36-year career at Northrup Grumman Corporation, where he became manager in charge of the manufacturing engineering department, overseeing 45 engineers on the line making gyros for airplanes. After his retirement in 1994, he became active in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) in Norwood as well as the Easton Rod and Gun Club. He enjoyed riding motorcycles and could be found on his Honda Goldwing whenever he felt the urge to hit the road.

At his passing he left his wife, Jeanne (Cronin), three children, and two grandchildren. A sister, Isabel Bellows, predeceased him.

James Patrick Johnson ’53, of Menifee, Calif., died on Sept. 10, 2018.

Jason E. Treisman ’56 of Boca Raton, Fla., and Manchester, N.H., passed away on Sept. 2, 2014. Jason entered the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania after Lawrence, graduating in 1960. He began his career working in the wholesale business with his father, uncle, and brother at Treisman Brothers Inc. Jason then launched a successful retail business, Treisman’s Catalog Showroom, with stores and operations throughout New Hampshire.

During his career, he was involved in numerous other retail and consumer business ventures throughout New England.

Actively involved in the Manchester Jewish community, he was a tireless supporter of the arts, music, and education in New Hampshire.

At his passing, Jason left his wife of over 50 years, Merle, as well as two children and three grandchildren.

Heywood “Woody” Bakst ’60 entered into rest on Oct. 22, 2017, at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He was 75. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He was a member of the Purging Rifles military drill unit and a former member of Temple Beth El, now part of Congregation Shirat Hayam of the North Shore in Swampscott. Woody was the owner of the Pizza Pad Restaurant in Kenmore Square, Boston, for 25 years, and then spent 18 years with J. Stone Diamond Foods, from which he recently retired.

He is survived by his brother and sister-inlaw, Robert A. and Gloria Bakst of Swampscott, and their children, Justin and Kerin Bakst of Reading and Christopher and Hayley Hynes of Swampscott and their respective children, as well as his loving companion, Edith Maley, and her son Michael, both of Lynn.

Shaun Curry ’60 died early Christmas Day 2015 at the Merrimack Valley Hospice House in Haverhill. He was 74. An English teacher in Methuen, Ma. High School for 30 years, he held membership in the Massachusetts Teachers’ Association and the Knights of Columbus. At his passing, his wife, Sheila, survived him, as did four brothers and several nieces and nephews.

Alan Mark Fishman ’60 of Kennebunk, Maine, died peacefully on Aug. 30, 2011, at the age of 69. After graduating from Boston University and serving in the Air National

Guard, he enjoyed a long and successful career in the real estate business. At the time of his passing, he left his wife, Joanne Wheeler Fishman, four children, eight grandchildren, and many other relatives.

Dr. Greg Joseph ’63 died on April 24, 2013, at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon at the age of 68. He graduated from the University of Vermont in 1967, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta, and received his dental degree from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in 1974 after a year of graduate school at Harvard. Greg practiced general dentistry for 30 years in Rutland, Vt., where he belonged to the Grace Congregational Church. A camper and counselor at Camp Wonalancet in New Hampshire, he continued his love of the outdoors as an avid downhill skier, waterskier, and golfer.

Greg was a member at Rutland Country Club and Proctor/Pittsford Country Club for many years. He was passionate about fishing, hunting, antique collecting, and gardening.

At the time of his passing, Greg was survived by his wife, Diane, two daughters, a brother and a sister, and two grandchildren, in addition to many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Steve Ericson ’67 passed away peacefully in his sleep on Jan. 25, 2017, at the age of 68.

A graduate of Marietta College, he worked for General Mills for over 20 years before retiring to Palm City, Fla. Steve enjoyed a full life, with interests in deep-sea fishing, photography, technological advances, and Little League coaching. With a great love for cooking, he served as president of the Palm Cove Culinary Club for nine years.

Anne Whittemore ’80 passed away from cancer on April 29, 2013, at the age of 51.

She was an Ada Comstock Scholar at Smith College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature in 1991. A long-time Maine resident, Anne loved all types of outdoor activities, especially hiking, snowmobiling, and kayaking. At her passing, she left her sister, Wendy Whittemore of Silver Spring, Md.; her brother, John Whittemore ’72 and his wife Becky of Beaverton, Oregon, a niece and a nephew; and many close friends.

Craig Nelsen ’90, formerly of Gaithersburg, Md., passed away peacefully in the presence of his parents at their family home in Fairhaven, Mass., on March 14, 2015. He was 42 years old. After graduation from LA, Craig earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in analytical chemistry at American University in Washington, D.C. He was employed as a senior scientist and research scientist at biotechnology firms in the Washington area. Recent work involved developing a test for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease.

Craig’s designation as a Cancer Warrior at Massachusetts General Hospital was well earned. He contributed to MGH and Dana Farber research by keeping copious notes filling several whole binders and taking many, many scans and MRIs to inform those doing research on his sarcoma, an outcome of neurofibromatosis (NF), in the hope of helping others who suffer from this incurable disease.

At the time of his death, Craig left his parents, a brother and his family, and many aunts and uncles.

In addition to his his wife, Susan, Steve is survived by two sons, a brother, a sister, and several nieces and nephews.

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Obituaries This section is dedicated to alumni who have died since 2018.

Elwood Owen Titus ’37 of Lexington, Mass., died on April 21, 2019, at the age of 99.

Born on Sept. 20, 1919 in Rochester, N.Y., he worked for the U.S. government as a chemist. He is survived by his wife Doris E. (Walz) Titus, and daughter Elizabeth, both of Lexington.

Frederick E. Morris Jr., ’43 of Sudbury, Mass., passed away on Sept. 26, 2019, at the age of 96. After graduating from LA in 1943, Fred enlisted in the U.S. Naval Air Force, where he learned to fly the famous Corsair fighter plane, taking off and landing from aircraft carriers. He was honorably discharged at the end of World War II. After the war, he graduated from St. Anselm College. Fred owned a woodworking company for several years in the Lowell area, then went to work for the Reece Corporation as the sales and promotional manager. He retired from Reece at the age of 62 and started a career with his son-in-law, Karl Borg, at Borg Design in Sudbury and Hudson, where he continued to work until age 91.

He is survived by two daughters and a son, as well as by 11 great-grandchildren and many nephews, nieces and cousins. His wife, Annette (Clouatre) Morris, predeceased him in 1999, as did two sisters and a daughter-in-law.

Paul W. Ahern ’46 died on Dec. 13, 2019. A veteran of the Army, he leaves one daughter, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. He was predeceased by his wife, Mary (Conroy), and by a daughter, Mary Ann Ahern.

Selbert Jacobson ’46 of Marblehead and Boca Raton, Fla., entered into rest on Aug. 31, 2019, at the age of 92. After graduating from Lawrence, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and then served in the Navy. Selbert spent most of his adult life self-employed with a successful appliance repair business. He leaves two children, five grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. His wife, Barbara, predeceased him, as did a brother and a sister.

Sheldon Greene, ’48, 88, of Stoughton, Mass., died on June 6, 2018. In addition to his wife, Natalie, he leaves three sons and nine grandchildren.

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Robert Garrity ’49 died on Sept. 10, 2019, after a short illness.

An All-New England lacrosse player at Lawrence, he attended Boston College’s School of Business, where he played varsity football. During World War II, he served in the 11th Army Airborne in Japan. Mr. Garrity was a successful Realtor in Arlington, Mass., and a member of the town meeting for over 50 years. He was an avid philatelist and postcard collector as well as a gifted musician.

Mr. Garrity leaves his wife, Patricia, two sons, several siblings, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Charles Ira Judkins ’50 passed away on Friday, June 26, 2020, at the age of 89. After a post-graduate year at LA, he entered Brown University on a four-year Navy ROTC scholarship, playing varsity football and basketball. After the Navy, he studied at Columbia Business School, earning an MBA in 1958, aided financially by the G.I. Bill and his wife, Nancy, who worked at the New York Times until the birth of their daughter, Lynn, in 1959. He was hired by IBM and sold large-frame computers in the New York City area.

Charlie is survived by his wife, three children, a brother, two grandchildren, and and many other relatives and close friends.

John K. Sussenberger ’50 passed away on Dec. 31, 2018.

James (Jim) Allison Knox ’51, 87, passed away in Falmouth, Maine, on Oct. 30, 2018. Jim received his B.S. in textile Manufacturing sales from the Lowell Technological Institute in 1955, enjoying a successful career as a sales representative with the textile firms China Grove Cotton Mills and Dixie Yarns. He eventually formed his own firm, Knox Yarns, where he worked until retirement. A devoted father and husband, Jim was also an avid photographer, an interest that never waned even as his health declined. He participated in the Osher Life Long Learning Institute at the University of Southern Maine as an instructor of photography, photo exhibitor, and student. He also volunteered for the Red Cross and at the Bridgton Hospital.

Jim is survived by three children and five grandchildren, and by his sister, Anne Marchand of Hampton, N.H. His wife, Claire, predeceased him in 2014.

Lenny Marino ’51 passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 14, 2019. He was 87. After graduating from East Boston High School, he attended Lawrence Academy as a post-graduate, and earned his associate’s degree from Newbury College. After serving in the Navy during the Korean War, he became a Boston police officer, stationed in District 13, Jamaica Plain, retiring in 1975.

Lenny was a member of the Knights of Columbus. In addition to four daughters, he leaves three sisters as well as several grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Two wives, Rita (Darcy) Marino and Eleanor Marino, predeceased him.

Roger Moore ’51, 85, of Sanford, Maine, passed away on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019, at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough.

After graduating from LA, he joined the Army, serving for three years during the Korean War. He retired from corporate life and became the maintenance manager of the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Litchfield, N.H., where he remained for 15 years, also serving as a deacon. A devoted family man, he is survived by Joyce Herrick, his wife of 61 years, as well as three children, three grandchildren, and two great-children.

William F. Gower ’52 died on Oct. 1, 2018. An Air Force veteran and a longtime resident of Concord, Mass., he was 86 at the time of his passing. He leaves his wife of 58 years, Claire, three sons, two step-children, and many grand- and great-grandchildren.

Mitch Comins ’53, of Swampscott, died on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, at Salem, Mass. Hospital. He was the husband of the late Merle (Stearns) Comins and the longtime significant other of Gloria Sax. An entrepreneur and business owner in the automotive field for many years before his retirement, he was also a volunteer at Salem Hospital and the Peabody Essex Museum. Mitch enjoyed poker with his friends, sailing, and building model ships.

Some of his work is on display at the Boston Yacht Club and the Peabody Essex Museum.

He leaves two children, two step-children, and seven grandchildren, in addition to a brother and a sister. A son, David, predeceased him.

Dr. Richard J. Stabile ’54, 82, of Atkinson, N.H., passed away on Saturday, April 20, 2019, at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Boston.

Raised in Methuen, he graduated from Searles High School before taking a post-graduate year at LA. Dr. Stabile went on to Northeastern University and Massachusetts College of Optometry, practicing in Lawrence before opening his office in Methuen. He was a member of the American Optometric Association, YMCA of Lawrence, and the Methuen Lions Club.

Dr. Stabile is survived by his wife, Mary-Jean (Murdock) Stabile; his sons, attorney Richard Stabile Jr., U.S. Air Force, and his wife

Stephanie, and Dr. Jonathan Stabile, U.S. Army, and his wife Shelby; his grandchildren, Victoria ’12, Alexander, Elizabeth, and Gabriella; and several nieces and nephews.

Dave MacAuley ’59 passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019 in Bellingham, Wash. After LA, David attended Ohio Wesleyan University, earning a bachelor’s degree in economics. Upon graduation he joined the Air Force, where he met and fell in love with Sarah Lou Roy. They were married on Nov. 19, 1966. Later, Dave started his career as bookstore manager at the College University in Dover, N.H. Moving several times, the couple settled in Washington State, where Dave worked for both Central Washington University and Western Washington University, retiring in 2003.

In addition to his wife, Sarah, Dave is survived by two daughters, four grandchildren, one great-grandson, a brother, Ken MacAuley ’62, and Ken’s three children, Jennifer MacAuley Lucas ’85, Mark MacAuley ’87, and Hope MacAuley Burnell ’91.

Walter “Sony” Powers ’59 passed away peacefully on Dec. 21, 2019, at the age of 78, after living a “life of his choosing,” as he liked to say. He was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis as a young man of 20, but he didn't let it define him. He credited the disease with redirecting his focus from athletics to academics, and graduated from Harvard Business School. He was co-owner of Tri-Chem Inc., a hobby paint company; he took great pride in being able to employ 120 people and provide extra income for thousands of craft instructors.

Walter is survived by his wife, Elise, two daughters, a son, and two grandchildren.

Jim Smith II ’62 died on April 25, 2018 at Southern Maine Healthcare in Biddeford.

James E. Harley ’64 of Woodstock, Va., died July 10, 2019 at Shenandoah Memorial Hospital. After Lawrence, he earned a bachelor’s degree from what is now Fitchburg State University and an MBA from U.Mass. Lowell. He was a teacher, transportation manager, and co-owner with his wife, Virginia, of a RE/Max franchise in Groton. In addition to Virginia, he is survived by two sons and three grandchildren.

Milton R. Shattuck Jr. ’64 died on Aug. 25, 2019.

Calvin S. “Stan” Whitehurst ’64 entered into eternal rest on Tuesday, June 2, 2020, at Marianna Health and Rehabilitation Center after an extended battle with cancer. He was 74 years old.

Stan’s quick wit, thoughtful intellect, articulate conversation, and compassionate goodwill will be sorely missed by all who had the good fortune to be his friend. He was a master gardener,

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accomplished chef, Peace Corps veteran, discerning classical music enthusiast, informed political analyst, and a deeply spiritual, altruistic person.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society.

William J. Boucher ’66 passed away on Sept. 13, 2018, at his home in Florida after a lengthy illness. After LA, he received his bachelor’s degree from U. Mass. Amherst in 1970. Earlier in his life, Bill was employed by Boston Mutual Life Insurance, the Boston Globe, and Walmart. For the past 20 years, he had been a full-time caregiver for his mother, whom he loved dearly. He was a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus. Bill enjoyed cooking, gardening, and quilting.

Bill is survived by two aunts, Rita Roux of Groton and Lorraine Boucher of Dracut, as well as by several cousins.

Kenny Haywood ’73, of Newton and Worcester, Mass., passed away unexpectedly on June 5, 2020, at the age of 65. He worked in various construction trades as a general laborer and bricklayer.

Kenny enjoyed all sports, especially football, which he played at Lawrence. His favorite pastimes were golf and fishing. He also had a passion for singing, which he did often with several close friends, who together formed the gospel group the Love Tones.

Kenny’s wife, Sharon (Alston) Haywood, predeceased him in 2014. He is survived by his parents, his stepson Kadeem Prince, and two sisters, as well as many nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

Dirk Weisman ’75 died of cancer on Oct. 29, 2019. A graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, Dirk remained a true New Englander: a lover of the outdoors and old wooden boats, and a prodigious collector of antiques (some quite rusty). He spent years on the coast of Maine as a lobster fisherman, and nearly a decade residing in Waltham, Mass., happily employed by Cavicchio Greenhouse. More recently, Dirk found a true home in Newburyport, Mass., where he purchased an oceanfront saltbox gem, built in 1656. In the final year of his life, Dirk found great joy in restoring his home with his own hands, frequently surrounded by good friends and family.

Dirk is survived by two brothers, two sons, and one grandson, as well as his first wife, Jami, and his girlfriend Karen, who cared for him in his final months.

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Akida Bailey ’92 died on April 17, 2020, of an infected heart valve, which evolved into an infection in his brain: He was 47.

A leader during his years at LA, Akida was a star athlete, especially in basketball. He was a dorm proctor, a singer in SLACS, and a helper in an afternoon child care program that the school offered at the time. Faculty and friends remember Akida as a warm and fun-loving person who made others feel comfortable and happy around him.

A graduate of Connecticut College, he lived in Stockton, Calif., where he had worked as a membership coordinator for Costco for 15 years. Akida leaves his mother, three children, two grandkids, and two sisters.

Luke Rogers ’09 died unexpectedly, of natural causes, on Dec. 27, 2019, at the age of 29. A 2013 graduate of the University of Vermont, Luke had an adventuring spirit and loved to travel. He had spent time in Europe, Australia, Indonesia, and Africa, and had recently returned from a two-week trip to Namibia as part of his job with Audley Travel. He loved playing soccer, was an avid Boston/New England sports fan, enjoyed anything related to the water, loved animals and nature, and listened to an eclectic assortment of music, both old and new.

Luke especially loved spending time with his large group of friends, and he had an enthusiasm for life that was contagious for all who met him.

Luke is survived by his parents, Laura Johnson and Tooey Rogers, of Concord, Mass., his aunts and uncles, and many cousins. *

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Margaret Mae Watson, mother of Leigh Staffon Durham ’80 and a librarian at Lawrence from 1973 to 1979, died on Sept. 10, 2019, after a sudden illness. She was 78. Several generations of LA students knew her as a warm and friendly presence in the library, where she worked with the late Alan Whipple. In addition to her two children, Leigh and her brother Peter, she is survived by a brother and one granddaughter.

Margery Williams, a member of the Development Office staff from 1994 to 1999, died on Dec. 9, 2019, after a battle with PSP and vascular dementia. She was 79. Marge leaves two children, three grandchildren, and a sister.

The Amos and William Lawrence Society

Gratitude and Philanthropy

A 1964 ROTC graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Dick Weden ’60 served three years as a captain in the Army. A master’s degree followed, from the Thunderbird School of International Management at Arizona State University. American Express hired Dick after his graduation; he remained with them for 38 years.

My years at Lawrence Academy were the bedrock of my highly successful and exciting professional and personal life since I graduated from Lawrence 60 years ago. Without my education at LA, my life's story would have been completely different!

My journey began in 1958 when I met my suitemate, Roy Smith, a foreign student from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Roy and I became fast friends, and after our first year at Lawrence, he and his family invited me to spend a summer vacation with them in Honduras. This 90-day “vacation” to Honduras opened the door to another world for me! Over the next 50 years, I worked and traveled the globe.

Thirty-seven of my years with American Express, I worked internationally. I worked and lived in Latin American and Asia, overseeing 35 countries. My last assignment was running the American Express Company in Russia and the former Soviet Union. We were in Moscow for nearly 10 years.

We are enjoying retirement, and I am very thankful to Lawrence Academy for preparing me for a full life, well lived!

Dick Weden ’60, member of the Amos and William Lawrence Society

The Amos and William Lawrence Society was established to recognize those individuals who have made a charitable planned gift or have made known their intentions to include Lawrence Academy in their wills or estate plans through a bequest. Donors who have made financial or estate plans of any size through wills, trusts, and other planned gifts are recognized for their loyal and lasting support of the school.

For more information about the Amos and William Society, contact Jo-Ann Lovejoy, director of alumni advancement at jlovejoy@lacademy.edu.

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NASHUA, NH

Save the Date! Reunion 2021 Lawrence Academy cordially invites you to celebrate 2020 and 2021 Reunions June 11-12, 2021 26 Powderhouse Road, Groton, Massachusetts Reunion Classes include: 2015 • 2016 • 2010 • 2011 • 2005 • 2006 • 2000 • 2001 • 1995 • 1996 1990 • 1991 • 1985 • 1986 • 1980 • 1981 • 1975 • 1976 • 1970 • 1971 Golden Alumni Reunions include: 1965 • 1966 • 1960 • 1961 • 1955 • 1956 • 1950 • 1951 If you have questions about Reunion weekend, please contact Geoff Harlan, Alumni Leadership advancement officer at gharlan@lacademy.edu