Millbrook, Summer 2024

MILLBROOK’S MISSION

In a community where every student is known and needed, Millbrook prepares its students for college and lives of meaning and consequence by instilling the values of respect, integrity, stewardship, service, and curiosity.

Living the Tradition of Non Sibi Sed Cunctis

FEATURES

50 Alumni: Playing to Win

The fascinating business of sports and some of Millbrook’s multi-faceted alumni “playing the game”.

50 Ambassador Robert “Woody” Johnson ’65

56 Giussepe B. Commisso ’00

62 Emily Even ’13

71 Student Reflections

71 Shaye Jasiel ’24

73 George Mendoza ’25

74 Building Team Culture

66 Edith Racine ’01

68 Zerline Goodman ’80

MILLBROOK MATTERS

Millbrook’s fields, courts, and ice rinks are classrooms too, and our coaches are constantly imparting life lessons. These coaches are building serious team culture.

74 Billy Thom - Boys Basketball

75 Erica (Shapey) Freymann - Girls Hockey

76 Eliza Pecchia ’12 - Girls Field Hockey

77 Taylor Pirie - Boys Lacrosse

Front Cover: The girls hockey team finds

Back Cover: Proud to be Millbrook Mustangs, boys lacrosse marched to victory this spring.

Cover photos by Jeffrey Zelevansky.

EDITOR

Michelle Blayney

DESIGN

Proof Design

CONTRIBUTORS

Michelle Blayney, Aaron Case, Alex Pearson, Jeff Zelevansky

PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS

Michelle Blayney, Daniel Cohen ’86, Tanner Newman, Alex Pearson, Jeff Zelevansky

MILLBROOK is published by the Communications Office and Alumni & Development Office of Millbrook School for alumni, parents, and friends of the school. Contents may be reproduced or reprinted only by permission of the editor. Opinions expressed do not reflect the official position of Millbrook School.

Millbrook School

131 Millbrook School Road

Millbrook, NY 12545

Phone: 845-677-8261

Website: www.millbrook.org

ALUMNI & DEVELOPMENT OFFICE

Director of Advancement

Natalie Smith

Assistant to the Headmaster for External Affairs

Robert Anthony ’65

Director of Stewardship

Nancy Stahl

Director of Annual Giving and Parent Engagement

Barbara Gatski

Director of Advancement Operations

Caitlin Kiley

Director of Principal & Major Gifts

Keith Del Valle

Associate Director of Principal & Major Gifts

Mimi Babock

Advancement Office Manager

Cori Bloxsom

Prospect Research and Database Manager

Michelle Anderson

Advancement Services Manager

Shannon Williams

Special Programs Coordinator

Diane Dalton

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE

Chief Communications Officer

Michelle Blayney

Writer/Editor

Aaron Case

Multimedia Content Creator

Melvin Brinson

Graphic Designer

Meghan Perch

BOARD

OF TRUSTEES

Chairman

William L. Menard ’78, P ’09, ’12, ’12

Vice Chairman

Paul M. Solomon ’61, P ’98

Secretary

Peter R. Chapman P ’11, ’12

Treasurer

John Tuke P’18

Head of School

Jonathan R. Downs ’98

J’nelle N. Agee ’06

Samantha Boardman, MD P’24, ’26

Francisco L. Borges ’70

Thomas Buttacavoli P’26, ’28

Stephen M. Clement III

Kelly Macaluso Coles ’86, P ’19

Trevor L. Colhoun ’95

Morgan C. Conrad ’99

Constantine M. Dakolias P ’22

Kathleen A. Dill ’85

Philip J. Drury P’24, ’26

Christopher C. Holbrook ’82, P ’11, ’12, ’14

Theodore S. Karatz ’96

Alison J. Marsal ’06

Gordon S. Pennoyer ’99

Steve Rodgers P ’23, ’25

Gilbert P. Schafer III ’80

Lisa P. Selz P ’12, ’17

Paul M. Simons ’83, P ’17, ’19

Paul Stafford P ’16, ’19, ’23

Charlotte Carroll Tracy ’88

James Vitiello P ’23

Caroline A. Wamsler, PhD ’87

Honorary Trustees:

Farnham F. Collins ’53, GP ’17

William L. Crossman ’74, P ’09

William R. Hettinger ’77, P ’01, ’04

Bruce B. Huber ’47

William B. McNamara ’75

NON DISCRIMINATION

Millbrook School adheres to a long-standing policy of admitting students of any race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its education policies, admission policies, financial aid program, or other school-administered programs.

ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT

Millbrook magazine is printed on stock that is manufactured with 10% postconsumer fiber using renewable energy. It is FSC certified.

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE

Introduction from Head of School Jonathan R. Downs ’98

We walk a tightrope as parents and educators of teenagers. Preparation for inevitable adulthood and the preservation of a fleeting childhood can be a conflicting effort.

At once we demand our children to GROW UP. GET A JOB. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. And, simultaneously, wisdom gained from our own life experiences beg us to slow things down for our children, especially in a world compelled by instant gratification. SAVOR THE MOMENT. REMAIN FOREVER YOUNG. Defer your judgment and do not rush to the harsh reality of real responsibilities. Once we grow up, there’s no turning back. Children have the rest of their lives, 70 years with good health, to “adult,” if we accept the word as a verb.

The pages that follow are a series of stories and portraits of the balance that Millbrook provides its students while we preserve childhood and prepare our students for college and lives of meaning and consequence. You will see all the ways that we continue to provide students an experience that embraces the playfulness of childhood while we also purposefully prepare them for what it means to be a productive citizen in an increasingly global and democratic society. As the late alumnus Dan Lindley ’51 wrote in his brilliant book Rough Magic, “The sweet spot of education is the collision of the inner child in the teacher and the emerging adult in the child.” I trust that you will see this Millbrook magic reflected in this magazine.

Enjoy this edition of the Millbrook magazine. If my assumption that most of this readership has been “adulting” for the bulk of its life is true, may Millbrook continue to ignite the inner child within each of you. We expect this magazine will inspire you. Don’t you dare let the flame of childhood within you ever dim!

Sincerely,

Jonathan Downs ’98 Head of School

Focus and collaboration are key to success in any classroom.

Surrounded by Millbrook students, Lama Tenzin ceremoniously releases sand from his installation so it can make its symbolic journey back to the ocean.

Grace Ashford ’24 uses the Flagler Memorial Chapel as inspiration for her latest masterpiece on a spring afternoon.

The skeletons come out of the closet in Gordie MacKenzie’s forensics class.

Nothing compares to the

energy of the annual Wild West Dance in the Barn.

The combination of music, friends, and protective eyewear made for a memorable solar eclipse viewing party on Case Hill.

Millbrook Matters

ACADEMICS, ATHLETICS, ARTS, AND STUDENT LIFE

Academics

From solving the world’s problems through Model UN and interacting with a Princeton ethnoprimatologist to exploring new and expanded creative writing classes, academic life this year was bursting with engaging learning experiences. Successful alumni also dropped by to give students an inside look at their industries, and the History Department guided students through the responsible use of generative AI to deepen their knowledge.

ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES:

Modeling the United Nations for the Next Generation of Millbrook Students

Millbrook’s Model UN honored National Human Rights Day, officially recognized by President Biden on December 10, 2023, by holding a conference for Dutchess Day School (DDS) and Indian Mountain School (IMS) 7th and 8th graders, who traveled to Millbrook to increase their understanding of world issues and the mission of the United Nations.

Hosted by VIth formers Christina Bellin, Juliet Drury, Ava Raiser, and others, the middle school visitors explored possibilities for world peace through cooperation and diplomacy while gaining experience in the workings of Model UN.

Attendees were divided into groups representing various organizations. Disarmament and International Security (DISEC) wrote resolutions to solve drone usage in warfare, the World Health Organization (WHO) discussed medical aid in conflict zones, and the Crisis Committee discussed the bubonic plague. A handful of students in each group won honors and certificates of recognition for their achievements.

Though Millbrook has participated in regional Model UN meetings in the past, Christina and Juliet founded a club that

meets regularly. Last year’s event introduced DDS students to Model UN and provided some experience before the actual conferences later in the year. This year, Christina’s Culminating Experience for Seniors project involved expanding the Millbrook conference to include IMS.

“We decided that the goal of the conference should again be to learn and become comfortable with Model UN, so everyone is prepared for later conferences,” said Christina. “Overall, the conference was really successful. We had three committees with six moderators from Millbrook, plus Juliet and I were running some behind-the-scenes logistics.”

Alumni and Guest Lecturers Share Their Expertise

Advanced Biology and Dr. Agustin Fuentes

Dr. Kerry Dore welcomed pioneering Princeton ethnoprimatologist Dr. Agustin Fuentes to her advanced biology section as students transitioned from examining the first primates to studying the first humans.

Advanced biology students have been studying human evolution, an area where ongoing research continues to yield new discoveries. Initially a primatologist, Dr. Fuentes is now an expert in anthropological views of humanity and the human experience. A longtime friend and colleague of Dr. Dore, Dr. Fuentes is an indemand expert who writes, lectures, and appears in documentaries while teaching and researching at Princeton.

Dr. Fuentes spoke to the class about Homo naledi , one of the newest human species, discovered in 2013. The discovery of skeletons of this previously unknown species in a deep cave in Southern Africa, along with other artifacts and the apparent presence of marks on the cave walls, was a revelation. There are

many questions as to how Homo naledi came to be in the cave. Some experts suggest that these early humans buried their dead, a ritual requiring the use of tools and careful arrangement and placement of the bodies that earlier species did not undertake. The discovery neatly combines Dr. Fuentes’ areas of interest, as these early primates seemed to be demonstrating some very human behaviors and traits.

The class watched a Netflix documentary about the Homo naledi discovery before Dr. Fuentes’ visit and were able to ask questions and engage with him via Zoom. Dr. Dore’s ongoing research (on the interactions between humans and green monkeys in St. Kitts, Nevis, and the broader Caribbean) and collaboration with other scientists benefit students by giving them access to experts like Dr. Fuentes, wide-ranging new information, and discoveries in biological anthropology and beyond.

Forensics and Kaleigh (Ferrari) Brownell ’07

As a crime laboratory analyst with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Kaleigh (Ferrari) Brownell ’07 works on some major cases, uncovering evidence that helps bring criminals to justice. For her, this career is a perfect blend of biology and forensics, and she enjoys the challenge of staying up to date on advancing technologies.

Kaleigh’s interest in forensics was sparked by her exposure to the subject in Mr. Gordie MacKenzie’s earliest class offering. After graduating from Millbrook, she majored in biochemistry at Saint Michael’s College in Vermont and earned a master’s degree in forensic science from the University of New Haven in Connecticut. A stint as an intern with a medical examiner sharpened her interest in the investigative aspects of the field, leading her to work as a forensic technologist and now a crime laboratory analyst in Fort Myers, Florida.

Mr. MacKenzie first included forensics as a small unit within another science class, Discovery in Science. His interest in developing a full-semester course on forensics was piqued after he was exposed to the discipline in popular television crime shows and movies. He attended a seminar to learn more and then crafted the semester-long class that has grown into one of the most popular science electives at Millbrook.

On a recent trip to Dutchess County, Kaleigh visited Mr. MacKenzie’s current forensics section, discussed her professional journey, and encouraged students to be open to the possibilities of a career in science. At the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Kaleigh is an in-demand technician specializing in DNA and other biological analysis. Her work takes her from crime scenes to courtrooms as she participates in countless investigations and their aftermath.

In relating her role to the class, Kaleigh described real-world forensics and crime scene investigation, disabusing students of some misinformation seen in television crime shows. Like so many alums, Kaleigh has transformed an interest sparked at Millbrook into her life’s work. Her innate curiosity is a perfect fit for a career in which no two days are alike.

Academics

Biology and Chris Weld ’83

Huddled around a lab table, Mr. MacKenzie’s biology class watched intently as Chris Weld ’83, P’25 made the first incision. With a steady hand, Chris drew the scalpel across the pale flesh, expertly revealing the interior of a raw chicken thigh. On a break from their fetal pig dissection, Mr. MacKenzie’s class was treated to an overview of functional human anatomy, demonstrations of medical equipment, and a crash course in suturing supermarket poultry.

“I have always felt that Millbrook, first and foremost, educates well-rounded, empathetic, and resilient people,” said Chris. “That and my innate love of science set my path before me.”

After Millbrook, Chris attended Skidmore College, focused on biochemistry, and studied to be an emergency medical technician (EMT), eventually volunteering on several ambulance squads. After earning a master’s in emergency medicine, Mr. Weld embarked on a career as a physician’s assistant in several intensely busy hospital emergency rooms, treating patients and training others.

Seeking to connect his interest in science to his love of nature and the outdoors, Chris relocated with his family to the Berkshires, where they purchased a neglected apple farm. Chris soon founded Berkshire Mountain Distillers, an awardwinning craft distillery that uses local ingredients to concoct unique, small-batch spirits. The distillery has grown to include a retail tasting location and a new production facility in Sheffield, Massachusetts. With the legalization of cannabis in Massachusetts, Chris co-founded Berkshire Welco, the parent company of The Pass, a dispensary in Great Barrington. Chris is a hands-on entrepreneur, tinkering with recipes at the distillery, making connections with local agribusinesses, and generally building community in the Berkshires.

Mr. MacKenzie’s biology students benefited from hands-on practice with otoscopes, pulse oximeters, and the suturing of poultry parts under the supervision of a seasoned medical professional. Thanks to Chris for providing a unique opportunity for the class to connect their work in the lab to the real world.

• Chris Weld ’83 returns to biology class at Millbrook. The Weld family has deep roots at Millbrook School, beginning with Chris’s father David ’57; siblings Will ’09, Amanda ’10, and Peter ’16; and now his daughter, Caroline ’25.

WHAT’S NEW:

Courses,

Curriculum & Programming

An Opportune Path to Advanced Poetry and Fiction

High interest in creative writing and poetry classes has inspired a revamped curriculum and the creation of new courses for aspiring student authors.

In response to the increased demand, English department chair Lewis Feuer and English instructor Sophie Kennedy created three new VIth form elective English sections starting in the fall of 2023: one in poetry and two in creative writing. Elements of Poetry and Elements of Fiction go beyond the basics and feature a balance of reading and writing in preparation for the advanced electives and more crafting of students’ own creative work.

Expanded offerings facilitate smaller class sizes, closer analysis and discussion of assigned readings, and opportunities for students to read and workshop their work. Elements of Poetry students are focusing on authorial voice and intent and addressing form and structure while building their portfolios.

Students in the Elements of Fiction sections are exploring personal themes and ideas as they read widely across genres. Both courses culminate with a major project, the Un-Essay, at the semester’s end.

While the focused study of poetry and fiction has been repositioned within these two new offerings in the fall semester, students are also enrolled in a new advanced fiction course this spring (with a companion advanced poetry class in the works). These advanced sections are explicitly designed for VIth formers committed to studying writing in college. Advanced Fiction Writing students are engaged in critical workshops, reading their peers’ story drafts weekly and providing critical and constructive feedback while composing and revising their own work to culminate in a fiction portfolio. Supplementing this practice, students are studying a range of contemporary short story authors.

We hope to share students’ published work in the not-too-distant future as they progress in college and beyond and perfect their style and voice.

Embracing Artificial Intelligence as a Tool to Improve Writing

Millbrook’s history faculty is embracing the challenges and possibilities inherent in the growth of artificial intelligence (AI), specifically Chat GPT. No longer a novelty, Chat GPT is a powerful tool for students when deployed thoughtfully and responsibly.

There are many assignments for which Chat GPT is neither effective nor appropriate and may be detrimental to learning, and transparency is crucial as teachers and students navigate the ever-changing world of AI. Now, process statements, in which students provide detailed information about their use of Chat GPT, are required for large and small assignments alongside traditional footnotes and bibliographies.

Millbrook’s History Department encouraged the use of Chat GPT while setting standards and expectations. Subsequently, Vth form students working on their U.S. History term papers used AI to sift through topics and refine their essay subjects. With help from Chat GPT, students identified possible topics and winnowed down broad areas of inquiry, resulting in focused thesis statements early in the process. History Department Chair Lindsay Peterson observed that this year’s term papers were remarkable for their novel subjects and refreshing approaches

to material. The efficiency afforded by AI allowed more time for deeper research and a clearer exposition of the chosen topics.

Aware of the ubiquity of artificial intelligence, history instructors have adopted new ways to hold students accountable for understanding material. Fifth formers in U.S. History formed small peer groups, read each other’s papers, and defended their work, demonstrating their knowledge of the material in real-time, without AI assistance. Members benefitted from the group work through exposure to peers’ essays.

AI is here to stay. Through their research and professional development, Millbrook faculty will continue to strive to institute best practices with integrity and purpose.

A Partial List of US History Term Paper Topics Generated with AI Support

• The connection between the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights movement

• The usage of children during the Birmingham Children’s Crusade

• How nativism drove Antisemitism, as seen through immigration limits, university quotas, and linking Jews to the economy

• Why the Harlem Renaissance was able to happen in NYC and not other places

• Dianetics and Scientology as cults vs. religions

• Hetchy Hetch Dam

• Child labor being beneficial for those working on farms

QUOTABLES

Millbrook students and alumni shared many words of wisdom on campus this year. The thread that ran through was OPPORTUNITY, as every speaker reinforced a call to act fearlessly—to be stewards of our world, to follow the path less taken, and to listen and respond to others with grace and compassion.

Eric Motley

Deputy Director of the National Gallery of Art

FRIDAY FORUM

“Curiosity is a beautiful thing. May it be the light that takes you to the unknown places that will illuminate you. You to bear witness to the unknown peoples of the world where you can smile, make a difference, and live a life that is worthy of Millbrook’s commitment.”

Alberta Guiles

Tutor, Millbrook’s Colhoun Academic Center

CHAPEL TALK

“Students…realize that the strength of your adversity determines the weight of your potential.”

Brandon Wolf

Gun Safety and Civil Rights Advocate

FRIDAY FORUM

“That’s how humanity works. If we care for people, if we treat people with a basic level of humanity, dignity, and respect, guess what? All of us get better.”

Larry Atlas

Former Director of the Miller Brown Health Center and Guest Speaker at the 2024 Alumni Summit

“Challenge is healthy. It pushes our boundaries and makes us grow. I want every person in this room to challenge yourselves to be better. Millbrook School needs every single one of us to be living to pursue the best self and the common good.”

Michael Johnson

Former Information Technology Assistant LYRICS FROM HIS SONG PERFORMED AT ALL-SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES

“I’m strong, you’re strong. Together, we are strong.”

MUSTANG NATION

Competition and camaraderie are alive and well on Millbrook’s fields and courts, and our student athletes were busy in the regular and postseasons. From September through May, Millbrook Mustangs played fiercely with a determination to let the giants—the Hotchkisses, Kents, and Tafts of the world—know that when we play, we give it all we have and play to win. Some results ended in our opponents’ favor, and we took those competitions in stride. Many ended in our favor. Whatever the outcome, Millbrook students turned up and turned it on, whether playing in a heated competition or cheering loudly on the sidelines.

BOYS SOCCER

The boys notched a resounding 4-0 shutout of #6 ranked Concord Academy in the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) quarterfinals. Firing on all cylinders, the Mustangs deployed purposeful ball movement and a chaotic defense that allowed few opportunities for the Chameleons to test Zach Herman ’24 between the pipes. With the win, Millbrook advanced to the semi-final game against St. Andrew’s in Barrington, Rhode Island. Facing a formidable Saints squad and with the match tied at the end of regulation, the Mustangs steeled themselves for overtime. The deadlock held through a first overtime and into a second, when St. Andrew’s struck, ending the Mustangs’ postseason run. But the Mustangs’ season record of 14-3-2 speaks for itself, and with a core group of young players, the future is bright.

HOCKEY

In the winter, five of Millbrook’s six varsity teams competed in divisional/class post-season competitions, and a few of these exciting playoff games kept Millbrook fans on the edge of their seats.

BASKETBALL

Boys basketball began their New England championship run as the #6 seed in a quarterfinal game on #3 seed Kingswood Oxford’s home court. Zoumana Traore ’25 made a shot to put Millbrook up by one with seven seconds on the clock, sealing the 68-67 victory. In the semi-finals at Canterbury, Millbrook ballers dropped shots left and right, keeping the Saints off-balance and securing a 79-60 win. After an exhilarating run, the boys fell to The Rivers School in the New England Championship game, finishing the most successful season in recent memory at 17-8.

Girls basketball excelled in a tough cohort including Pomfret, Harvey, Kent, Canterbury, and Kingswood Oxford. Millbrook entered the New England playoffs as the #6 seed and defeated #3 seed Harvey for the second time this season in 57-56 nail-biter. The girls then faced #2 seed Brewster Academy in New Hampshire in a hard-fought, back-and-forth game that ended in a 46-42 loss. The Mustangs had a lot to be proud of, demonstrating teamwork and tenacity over their three-month season.

Girls hockey entered the New England playoffs with a 14-9-1 record, traveling to Deerfield Academy for their quarterfinal game against Tilton. “The team dug deep and rallied to support each other on and off the ice,” shared Head Coach Erica Shapey. The match was a back-and-forth affair, but in the end, Millbrook’s exceptional defense made the difference in a 2-1 victory. Traveling to Groton for the semis, the girls expected to face a big and physical team in hostile territory. Millbrook battled hard but bowed to the Zebras in the semis for the second year in a row, with a 5-2 result. The girls can celebrate a stellar season played with heart and intelligence and look forward to every opportunity next season.

SQUASH

Boys squash earned the NEPSAC Class E Championship title over three New England tournament opponents. After a 7-0 win against King School, Millbrook defeated Portsmouth Abbey in the semifinal match. Finals against Concord Academy took place the following day. Millbrook entered the day buoyed by their victory over Portsmouth Abbey and showing the confidence and composure to secure another 7-0 victory and the New England Championship.

Girls squash and boys squash also made great showings at Nationals in Philadelphia. In the finals, the girls won third place in the fourth division while the boys placed second in the sixth division.

The spring brought a true sense of renewal and energy to life on campus, and nowhere was that more apparent than on the playing fields. All spring varsity teams were at the top of their game going into divisional playoffs and New England competitions, and both lacrosse teams won their championship tournaments.

LACROSSE

Boys lacrosse were NEPSAC Western New England champions, with the boys Head Coach Taylor Pirie earning Coach of the Year honors. Sailing into the postseason with an 11-3 record, the Mustangs were favored in the Western New England DII Tournament. After decisive tournament victories, 12-2 over Suffield and 14-6 over Albany Academy, the Mustangs took home the hardware.

Girls lacrosse also triumphed in the NEPSAC while hosting the Western New England Tournament and prevailing in challenging backto-back matchups against Cheshire and Suffield. The girls rallied at the end of a challenging season, making a tournament victory on their home turf that much sweeter.

“He was a rock in the net against our toughest rival.”

A NEW TRADITION

MUSTANGS OF THE WEEK

At the end of every sports season, we hold the traditional Athletic Awards gathering in the chapel before formal dinner. Here, coaches speak briefly about the “most valuable,” “most improved,” or “most coachable” players on their teams. But this doesn’t happen until after the season ends, and it doesn’t allow time for coaches to highlight players who have contributed in a variety of other ways to the team’s success.

Our Mustangs of the Week program highlights student-athletes who are regularly making a difference within our team communities, putting themselves out there and fighting for the win and going the extra mile in spirit, determination, sportsmanship, and skill development.

Forty-two Mustangs were highlighted between September and May—one male and one female over 21 weeks. Take a look at students who earned honors: www.millbrook.org/mow

“She was tremendous defensively, holding the opponent’s leading scorer to zero points in the second half.”

“Her hustle and compete level helped to spark the entire team.”

“Focused training and speed work paid off in a gutsy performance.”

“His leadership has set the tone for a team that works hard and plays together.”

“He is a consummate team player and makes his teammates and coaches better every time he’s on the court.”

“His consistent performance demonstrated why he is one of the best players in New England.”

“She earned crucial points and reliably and skillfully set up her teammates for success.”

“She has been relentless and unwavering in her commitment to the team and making her teammates better.”

MUSTANG ATHLETES SIGN NLI

In a ceremony attended by coaches, families, and teammates, seven Mustang student athletes signed letters confirming their commitment to play sports at the Division I or Division II level in college. Millbrook’s 2023 National Letter of Intent signees are an elite group. Fewer than 2% of high school athletes sign letters of intent to formalize their commitment to play sports at these divisions in college.

Pat Costin – Baseball, Indiana University (DI)

Ben Dale – Lacrosse, Providence College (DI)

Juliet Drury – Cross-Country, Colgate University (DI)

Jessica Farrell – Basketball, Central Connecticut State University (DI)

Pedro Leon – Baseball, Holy Cross (DI)

Caleigh Murphy – Ice Hockey, Franklin Pierce University (DI)

Challe Cancer – Basketball, Adelphi University (DII)

Coaches had nothing but praise for what these collegebound athletes have brought to Millbrook’s fields, courts, rink, and racecourses.

Varsity Baseball Head Coach Jack Harlan on Pat Costin and Pedro Leon:

“Pat Costin is the most talented catcher I have been around as a coach. His work ethic and ability to command a game from behind the dish have grown tremendously at Millbrook, and he is well-positioned to find success in his time at Indiana and beyond.”

“Pedro Leon has found a great home for himself in Holy Cross, and I have all the confidence in the world that he will accomplish great things in his time there as a student-athlete. Pedro is a great competitor and leader and will certainly be an asset to the Holy Cross baseball program.”

Varsity Lacrosse Coach JJ Morrissey on Ben Dale:

“Ben Dale is one of the most explosive and dynamic lacrosse talents in the high school lacrosse landscape today. He entered Millbrook his sophomore year and immediately made a name for himself with his gritty and highly creative style of play. He’s been a joy to coach, and we can’t wait to watch his career unfold at Providence College.”

Varsity Girls Hockey Head Coach Erica Shapey on Caleigh Murphy:

“Caleigh is highly skilled and has been a consistent impact player throughout her four years at Millbrook. We are excited to see her continued success at the collegiate level.”

Varsity Girls Basketball Head Coach Shayla Zezze on Challe Cancer and Jessica Farrell:

“Challe Cancer has been an absolute gift to Millbrook School and the future of Millbrook girls basketball. We cannot wait to see what she will do at the next level.”

“Jessica Farrell’s impact on our team and the community is beyond words and will be forever a part of our team culture. We look forward to all that comes next for her at CCSU.”

Girls Cross-Country Head Coach Kathy Havard on Juliet Drury:

“Though she has put in so much work, Juliet makes it look smooth and effortless. Extra hills and miles, tempo runs on the clock, and grueling intervals on the track. Even more impressive is her mental preparation: acknowledging her competition, considering her strategy, and, when the moment is right, going all out. She has become a role model and super effective captain and is no doubt eager to compete for Colgate next year.”

• Pat Costin and Pedro Leon with Coach Harlan

• Ben Dale with Coach Morrissey

• Caleigh Murphy with Coach Shapey

• Challe Cancer and Jessica Farrell with Coach Zezze

• Juliet Drury with Coach Havard

Front row:

Shaye Jasiel, Hockey, Oswego

Lila Pannacciulli, Hockey, Sacred Heart

Jess Trocchio, Hockey and Field Hockey, Albertus Magnus

Charleigh Newman, Lacrosse, Babson

Caleigh Murphy, Hockey, Franklin Pierce

Juliet Drury, Cross-Country, Colgate

Abigail Danso, Soccer, Amherst

Challe Cancer, Basketball, Adelphi

Gio Panicola, Lacrosse, Endicott

Ben Dale, Lacrosse, Providence

Pat Costin, Baseball, Indiana

Back row:

Jack Evans, Cross-Country, Denison

Chase Jackson, Soccer, Temple

Gray Goodman, Lacrosse, Kenyon

Pedro Leon, Baseball, Holy Cross

Chris Torres, Basketball, Siena

Mark Ostad, Basketball, George Washington

Eli Crystal, Lacrosse, Franklin and Marshall

Liam Alberti, Lacrosse, Ithaca

Arts

At the heart of our community are the arts, which foster creativity and cultivate curiosity. Student learning is strengthened through a web of connections, as visiting artists support student initiatives while exponentially expanding students’ capacity to innovate and grow.

PERFORMING ARTS

A Classically Creative Shakespearean Comedy

In a welcome return to classic material, Millbrook’s fall production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream was engaging and rewarding. True to form, cast and crew found ways to put their creative spin on the work. “That’s the great thing about working with (Director of Theater) Ms. Lifter,” said stage manager Madison Weis ’24. “The play is a classic that everyone knows, so there’s a challenge to make it feel new.”

From the inventive set and lighting design conceived and constructed by the student tech and stage crews to the whimsical costumes and makeup, the production transported viewers to the court of Athens and the magical forest outside the city. Audiences were treated to breakout debuts by IVth formers Andrew Stambaugh as Nick Bottom and Blake Frost as Lysander. Puck and Oberon, played by VIth formers Ella Kneedler and Oliver Jellinek respectively, would have stolen the show if not for so many other stellar performances. The entire Chelsea Morrison Theater—the stage, aisles, and two constructed balconies—was part of the show’s set, and this added another layer of interest. Behind the scenes and in the booth, assistant director Nya Johnson ’26, stage manager Weis, and assistant technical director Querida Alleyne ’24 kept the show on track and engaging.

The show featured English teacher Owen Kelley ’17 and alum Corey McEnroe ’07 as Flute and Snout, respectively, and a flock of faculty children eagerly played woodland fairies. Every member of the ensemble embraced the inherent challenges of performing William Shakespeare, and the show truly gained momentum throughout the run.

Millbrook’s fall play cast hewed to the words of Nick Bottom: “Take pains. Be perfect.”

A Creepy & Kooky & Altogether Ooky Winter Musical

Audiences adored the delightfully dark comedy and killer musical numbers of Millbrook’s winter musical, The Addams Family. The coming-of-age story came alive thanks to the stars of Millbrook theater, and the show delivered a fresh take on one of the most adapted fictional families of all time.

As Wednesday Addams, Charlotte Withers-Clarke ’27 traded her torture devices for butterflies and picnic lunches while trying to connect with a “normal” Lucas Beineke (Blake Frost ’26). As the usually rock-solid power couple Gomez and Morticia Addams, Ivy Braly ’24 and Oliver Jellinek ’24 explored the fragile dynamics of marriage when truth and secrets converge.

The ensemble cast brought the hilariously off-kilter world of the show to life as they danced and sang through the plot. Under the direction of professional set builder David Palmieri, the stage crew created incredible sets and stage pieces that brought the Addams’ gothic pile to life in the Chelsea Morrison Theater.

Athletic ensemble returned for The Addams Family, allowing dedicated winter sport student-athletes to explore theater while maintaining their team commitments. With cooperation from coaches, theater director Elaine Lifter created roles of dead ancestors brought back to life, and the group had fun interacting with and supporting the principals while singing and dancing their way into the hearts of audience members.

With a hauntingly realistic set design, expert casting, a crack production crew, and live band, The Addams Family brought the house down night after night.

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WARNER GALLERY FEATURES

NIGHT VISION

Night vision is the ability to see in low light or after one’s eyes have adjusted. From that sentiment, we gathered artwork together in the Warner Gallery. So much of an artist’s work involves learning to see the world, break it down, and view its subtleties. Once a maker has acclimated to a state of constant unknowing, they create from what they can see. This show explored night scenes, low light, shade, or “being in the dark,” figuratively and literally. We want to celebrate the curiosity it takes to create something without a clear guiding light and the beauty that can come from recording a perspective despite being unable to see the entirety of one’s surroundings from a single point of view.

FEATURED ARTISTS INCLUDED:

Douglas Degges

Tatiana Florival

Justin Rui Han

Niki Kriese

Kyle Nilan

Renee Samuels

Rebecca Shippee

Maris Van Vlack

VISITING ARTISTS

Justin Rui Han and Douglas Degges

Visual artist Justin Rui Han spent time with students at the Holbrook Arts Center over a two-day campus visit. With degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University, Justin is a working artist currently based in Brooklyn. Hosted by visual arts teacher Kiernan Pazdar, Mr. Han described his process and spoke about his work during a presentation in the Warner Gallery, where his piece “At Rest (Home Invasion)” was part of the Night Vision exhibition. Mr. Han then visited the individual studio spaces of the Honors Painting class, taking time to engage with students and offer insights and technical tips. He also led a color workshop in painting and 2D classes in which students were encouraged to think about how they see and express color in their work.

Another visiting artist, Douglas Degges, spoke with students in Ms. Pazdar’s Honors Painting and Beginning Painting classes, discussing his process and inspiration while fielding questions and offering insights on student work. Mr. Degges is an assistant professor of art in painting and drawing at the University of Connecticut. Like Mr. Han, his work was featured in Night Vision at the Warner Gallery in the Holbrook Arts Center.

In her dual roles as art instructor and curator of the Warner Gallery, Kiernan Pazdar is committed to bringing working artists to campus to inspire and encourage student artists in their pursuits. The world-class gallery space is a testament to the importance of visual art to the campus community and provides an opportunity for Millbrook students to view and re-view the work of contemporary working artists. Access to the thoughtfully considered and curated gallery steps away from classrooms and studios is integral to the program at the Holbrook Arts Center. Millbrook’s faculty of working artists and proximity to New York, Boston, and the Berkshires create opportunities for student artists to interact with established creatives and those on the rise.

• Justin Rui Han

• Douglas Degges and Kiernan Pazdar

SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS

Millbrook visual creatives won big in the regional stage of the Scholastic Art Awards. Student artists collected seven Gold Key Awards, 19 Silver Keys, and a whopping 50 Honorable Mentions for their works in ceramics, digital art, drawing, painting, and photography.

Judges assess thousands of submissions in the first phase and works awarded the Gold Key earn eligibility for national consideration, which can include scholarship money along with the prestige of the award. Congratulations to all honorees and special thanks to Max Amsterdam for pitching in to photograph 3D work for submissions.

GOLD

KEY WINNERS

Max Amsterdam ’26

Radley Cherosnick ’26

Helen Katis ’25

Ella Kneedler ’24

Ava Raiser ’24

Evan Sun ’25

Jessica Trocchio ’24

Photograph by Zoumana Traore ’25

Ceramic bust by Ella Kneedler ’24

Ceramics by Jess Trocchio ’24

Photograph by Evan Sun ’25

Ceramic vase by Radley Cherosnick ’26

Painting by Juliet Drury ’24

Photograph by Michael Stein ’26

Photograph by Max Amsterdam ’26

Student Life

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The Battle for Route 44: Food Waste Edition

Mindful dining prevailed as Millbrook defeated Pomfret in the inaugural Route 44 Food Fight.

Initiated by the Environmental Council, the competition pitted Mustang against Griffin in a good old-fashioned contest to see who could achieve the greatest decrease in food waste over five days. Unlike some historically bitter rivalries, both sides can legitimately claim victory in that decreases in food waste have immediate environmental benefits and can also catalyze a change in dining habits and long-term relationships to food.

Based on initial measurements that indicated an average of 149.25 lbs of daily food waste, Millbrook’s Casertano Hall denizens took the contest to heart and managed to decrease waste by 56.72% during the week of the challenge. Millbrook swept the week with monumental decreases every day when compared to their eastern rivals, who managed a still-admirable 25% average daily decrease.

A rare win-win-win, the food fight was beneficial to both school communities and to a Pomfret-area food pantry, which received a donation of 44 lbs of food.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Iron Chefs Battle for Bragging Rights

Student chefs executed a kitchen coup to showcase their culinary prowess in Millbrook’s first-ever Iron Chef competition.

The brainchild of Student Activities Coordinator Eric Kennedy and Chef Sam Meyer, the event was a true spectacle that included a live audience, video correspondents Kelly Kwok ’25 and Nga Ho ’26, and Millbrook’s first Instagram Live broadcast hosted by King Kumahlor ’26 and Aaron Jean-Francois ’24.

Cooking stations were assigned to each dorm, fully equipped with ingredients, tabletop burners, and tools to facilitate inspiring dishes and flavors. The atmosphere was tense as dorms raced against their kitchen timers to conceive, prep, chop, sauté, and plate their creations, including an appetizer, side, main dish, and dessert, or some combination thereof.

Teams served their mouth-watering masterpieces to a panel of celebrity judges, including Head of School Jonathan Downs ’98, math teacher Ugo Okolie, French Instructor Florent Lacroix, Spanish Instructor Lucy Philip, and incoming student Cooper Foraker, son of Director of Theater Elaine Lifter. Plates were evaluated based on ingenuity, taste/flavor, and presentation.

When the smoke cleared and the flour settled, the results were announced:

WINNER:

PRUM with bacon-wrapped asparagus, spicy tofu taco salad, and pasta and chicken with a carbonara sauce

RUNNER UP:

CLARK-GUEST with pasta bolognese/carbonara and a deconstructed strawberry shortcake

THIRD PLACE:

HARRIS with soy sauce fried rice and chicken parmesan

The mess made by dozens of students tossing ingredients here and there while cooking under a tight deadline was real and quite something to behold. But, in the blink of an eye, with the same teamwork that made the competition fierce, Casertano Hall was once again clean and pristine and ready for breakfast service the next morning. We’re already looking forward to Iron Chef 2025.

Chip, Chip, Hooray!

The aroma of cilantro and lime emanated through Ms. Quintanilla’s classroom as students in Spanish IV celebrated Cinco de Mayo with a competitive culinary twist.

Desks transformed into cooking stations and groups aimed to impress a panel of judges with their guacamole-making skills. Using authentic ingredients and presenting their delectable creations in Spanish, students enjoyed a fun and vibrant atmosphere that honored Hispanic heritage. Groups were critiqued on overall aesthetics, language fluency, and creativity, and the winning team – Guac-Querida – took home top honors.

Chef Sam Hits the (Ara)Mark in Prep School Culinary Showdown

On May 8, Millbrook hosted the final stop of a yearlong regional tour in which Aramark executive chefs competed for bragging rights against neighboring boarding schools. The culmination of the “Prep School Culinary Road Show” saw our very own Chef Sam in a high-stakes showdown where meat was front and center. Chef Sam and his barbeque style chicken earned enough votes to edge out the competition.

WINTER WEEKEND

On the outskirts of campus, in a low-slung compound glimpsed across a snowy expanse and through farm fencing, the young men of Farm House planned, prepared, and lied in wait. As the newest team to join the fray that is Millbrook Winter Weekend, Farm House had a lot to prove. As 2024 Winter Weekend Champions, they made a statement.

Their lengthy march to the pep rally belied their toughness and resolve, setting the tone for impressive showings in all events. Farm House was, to paraphrase Mr. Downs in his investiture address, “humble and hungry…confident, not arrogant, stylish and not brazen.”

Congratulations to everyone on a great Winter Weekend!

OVERALL RESULTS

1st Farmhouse

2nd Prum

3rd Abbott & Case (tie)

Lunar New Year

Millbrook welcomed the Year of the Dragon with several days of celebration and activities.

Following a fireworks kickoff behind Casertano Hall, Millbrook’s international students from China, Korea, and Vietnam enjoyed a dumpling party and a Spring Festival TV gala in the Class of 2018 Room. The full community was treated to a traditional Chinese meal on Saturday, the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Sunday brunch featured a performance of the Guzheng, a zither-like Chinese instrument, before Chinese games were offered in Holbrook. VIth former Angelina Huang continued the celebration at Monday morning assembly with her stunning piano performance of Dance of Spring, composed by Sun Yiqiang.

The Chinese Zodiac ascribes resilience and confidence as traits of those born in the Year of Dragon, which is celebrated every 12 years.

Friday Forums

A treasured Millbrook tradition, Friday Forums expose the community to new perspectives by inviting speakers to share their expertise and experiences in a school-wide presentation.

Millbrook Friday Forum speakers come to campus to share stories, inspiration, and thought-provoking ideas throughout the year. Friday Forums fit perfectly with this year’s core value of curiosity as an engaging way to bring issues and stories from the larger world to campus.

Dr. Eric Motley, Deputy Director of the National Gallery of Art, kicked off the series by recounting his journey from a small town near Montgomery, Alabama, to the White House, where he served as a special assistant to President George W. Bush. An appreciation for and dedication to community was a recurring theme in his remarks, and Dr. Motley called on Millbrook to embrace and strengthen connections whenever possible. During his visit, Dr. Motley also took time to speak individually with students and faculty.

Brandon Wolf is a survivor of the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, in which 49 innocent club-goers were shot and killed by a single assailant armed with semi-automatic weapons. Far from a simple tale of survival, Mr. Wolf described his journey of self-discovery in response to the tragedy that robbed him of his best friends and chosen family. Mr. Wolf sought to channel his sorrow and rage into action and began to share his story, volunteer with anti-violence causes, and demand gun safety legislation from politicians. Students had questions about recovery, forgiveness, and a way forward. “I want to send a message to others to be proud of who they are and not to be afraid to be their authentic selves,” said Mr. Wolf.

Millbrook School next welcomed economist and Bard Professor of Economics Pavlina Tcherneva. Dr. Tcherneva’s focus on monetary policy and employment has garnered international attention and acclaim. She is in high demand as a speaker and commentator. Her work centers on the necessity of job guarantees for populations that may be at highest risk of disruption or decimation due to climate change.

In April, Millbrook welcomed Linda Hooper, executive director of The Samburu Project for the final forum of the year. The Samburu Project seeks to improve access to clean water for the people of

Samburu, Kenya, while empowering women, and promoting health, education, and general well-being. The project was instrumental in the installation of several wells that freed residents, usually women, from regular ten-mile walks to obtain clean water.

A deeper connection was forged when VIth former Lily Slepoy, who interned with the Samburu Project, organized a “Walk For Water” fundraiser in which a group of students, faculty, and friends of Millbrook departed Pulling Circle and hiked up Ski Hill then through the cross-country trails to symbolize the distance and challenges many women endure in pursuit of clean water.

All of these Friday Forums broadened horizons and opened new avenues of inquiry for students by engaging our community throughout this year of curiosity.

ALUMNI: PLAYING TO WIN

ambassador

Robert “Woody” Johnson ’65

Earlier this year, we had the opportunity to catch up with Woody Johnson, Class of 1965, in his Florida office. Energetic and passionate about sports and politics, Woody approaches both his business and his patriotism in the same manner: evolve or die.

The status quo is the kiss of death, and being a part of any winning team involves figuring out what needs to get done and then getting the right people to do it. He’s had his share of new ventures and has approached each with confidence and a plan: get to know the people you’re working with, ask the right questions, learn, and then dig in.

We talked about how he hopes to outperform past seasons and build a Super Bowlwinning New York Jets team and how representing the United States as the ambassador to the Court of St. James was the greatest honor of his life. He reminisced about Frank Trevor, “the Boss,” and the tow rope on Ski Hill, traveling and living across the pond (the Atlantic Ocean, not the zoo pond), and hosting a mélange of guests from Queen Elizabeth to London’s black cab drivers. He also shared the extreme highs and lows of that fateful day last September 11 four snaps into the season opener against the Bills at MetLife Stadium.

Keep reading to get a glimpse into the life of a seasoned businessman, an NFL team owner, a former ambassador, and one of Millbrook’s own.

The New York Jets

What is at the top of your list in terms of owning and running an NFL team?

The culture of the team, any team, is most important—putting people together on that team whose single focus is winning. You have to have a winning culture, and you have to have people who can persevere and do what it takes to win. When you hire players, you don’t really know them. You can try and get good intel, and we’ve got scouts to do that, but eventually you need to weed out the bad ones. You get rid of them. One bad apple can spoil the whole thing.

The key to football is your quarterback. If you have a good quarterback, everyone’s a genius. That’s the way it works, and it’s the hardest thing. Next to keeping them healthy.

What was it like in MetLife Stadium the day that Aaron Rodgers was injured?

It was the most elated feeling in the stadium. Everyone was on a such a high. Aaron came out holding the flag, and the team charged in. We had just held a Taylor Swift concert in the stadium a couple of weeks before. She had wristbands that were synced to everyone’s cell phones. When the lights changed in the stadium, so did the colors of the wristbands. We copied that idea. We had the stadium lit up in ways that we’d never done before. It was electric in there, and the change of emotion was so dramatic and so quick. We went from that to four plays later going as low as you can go. And that’s sports. We had to put in our backup—the show must go on as you hope for the best and start planning. We actually won that game.

We have Aaron Rodgers back this season. The Achilles rupture has become a more common injury in football; it used to be career ending. Now, with some new cool treatments, it’s a oneyear deal in recovery. He’ll be back for preseason training. He is a Hall-of-Fame quarterback. He does everything you want a quarterback to do. He processes information extremely quickly. His leadership is second to none. They respected him in the locker room [this season] more than anyone, and he didn’t even play. All receivers have to do is turn around, and the ball will be right in their hands. He can put a ball in a bucket at 50 yards. He’s the right guy, even at 40 years old.

Why the interest in owning a National Football League team?

I had a cable TV company right out of college. It was my brother’s company, and when he passed away, I inherited it. I loved it. It was entertainment—not making it, but transporting it, connecting homes in the early days of cable when a guy would put video tapes into a machine and play them. When HBO and Ted Turner came in, it all changed. So, I liked entertainment, and I liked sports. I considered buying various teams, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New York Knicks, and the New York Rangers. I love those teams, but when the former owner of the Jets, Mr. Leon Hess, died I thought, I didn’t know if this was going to happen, but I got ready. I put a team together to analyze what we were buying—there’s a lot there. And then it happened.

We were running a team for the first time—it’s like riding a bike. You get on, and you start pedaling. That’s the way you do it. I’d run a lot of different enterprises at that point, so that experience came into play. You have to know the people and how things run. The Jets is a big organization.

What does your day to day with the team look like now?

I am up in New York usually a day or two a week. Then we’re on the phone all day otherwise. We’re doing a zero-based budgeting analysis, looking at form and function and what helps us win and what does not—analytics, allocation of jobs, job descriptions, everything—to isolate what will help us win and discard the things that won’t. Data is key. We have a young investment team of six young individuals focused on the operating and football sides of the business. When you get people to look at something from the outside, the information is pure. They have no axe to grind, no allegiances.

The Ambassadorship

What is it like, what’s involved in being the ambassador to Great Britain?

It was a big job and an honor, being nominated by the president and confirmed by the senate for one of the most important diplomatic posts at the Court of St. James, and I was ready to learn on the job. To avoid any conflict of interest, I was not allowed to do any trading, and no football. I had to leave everything behind, and I was totally dedicated to working for the American people from day one.

My perspective as a businessman is different than a career diplomat. I wanted to ask the right questions—why are we doing this? I know how to get from A to point B and problem solve along the way. From the start, we had to get to know everyone in the embassy and build trust and then visit other U.S. personnel in Great Britain, paying respect, especially, to the 10,000 men and women in the military stationed there. We calmed the waters in policy discussions. At that time, China was trying to get in on 5G service with the five major telecommunications companies in Great Britain, and we opposed this. We set up a China working group, the first of any embassy, to talk about the South China Sea, trade, and intellectual property theft. It opened everyone’s eyes.

I was also focused on hiring and wanted to build the strongest team possible. We pick talent, we pick the best. In the embassy, in my inner circle, it was all women. We had some great women— military planners and people who had our back. I also hired Yael Lempert, the deputy chief of mission, my direct report, a democrat who had experience in the Middle East but not in Europe. But she was smarter than the rest and had aspirations. She was a great diplomat and amazingly loyal. She’s probably in the most complicated spot now as the ambassador to Jordan.

What was it like living in the historic Winfield House?

It’s the most magnificent place on 12 acres in central London next to The Regent’s Park. Hosting events was an incredible asset—everyone wanted to come to Winfield House, including the journalists and British politicians. Boris Johnson came over quite a bit to play tennis, and we developed good relations with those in the media following their visits to Winfield.

Of course, most memorable was Queen Elizabeth’s visit. But first, I went to Buckingham Palace after etiquette and dance lessons at St. James’ Palace. When the moment happens, you make introductions, and then there’s a knock on the door. The door opens immediately, and I am eye-to-eye with the queen. And you forget everything you just learned! You go momentarily blank, but she had a way of relaxing you. She was the most unbelievable person. I didn’t know what I was going to talk to her about, but we talked about my mother, who worked for the Navy in World War II, and she was a mechanic. Then I invited her to dinner at Winfield House, and she said, “I’d love to come.” Just like that. About a year later, she came, after an approval process that included confirmation by Parliament.

Back to Business in MetLife Stadium

How was it returning to business as usual?

I was hoping to stay [in London], as my work touched on a little bit of everything—military, cultural affairs, and developing relationships—and I didn’t get the chance to start until August of 2017. President Trump was elected in November and took office in January. But senate confirmations take time, and time wastes resources.

We held two separate events for London’s black cab drivers. A lot of them were driving people to events at Winfield House, and we thought it would be special to have them in for tea. I HAD SUCH AFFECTION FOR THEM, I would stop in many of their thirteen huts around London, where only the drivers can go. They invited me to join them at their horseshoe-shaped tables to talk about what it was like being a black cab driver. It’s brutal—a four-year process and you need a photographic memory. They drive every street in London for years before they take a grueling test.

But coming home, I wanted to win a Super Bowl. There are two things in life: sports and politics. In each, you’re in the danger zone, and that’s where you learn and you find success.

So now, it’s working on getting there. Winning seven games is not acceptable. This data dive is the best thing I’ve ever done—ripping the hell out of the Jets organization. Status quo is death; it will kill you. You have to change, so you have to have an organization that embraces change. Otherwise, it’s impossible to win.

Millbrook

What are some of your best memories of your time as a student at Millbrook?

My father attended Millbrook with Jim Buckley, and he loved Ed Pulling, finding him scary but cool. There was definitely a fear factor when you were in his presence. He was tall and had that English headmaster demeanor. You hoped you were going to survive it. My father respected what he was trying to accomplish at Millbrook.

My father had Frank Trevor for biology, and I did too along with zoo squad. I still recall his grading reference—A, B, C, D, and then Z. Seventeen steps below that is Z-17. The 17 represented effort—way less than nothing. I use that to this day, and I think of Frank a lot. He was probably the best teacher I ever had,

having us go into the streams around Millbrook with our nets and coming up with these weird-looking things. I also remember English with Mr. Grove. I was writing something about Abe Lincoln, and he quickly corrected me when I referred to him as Abe rather than Mr. President.

I ran track, skied, and played football. I wasn’t the greatest football player, but I really enjoyed it. I had [Peter] Holbrook throw me passes, which were always 10 yards above my reach. In the winter on Ski Hill, we had the tow rope and a bunch of turkeys who would get halfway up and then fall. We were all sitting there on the rope, stuck. Track was probably my favorite; I ran the 400 and the 200.

As a prep school kid, I was trying to make it through day to day. We were there all the time. [On the few weekends we could leave] my mother used to drive up the Taconic in that big old car swinging around the curves. And she’d pull up in front of South Dorm and stop the car. I wouldn’t even let her get out and stop in the bathroom. I couldn’t wait to leave – “Mom, we gotta go – I only have a limited number of hours!”

At schools, it needs to be all about the students. As long as your focus is the students—that’s the answer. There might be bumps in the road, but if you support students and what they need to accomplish, you’re going to be okay. The most important thing is educating the kids. If you’re creating future leaders at a school, parents and alums will be supportive.

Special thanks to Ambassador Johnson and Katie Kane, special assistant to Chief Executive Officer Johnson and his senior advisor in London, for meeting with us.

ALUMNI: PLAYING TO WIN

Giuseppe B. Commisso ’00

SOCCER

It was a moment when Giuseppe B. Commisso more fully understood his celebrity status in Italy. He had just posted a picture on Instagram of him and his girlfriend, Erica, enjoying a meal at Alpemare Beach Club in Forte dei Marmi, a seaside town in Tuscany, Italy. The already attentive service seemed to grow even more gracious, and then the beach club’s owners, world-renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli and his wife, visited them at their table. Bocelli grew up in Tuscany and happens to be a fan of Italian soccer. Giuseppe’s father is the owner of ACF Fiorentina, based in Florence and the most successful first division professional soccer team in the Tuscan region. Giuseppe was a very welcome special guest. This is the case for owners of professional soccer clubs throughout Europe. But depending on a team’s success, or lack of, fans are fickle—supportive and joyous when their team is winning but raucous and harsh when a season is souring.

Fiorentina fans were not at all happy in the spring of 2019 as the team was struggling and ranked in 16th place in the Serie A League. When Giuseppe’s father, Rocco B. Commisso, purchased the team in June of that year, fans had great hope that the Commisso family would turn things around. Giuseppe moved to Italy and joined Fiorentina’s board. Joe Barone was brought on

board as the general manager, bringing years of experience in running a professional team (the New York Cosmos), developing players, and building relationships. After trials and tribulations continued through several coaches and their ranking lacked much upward movement, Commisso and Barone hired Vincenzo Italiano as head coach in 2021. Under Italiano’s lead, Fiorentina finished as high as 7th place and played in two consecutive UEFA Conference League finals, in 2023 and 2024, setting a league record. However, the team lost both European finals, and, this June, Italiano left the club. He was replaced by new head coach Raffaele Palladino, who successfully coached another Italian Serie A team, AC Monza, from 2022 to 2024.

“Fans are fickle—one day they love you, the next day they don’t. WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO MANAGE THE TIDE SO FAR. They like what we’ve done with Rocco B. Commisso Viola Park and the team.”

While managing coaching staff and players was an immediate priority in 2019, so was building a new stadium and a new training facility. The Artemio Franchi Stadium, built in 1931, was updated to increase capacity in the late 1980s, but the facility is outdated. Working through the Florentine bureaucracy on a stadium plan, however, proved to be an incredibly slow and challenging process. So, the Commisso family focused all of its efforts on building a new sporting center, Rocco B. Commisso Viola Park, which is the largest sporting center in Italy and among the largest in all of Europe. In addition, it is currently the only training facility at the highest level of Italian soccer that accommodates both male and female players.

Completed in 2023, the club’s new sporting center is truly an exceptional complex. With facilities for all age groups, Rocco B. Commisso Viola Park is a community campus with every amenity. Spanning 64 acres, the new sporting center includes 12 buildings with 312,000 square feet of space, 12 regulation pitches, 2 stadiums with 4,500-person seating capacity, dormitories to sleep

116, a media center, swimming pool, and state-of-the-art training and medical facilities (including MRI and cryotherapy), all tucked into the hills surrounding Florence. It is the perfect combination of classic Tuscany and ultramodern technology. Besides being the permanent home to 20 Fiorentina men’s, women’s and youth teams, Rocco B. Commisso Viola Park draws visitors from all over the world including Italy’s national soccer team.

EDUCATION and the AMERICAN DREAM

Perhaps Giuseppe has always been destined for fame in the international world of soccer.

His father, Rocco, emigrated with his parents from Italy to America when he was a young boy. After attending high school at Mount Saint Michael Academy in the Bronx, Rocco attended Columbia University on a full scholarship, playing soccer and earning a reputation as the “toughest” player in the Ivy League. Columbia University’s Hall of Fame shares this about Rocco: “He helped guide the team to a four-year winning record and was co-captain of the

“The treatment of women in Italy is getting better, but women in sports are far more advanced in America. Title IX revolutionized women’s experiences in American sports, and WE’VE BROUGHT THOSE VALUES TO ITALY in Rocco B. Commisso

first-ever Columbia squad to advance to the NCAA Tournament, scoring 9 goals in 8 games as a center-forward. He was also a member of a freshman squad that finished with an undefeated record and was invited to try out for the 1972 U.S. Olympic Team.”

While these accomplishments are notable, more importantly, his Columbia education led to a successful media career at Cablevision Industries before he launched his own company, Mediacom Communications, in 1995. In 2000, he directed a successful initial public offering for Mediacom and grew the company into the nation’s 5th largest cable television operator. Business aside, there was always time for soccer, and Rocco regularly brought Giuseppe to games. The younger Commisso became a fan of the Columbia Lions and Serie A soccer, and he cheered for Italy alongside his dad at the 1994 World Cup.

Giuseppe also followed in his father’s footsteps to benefit from a private school education. His older sister, Marisa, had enrolled at Tuxedo Park School in Tuxedo Park, New York, and he made the same move from a public grade school to start at the private school in 6th grade; by 9th grade he was one of five students in his class. The low student-teacher ratio and personal attention led to better educational opportunities and deep relationships with his teachers—something Giuseppe knew he wanted to continue in his high school experience. When it came time to make his choice for 10th grade, Millbrook was at the top of his list because the school

aligned with his values for success and educational development. Plus, Millbrook was located on a beautiful campus in picturesque Dutchess County, and it reminded him of his home across the Hudson River.

Giuseppe took full advantage of every opportunity to get involved at Millbrook, and his passion for community-building earned him the Founders’ Prize, given to a fifth form student who has displayed an enthusiasm for life’s challenges, a creative and innovative spirit, and a commitment to the community and team play. While he was a curious student who loved math and fondly recalls every academic teacher during his three years, he relishes his memories made outside of the classrooms. He signed up for the NOAA (National Weather Service) community service, waking up at the break of dawn to gather and report weather data. He joined the boys varsity hockey squad as their team manager, working closely with then Head Coach Bob Howe, tracking team statistics, gathering and distributing uniforms, filling water bottles, and chasing down hundreds of errant pucks under the bleachers in the ice rink. He built relationships with all the players and staff as well as many members of Millbrook’s physical plant team, enjoying conversations before and after Zamboni runs in between periods. This included Millbrook’s current head of school, Jon Downs, who was a player on the team. Giuseppe also played soccer, golf, and lacrosse and ran cross-country.

“Three years felt like a very long time, and THE TEACHERS AND STAFF WERE THE HALLMARK of my experience. It’s the people who define the Millbrook experience.”

• Giuseppe with father Rocco at the 1994 World Cup.

• Reuniting with Bob Howe at Millbrook in 2016.

TRIP of a LIFETIME

When an academic and service trip opened to students in the spring of 1998 during Giuseppe’s first year, he knew that this could be the trip of his young life.

Biology teacher Dr. H. Bruce Rinker had inspired countless students to become better stewards of the natural world, and this two-week trip included stops in Iquitos, Peru, a northern camp in the Amazon close to the borders of Peru and Ecuador, and Machu Picchu. In Iquitos, the Millbrook travelers had an up-close and personal look at the culture and life of those far less fortunate. They also studied the importance of the rainforest canopy and the impact of deforestation, which provided completely different lessons tied to protecting all threatened life in the Amazon.

Machu Picchu was the most physically demanding part of the trip, and Giuseppe’s love of data inspired him to devise a way to count the total steps taken during their three-day hike along with the altitude and barometric pressure at various points up and down the mountain terrain.

COLLEGE and CAREER

In the fall of his senior year, guidance from the College Counseling Office, led by then director Liz Duhoski, contributed to Giuseppe’s application, acceptance, and enrollment at Columbia University, made even more special by his deep connection and childhood visits to campus with his father.

He entered Columbia intending to major in computer engineering with a focus on artificial intelligence. His academic journey, however, was marked by influential professors like Jeffrey D. Sachs, who headed up the university’s Earth Institute

and whose work on sustainable development ultimately inspired Giuseppe to shift his engineering focus. Giuseppe graduated from Columbia in 2006 with a civil engineering degree and minors in economics and earth and environmental engineering.

At Columbia, he and some close friends co-founded Columbia’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders, which remains active today. With this group he participated in projects to improve water quality on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. He furthered his passion for data analysis and environmental issues through an internship at the Columbia Earth Institute focused on climate change; Nobel Prize winner Edmund S. Phelps worked in an adjacent office.

Altogether, his time at Columbia was defined by academic rigor, personal growth, and a commitment to making a difference, and after graduating Giuseppe joined his family business at Mediacom in a full-time role. Starting as an analyst in data metrics and key performance indicators, he advanced to lead the data warehouse team, ensuring accurate data analytics and reporting of Mediacom’s daily customer activity. He developed data models, customer reports, and commission reports, focusing on data mining, probability, and statistics.

Knowing that comprehensive industry experience was important, Giuseppe undertook technician training, field tours, and lobbying in Washington, D.C., where he met with U.S. legislators, FCC officials, and executives from companies like Comcast, Charter, and Time Warner. His father’s strategic acquisitions and resilience during economic downturns have inspired his own approach to business. Notably, Giuseppe recalls the challenges the once public Mediacom faced when taking the company private in 2011; working with his father at that time, it was a move that allowed them to overcome challenges within the board and ultimately ensure the company’s financial strength.

As group vice president of Corporate Finance, Giuseppe now helps to oversee investments and corporate initiatives. His leadership in AI integration and strategic planning helps to drive the company’s innovation for underserved populations in smaller cities and towns across 22 states. Giuseppe also serves on the board of JMCC Corporation, the parent company of Mediacom, contributing to high-level decision-making and corporate strategy.

SPORTS and the GLOBAL MARKETPLACE

Beyond media, Giuseppe navigates the complex sports industry that is Italian soccer and sees the stark contrast between American and European sports models.

In Europe, the promotion/relegation system demotes the bottom three teams in the league after every season, affecting their valuation and player retention. In contrast, American professional sports— football, soccer, baseball, hockey, and basketball—maintain their league status and profitability despite poor performance.

As a board member for ACF Fiorentina, Giuseppe has regular insights into the challenges of running a professional team: balancing player salaries and managing investments wisely

with the goal to buy players at a low cost and sell them at a higher value. This strategy proved successful with top players like Dušan Vlahović and Federico Chiesa, who were both sold by Fiorentina to Juventus for high valuations in recent years. However, the soccer business is complex, involving agents who earn hefty commissions and players constantly seeking to move to higher-tier teams. Additionally, turnover is a significant challenge in soccer, with players’ careers typically ending in their mid-30s. This dynamic forces some players to seek lucrative contracts in places like Saudi Arabia, as Cristiano Ronaldo did.

Between his ever-increasing responsibilities at Mediacom and his role on the board of ACF Fiorentina, Giuseppe’s days are undoubtedly interesting and challenging. The company remains focused on providing exceptional broadband services across its markets which includes the continued rollout of 10G high-speed internet technologies and expansion into the mobile phone business. In terms of Fiorentina and what success looks like for the team, it’s simple: get to the UEFA Conference League finals again in 2025, win the championship, and raise the first European trophy since 1961. That is the goal, and Giuseppe promises fireworks and a BIG celebration. Stay tuned!

“The amount of money made—even FIFA WORLD CUP CAN’T COMPARE TO THE REVENUE COMING OUT OF THE NFL. They’ve been able to get people to pay a lot of money to watch—whether on TV, streaming or at the stadium—and about half of the NFL revenue is going to the players.”

ALUMNI: PLAYING TO WIN

Emily Even ’13

Ice hockey has always been a significant part of Emily’s life.

Born in the Netherlands (her mother is Dutch, and her father is Canadian), she grew up on the ice when not many young girls were skating competitively. When she was 14, her family moved to Quebec, Canada, where hockey is king. By 16, Emily had tired of living in a French-speaking city (she was not fluent), and when her Canadian team competed in prep school tours against independent U.S. schools like Kimball Union, she saw an opportunity to live and learn south of the Canadian border.

She applied to several boarding schools in the northeast. She chose Millbrook because she felt at ease when she toured—she could be herself—and Millbrook’s smaller size seemed to be ideal.

Emily began as a Vth former at Millbrook in 2011, and during her two years, she experienced tremendous academic and personal growth. The small school environment she was attracted to proved beneficial as she developed close relationships with faculty and classmates. Her advisor, Ms. Ramos, and hockey

coach, Mr. Allen, among others, played important roles in her development, offering support and fostering her leadership skills. Despite her dyslexia and ADHD, she excelled in the classroom; she continued to be extremely comfortable and productive on the ice.

“In my senior year, we made it to the New England finals against Gunnery. We were not meant to do so well, perhaps, but because we were so motivated, believed in one another, and were very positive, we went beyond everyone’s expectations.”

Emily matriculated to Concordia University in Montreal in 2013, majoring in leisure sciences within the Human Sciences Department. Minors in marketing and management, an internship in event planning, and leadership on the university’s women’s ice hockey team rounded out her four years of college. She and her Concordia Flyers teammates finished on a high note in March 2017, battling at the women’s national hockey championship and placing fourth in all of Canada. Since graduation, she has traversed the globe many times, drawn by opportunities on the ice and finding a path to personal and professional fulfillment.

International Women’s Ice Hockey

Emily began playing for the Dutch national team in 2006. By the time she was 16, shortly before transferring to Millbrook, she had played for Team Netherlands at the World Championships in Australia, and that experience left a lasting impression on her. After graduating from Concordia in 2017 and being inspired by her previous Australian experience, she flew off to Sydney to join their women’s ice hockey team for a year, working part-time in restaurant management between her hockey travels. Visa complications brought her home to Montreal briefly before she headed to Austria in 2019 to play professional ice hockey for an Austrian club based in Steiermark as a member of the European Women’s Hockey League (EWHL). Her time as a player and captain of this team continued even during COVID-19. Through 2022, she worked part-time and played club hockey in Austria, all while her quest for a world championship with team Netherlands continued year after year.

For such a small country, team Netherlands performs incredibly well on the international stage. In two consecutive years, 2018 and 2019, team Netherlands won gold in their division, which significantly boosted her team’s international rankings. In 2023, the team was one goal away from another divisional win, which would have moved them into the Olympic division. For all their

success, the Dutch players only come together to practice at international training camps two or three times a year. Despite how infrequently the team plays together, the close connections within the small hockey community in the Netherlands and the years of playing together allow them continued success.

Skating Toward Professional and Sustainable Sporting Events

While she was playing hockey through her 20s, graduate school was always on the horizon and part of Emily’s plan. When a hockey injury necessitated surgery in 2022, she realized the time was right to return to live and study in the Netherlands for the first time since she was 14. In Amsterdam, she enrolled in the fall of 2022 in a joint master’s degree program between Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and British Northumbria University; her studies focused on global sustainable business management.

“Millbrook was a time of huge growth and development in my life, especially in terms of personal character development. Even now, I’m totally immersed in the world of sustainability. I catch myself referring to Millbrook’s leadership in this area—in 2011, I was studying in a LEED-certified building!” I was exposed to a lot of things that weren’t mandatory but that Millbrook chose to do. That made it even more significant.”

Millbrook’s commitment to sustainability made a lasting impression on Emily, and she knew she wanted to focus on sustainability in her career rather than just business, finance, or accounting. From September 2023 through April 2024, she researched and wrote her thesis while working as a campaign and event planner for the university’s Green Office. She organized events highlighting student-led sustainability initiatives and projects, including networking sessions for sustainable start-ups. Her thesis focuses on sporting events, specifically within the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), and making them more sustainable worldwide, integrating her past experiences into one project. While researching, she spoke with leaders in the IIHF across Europe on every detail related to their 50 annual international events. Ideas already in place in cities where sustainability is a civic pillar include ice rinks made more sustainable by swapping energy with swimming pools in the same building, using LED lighting—which can be dimmed in between periods—and collecting rainwater for use in showers and toilets. Emily’s thesis ultimately proposes making small impacts at each event for a more significant cumulative effect. Instead of using plastic-covered IDs, she suggests an app for live updates on player information. She advocates for reducing paper and plastic use by moving tournament information online and choosing sustainable hotels and rinks accessible by public transportation. By collaborating with cities with sustainable development goals, IIHF can leave a positive legacy and give back to local communities. She admits the IIHF faces external pressures from governments to comply with sustainability initiatives and new internal pressures from the younger generation of players. The IIHF is already exploring synthetic ice options as alternatives to natural ice. This includes options made from recycled materials, including plastics recovered from the ocean, that are easy to put down and take up, and that use far less energy to create.

What’s Next?

With her master’s degree complete as of April, Emily started in a new professional role in May as a sustainability advisor for the Scale Up Project, teaming up with the City of Amsterdam and Ellebru, an engineering and architecture firm. “This project is subsidized by the European Commission, and we are currently in the midst of a highly innovative tendering process with various consortia. The market has been tasked with creating future-proof, innovative artificial turf pitches that address city sustainability

challenges like water storage capacity, energy generation, and circular materials. My role involves monitoring EU KPIs and different sustainable certifications. Additionally, I work closely with our national government and the Olympic federation to scale up this method across the Netherlands and wider Europe to improve the sports sector’s sustainability impact.”

Emily knows that what she has come to understand about hockey facilities can be applied to other sports. One of her long-term goals has been to help organize the Olympics, and with the Winter Olympics set for Milan in 2026, there will be many opportunities to plan sustainably. There is no doubt Emily will find ways to bring her many talents to bear, and the world will be better because of her efforts.

“Sport is just the mechanism through which to do it—the broader goal of living more sustainably is what I would like to be a part of.”

ALUMNI: PLAYING TO WIN

Edith Racine ’01

Growing up in St. Albert, Canada, a small town between Ottawa and Montreal, Edith played ice hockey on both boys and girls teams.

When a friend on the girls team (who attended Pomfret) introduced her to boarding schools, the idea of studying in the U.S. and perfecting her English before heading off to college was alluring. After playing in a prep school showcase in Montreal, Edith soon found herself talking to Millbrook coach Kevin Soja on the phone. The idea quickly became a reality. By the fall of 1999, Edith was driving from Montreal to Millbrook with a tight group of hockey players, mostly boys, to begin her Millbrook education in the Vth form.

Caring is Growing

Science and math required little translation, but reading and writing in English were especially challenging for Edith. Teachers were supportive, and Mrs. Howe ran an English as a Second Language class that provided additional practice in writing and completing homework assignments. The small class size meant rigorous one-on-one instruction, and Edith felt accountable for improving. She also realized the importance of reaching out to communicate a real need—like letting her soccer coach know she was having trouble running because she didn’t know how to say “blisters” in English.

LOOKING BACK, it was the people and my relationships with them that really helped me grow as a person. I had that in college at Elmira, too—a great, caring coach—and now I have that at Cornell. That’s been part of my journey, surrounding myself with good people. That’s the most important value I learned at Millbrook, and I’m still regularly in touch with my Millbrook advisor, Juliana Pecchia!

A talented athlete, Edith played soccer in the fall, ice hockey in the winter, and lacrosse in the spring. Her skills transferred easily from one sport to the other. She was passionate about sports but also determined to set a good example in every area of school life. She enjoyed a year at the Trevor Zoo before earning a role as dorm leader in her VIth form year.

Caring is Winning

Because she appreciated the close-knit Millbrook community, Edith chose to attend Elmira College, where she majored in business and played hockey for four years. Her first year at Elmira was also the first year of their women’s ice hockey program.

Players were mostly freshmen, except for two upperclassmen, and that young team went on to win national titles in each of their first two years. Edith credits her coach for building a team that combined skill with a dedication to caring for each other and a desire to rise to the opportunity presented.

“At Elmira, my teammates were all good people and cared about each other, just like my experience at Millbrook. When you’re surrounded by like-minded, caring people, that plays into winning championships.”

Moving Up to the Ivys

Because Edith greatly enjoyed her experience at Millbrook, she felt a calling to coach hockey and teach. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she began working at Portsmouth Abbey, teaching French and math for two years. Her interest in coaching at the college level led to a volunteer position with the women’s hockey team at Brown University, where she eventually became a full-time assistant coach. When Cornell needed a second assistant coach, the head coach at Brown, a Cornell alum, recommended Edith for the job. In her first season with Cornell, 2009-2010, the Big Red reached the Frozen Four final, unfortunately experiencing a heartbreaking loss to the Minnesota Bulldogs in triple overtime.

In her 15th year at Cornell, Edith now serves as the team’s associate head coach, focusing on training the goalies, coaching on the bench, managing video analysis, and recruiting. She has learned to appreciate the small details essential for a successful program, and for her, recruiting is about finding the right players who love Cornell, not just talented hockey players. Cornell’s team culture is all about working hard every day to improve and having everyone play a crucial role in the team’s success.

The team starts skills training at 6:30 a.m., and Edith is on the ice, working on player development. The daily routine includes morning skills sessions, video analysis, and evening practices. Edith finds the most enjoyable part of her job to be connecting with the players, watching them grow from shy freshmen to confident seniors ready to face new challenges. She finds it rewarding to see their development and success, whether they go on to the Olympics or start their own businesses. The head coach, Doug Derraugh, a Cornell graduate, understands the balance between academics and athletics. Edith and the other coaching staff ensure that school comes first, allowing players to prioritize their studies and providing support to help them succeed academically.

In 2020, Cornell’s women’s hockey team was ranked #1 all year, and then COVID hit. The 2020-2021 season was canceled, which was challenging for the players. “To go from being #1 all year, and then the following year, no season…we learned from it, and now we enjoy every moment, celebrate, and keep going.”

In their most recent season, the Cornell women’s ice hockey team was consistently ranked in the #5 or #6 spot, winning the Ivy League. On March 16, the team faced Colgate in the division ECAC playoffs with a chance to make the NCAA tournament. While Cornell fell short of an NCAA Frozen Four berth with a 3-1 loss to Colgate, they proudly shared the news that 21 of their 26 players were named to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team.

Edith’s future will continue to be coaching hockey at the collegiate level. In the 2021-2022 season, she acted as Cornell’s interim head coach while Coach Derraugh was at the Olympics. With a taste of those responsibilities, she aspires to be a head coach someday. For now, Cornell is home, her colleagues are family, and she continues to coach with care.

THE FUTURE OF WOMEN’S HOCKEY

There’s been a dream: girls playing professionally and making money. And now the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is a reality—being able to make a living while playing. The start of professional women’s hockey is huge for our league and every league. The New York team captain graduated from Cornell, and so did the Ottawa team captain—I coached them both along with five other PWHL players and seven Olympians. It’s a proud moment to know the work that they put in and see them in the big leagues.

ALUMNI: PLAYING TO WIN

Zerline Goodman ’80

How Millbrook Squash Drove Zerline Goodman to Succeed on and off the Court

Squash may not be the most prominent sport at Millbrook, but it has made a lasting impact on students who have wielded their racquets at the Reese Squash Center. Perhaps the greatest embodiment of this impact can be seen in Zerline Goodman ’80. An accomplished attorney and professional athlete with a thriving family, Goodman credits her achievements to Millbrook and the game of squash.

“Millbrook set me up for success,” Goodman says. “Everything that has happened since Millbrook has been related to the feeling of being able to do something great. The confidence that Millbrook instilled in me…I know that if I work hard, it’s going to happen. Squash has been my guiding beacon.”

Millbrook squash proved seminal to Goodman’s journey through life, but it could have just as easily been another sport. Goodman entered Millbrook in 1976 as a soccer-loving day student who would “practice right up until the bus was leaving” every day. She eventually convinced her parents to let her become a boarder so she could play even more.

In addition to soccer, Goodman excelled at squash and tennis. Auspiciously, her soccer and tennis coach, Noah Hotchkiss, pointed out that Goodman was spreading her talent thin across the three sports.

“He was the one who said to me, you’re a really good soccer, squash, and tennis player, but you could be great at one sport. Pick one, and really focus on it!”

She followed Hotchkiss’s advice to the sport that would come to define her life, but in squash, Goodman was not choosing a path of comfort and ease. The facilities were not up to the high standards of today’s Reese Squash Center.

“The original single squash court—it wasn’t heated. There was one electric heater up in the gallery. You’d have to play in a hat and gloves to start until it got warm enough in there. But I always played with a glove on my left hand.”

On top of the subpar conditions, Goodman was pursuing her athletic dreams at a time when the world of high school athletics was a male-dominated domain—a situation exacerbated by the fact that there were only six girls in her graduating class. “It was early in the days of women’s sports, and people didn’t really have any expectations for us,” she recalls.

Fortunately, Goodman was playing at Millbrook, where visionary faculty were willing to take time to inspire a budding female athlete. Hotchkiss was not the only coach who made a substantial impact on Goodman.

“Tom Dolger was an English teacher and my squash coach in my Vth form year. He was a spectacular guy—really smart, studied the game of squash, and wanted us to get fit. He had us jumping rope; he was ahead of his time.”

The Millbrook environment gave Goodman everything she needed to become one of the top squash players in the country. However, it was a tragedy in the Millbrook community that inspired her to work even harder.

Another Millbrook squash standout and Goodman’s former teammate, Cynthia Stanton ’78, died in a private plane crash in early 1979. Squash helped Goodman deal with the pain of losing Stanton.

“[Cynthia] was a good friend of mine, and I really looked up to her. I was on campus waiting for her to arrive when she died in a plane crash. It was tragic. My coping mechanism was to get on the squash court and hit the ball over and over and over again. The great thing about squash is that you don’t need a partner. I got

10,000 hours. The combination of the endorphins, time alone, and focusing got me through that and then got me to a place where I was competing at the top level.”

One of the best squash players in the country by her VIth form year, Goodman was taking monthly flights to Boston to train with five-time U.S. Professional champion Mo Khan. She was also being recruited by other preparatory schools in New England, including Choate. But she loved being a big fish in a small pond, and no institution could pull her away from Millbrook.

Goodman spent her first year at Trinity College where she played on the team and focused on her academics. She transferred to Yale her sophomore year. There, she was the number one player until she graduated, earning 4 All-American and 3 All-Ivy honors and winning a national championship in her junior year.

Following her success as an undergraduate at Yale, Goodman attended law school at Union University in Albany, New York, while working full-time for New York State Governor Mario Cuomo. Somehow, she also found the time to continue playing squash, joining the college medical school’s team—a previously all-male squad. Being the only female on the team required some creativity in terms of locker room logistics, and her teammates would lead her to the courts with a towel over her head. She had at least one awkward encounter with her evidence professor, who was exiting a hot tub. She continued to play and travel through the men’s locker room to do so, but she never sat in the front of his class again.

After earning her law degree, Goodman moved to New York City to set up shop. Rather than work for a law firm, she hung out her own shingle. She was willing to take just about any legal work she could get her hands on to get her practice off the ground, learning the ropes as she went. Her law practice morphed over the years to focus on residential real estate, including some work in Dutchess County, and she regularly spends time in the area. Playing squash on the court her parents built at their house in 1991 is part of what brings her back.

While her law career grew busier and more focused, squash remained an integral part of her life and, as fate would have it, orchestrated yet another milestone. She traveled to Florida to try out for the 1989 Maccabi Games, and there she met another squash player, Michael Rothenberg, who was trying out for the men’s team. As if a thunderbolt had hit, she immediately knew he was her person. A year later, they were married.

Goodman competed for Team USA at the 1989 and 1993 Maccabi Games, earning a silver individual and a silver team medal, and at the 1992 Pan-Am games in Rio de Janeiro, earning another silver medal. She also continued playing squash at home, competing on the women’s squash tour, traveling, and playing in tournaments, and winning one US National Championship.

In addition to competing in squash, Goodman and her husband were heavily involved in organizing for the sport. Zerline managed promotions and ticket sales for the Tournament of Champions (ToC) for over a dozen years. In the days before digital ticketing, she was hands on with tickets, taking phone orders, handwriting ticket sales, and manually organizing seating charts. Goodman was also the brains behind moving the ToC to its current location—Grand Central Station—using a mobile glass court. The move inspired other squash tournaments to set up similar events at landmarks worldwide, including the Louvre in Paris and the pyramids in Egypt.

Over the years, Goodman has remained an influential figure in U.S. squash. Using skills developed as an attorney, she established the structure and regulations for the College Squash Association (CSA) and served on their board of directors from 2017-2023 as chair of the Rules and Regulations Committee. She was recently elected to the Board of US Squash, where she serves as Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee. She continues to serve as the Chair of the Adjudication Committee for the CSA. Goodman’s passion for squash, which she inherited from her family and cultivated at Millbrook, is a thread connecting all the highlights in her amazing story.

“I wouldn’t have met my husband if not for squash. The boards I sit on are all squash-related. My kids all play squash. My son is a squash pro, and my daughter was captain of the Trinity women’s squash team, the number one team in the country at the time. My youngest daughter won a gold medal at the Maccabi Games. It’s been very front and center. I never would have played if not for Millbrook.”

STUDENT REFLECTIONS

BY SHAYE JASIEL ’24

As I reflect on my last high school hockey season, it is filled with so many emotions and memories. Sports have been a constant in my life, along with my family, of course, and a source of friendships, discipline, and a myriad of life lessons.

As a toddler, my parents taught me to rollerblade, which led me to a roller rink where my older brother was playing roller hockey. At that time it was predominantly boys, but I didn’t care and took to it immediately. Roller hockey was fast and physical, and skating seemed to come easy to me. Little did I know then that I would make hockey a tremendous part of my life.

Following in my brother’s footsteps, I signed up for ice hockey. In my age group, I was one of two girls on an otherwise all-boys team. I didn’t realize when I joined, but my wanting to be accepted gave me the drive to get better and fit in with the boys. Growing up with this competitive edge, I knew I needed to work harder if I wanted to get playing time compared to the other kids on my team.

As time went on, I moved up in the levels of minor youth hockey. The physicality of the game also increased, and I was able to keep up with boys who were much bigger than I was. I became smarter on the ice to counteract their more aggressive style of play. This period culminated in a trip to compete for the state championship, which ultimately proved that my skills were on par with my male teammates. I earned their respect and the respect of my coaches. During games, the opposing players may have been annoyed having to play against a girl, but they were consistently proven wrong in their assessment of my ability. My team was loyal and supported my place on the ice 100%, and this was clear to all of our opposing teams.

My younger years offered many opportunities to compete across many states. I was invited to be a part of a cool article titled “Proud to Play Like a Girl” in Hudson Valley Parent magazine. Within, author Felicia Hodges featured young female players in maledominated contact sports like ice hockey. It was fun to see my picture in a magazine talking about the value that girls bring to sports and why we love competing. Soon after, I would also have an opportunity to guest play on girls teams, which led to other awesome experiences, such as playing in the Empire State Games in Lake Placid for two years in a row. This exposed me to other girls who were just as competitive and skilled as I was. I began to see that girls ice hockey could be just as fulfilling as playing on a male-dominated team. Additionally, shortly after I started at MIllbrook, my former coach offered me an opportunity to be featured in a Bauer Hockey ad. It was refreshing to see such a high-profile company, which used to focus on men and boys in their ads, expanding their audience by featuring girls and women in their advertisements.

Eventually, one of my youth hockey coaches, Dave Whiting, introduced me to the head coach of Millbrook’s girls varsity hockey team, Erica Shapey. Coach Shapey started asking me important questions about what my expectations were for my future and if I had given any thought about attending a school like Millbrook. Prior to speaking with Coach Shapey, I didn’t realize that if I had stayed with my hometown public high school, I would have limited exposure to college hockey recruiters. My absolute hope was to play hockey at the college level, and I soon realized that private preparatory high schools provide more of a pathway for female student-athletes to continue in their sport after high school.

I was truly fortunate to get the opportunity to come to Millbrook School, where I’ve captained the team and contributed to two successful New England playoff runs. Opportunities for girls and women in sports only continue to grow, and it’s amazing to see evidence of this. Girls have more choices and sports to explore, and more college scholarship opportunities. We are even seeing the professional side of sports coming to fruition with the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). Little girls now have role models to look up to and emulate. The game for women and girls is taking a new and improved shape.

My first love is ice hockey, but I have also played field hockey and lacrosse throughout my childhood. An innate athletic ability has given me confidence to take on future endeavors and overcome obstacles. Now, looking forward to playing ice hockey at the collegiate D3 level for SUNY Oswego, I plan to continue to strive to be a better, stronger student-athlete. I am excited to see the future of women and girls being part of the sports they love, and not just on sidelines or in the bleachers. Great things lie ahead in women’s sports given the continuing unfolding of opportunities girls deserve.

STUDENT REFLECTIONS

BY GEORGE MENDOZA ’25

Before starting a media team, Millbrook recorded athletic contests on a 10-year-old iPad. As a community, we all knew that this was unacceptable, but there were roadblocks to making improvements.

The spark was lit by some students from the Class of 2023, but consistency was difficult due to schedules. This past spring, I decided to dedicate my sports commitment to bettering the media content made for the athletics and communications departments.

Being a soccer player and enthusiast, I have spent a lot of time watching the sports in person and on television. Initially, I thought it would be unrealistic to think that Millbrook could stream at the level of ESPN, but then I reconsidered. With the help of Millbrook alumnus Daniel Cohen ’86 and Millbrook’s Communications Office, we were able to stream 23 games this spring season. This revolutionized the film output for our athletic teams, as we provided multiple angles and faster upload and distribution speeds. In addition to the streaming, we also added occasional commentary from students and athletes. These high-

quality streams were appreciated by all coaches and said to have been as good as collegiate level streaming. This is appealing for our community, but also for those students who are considering enrolling at Millbrook.

I can confidently say that Millbrook School is now leading the charge in all of New England in terms of streaming athletic content. The commitment from the participants in this program has only grown stronger. The streaming of our sports went quickly from something that was a chore to an integral and essential part of the athletic experience. A few cameras (3-4), a media output switcher, a monitor, a computer, and some passion are all it took to get the job done. What made this process so seamless was that everyone behind the scenes wanted to be there; we wanted to make this work. Without the dedication of every individual on the team, it would not have been possible.

I knew this was something that the community needed, and that students and parents were dying for. To broaden the program even further, I also worked with communications and athletics to suggest the start of a new Millbrook community service. For students who cannot commit time after school, much like me, there will now be a community service offering that they may join. During community service meetings four times per week, this group will transform and utilize all the content gathered by students who record and stream athletic games. They will post the highlights and fun reels that they create on Millbrook’s social accounts.

Over three months this spring, Millbrook sports media went from an iPad to two full teams of students—an athletic-alternative group and a community service group—dedicated to sports broadcasting, content creation, highlight reels, and social media posts. Most importantly, we are all in this because it benefits the greater good; we’re not getting rewarded in any other way. Looking back, the only things we took away from this were fun experiences and knowledge—no trophies, no payouts. This team is driven by the desire to make our community stronger and better in every way possible. This crew simply bleeds Millbrook blue. The future is bright for these two media teams next year, and I cannot wait to facilitate their growth.

Coach Billy Thom 2023 Coach of the Year

Former Director of Basketball Operations at Davidson College

Under Coach Billy Thom, the boys varsity basketball team has experienced consistent success since 2013, progressively improving their record each year and making it further into the playoffs. They have knocked off dominant schools with history and pedigree, like Phillips Andover and Hotchkiss, and beaten Class B rivals Pomfret and Canterbury, proving that playing as a cohesive unit positively impacts the team’s performance.

The team saw incredible success in the face of challenges this year. Despite having new assistant coaches and several players in new roles, the team came together and performed well, advancing to their New England championship game. Coach Thom credits

the team’s success to their ability to learn quickly and play selflessly, building upon the culture established by previous teams. Resilience and adaptability became paramount to their winning season, as they pulled out wins against tough teams like Berkshire and regrouped after a loss to Kingswood-Oxford, using their collective feedback to improve and win subsequent games.

To create harmony on the court, Coach Thom asks players to reflect on the values they want represented by the team and the values they can personally bring to bear. This generates continued conversation throughout the season, facilitates better communication on the court, and helps players better understand each other. Coach Thom’s emphasis on personal and shared values has been cultivated year after year, and this practice continues to pay off with winning records and playoff berths. Coming off a tremendous season, with many younger players returning, the team’s chemistry might be right to bring home the championship trophy in 2025.

Coach Erica (Shapey) Freymann

Three-Year Ice Hockey Player at SUNY Oswego, Rookie of the Year, All-Team Academic and AWHCA National Scholar-Athlete

A crucial early win can define the trajectory of a team’s season, and this was the case with the girls varsity hockey team this year. Head Coach Erica Freymann sees the team’s unexpected Cushing tournament win in December as a pivotal moment that helped define their capabilities and build their confidence to win challenging games. The team continued to showcase their skills, culminating in a strong playoff run that, although it ended in a semifinal loss, solidified their place as a competitive team. The girls played for each other throughout the season, supporting and uplifting one another, particularly during challenging games.

In a resilient performance against Choate, they came back from a deficit to showcase their strong team spirit and determination. The seniors played a crucial role in fostering this positive culture, leading by example and guiding the younger players. Freymann’s approach of allowing the team to take ownership of their culture further empowered the players, allowing each individual to feel responsible for their success. Mutual trust became the bedrock of their impressive season.

While a handful of impact players graduated this year, the culture of success is embedded within the team. Younger players who have had a taste of a successful season are hungry to carry that momentum forward and take the team further into the playoffs in the 2024-2025 season. Coach Freymann knows the girls have learned from their experiences, have a determined mindset, and are ready to make it happen.

Coach Eliza Pecchia ’12

Four-Year Millbrook Field Hockey Player, Three-Year Lacrosse Player at Sewanee University

Sometimes, a change in coaching style is what it takes for a team to be successful. That has certainly been the case with the field hockey team under the direction of Eliza (Chapman) Pecchia ’12 since the fall of 2022. Players have responded positively to Eliza’s emphasis on enjoying practices and games, and their performance this year indicates that things are working. The goal for the upcoming season is to improve on this year’s 9-6 record.

With eight starting seniors, the team was well-led and enjoyed playing with each other. Coming out of a string of losing seasons can be a strong motivator for any team, and they were determined

to re-establish themselves this year. The girls came away with a pivotal win, 2-1, against Frederick Gunn under the lights, demonstrating genuine skill and grit and playing as a single unit. Pulling out this significant win in the middle of the season boosted the team’s confidence and gave them the momentum to play hard the rest of the year. In the past several years, season records have improved dramatically. The entire team was proud of this year’s 9-6 record.

Looking ahead, there are challenges on the horizon. The team graduated eight seniors in May, but Coach Pecchia has faith in her younger players. They are already planning to maintain a culture of fun and team bonding to ensure continued success. Eliza believes setting the tone as early as possible in preseason practices will be crucial to maintaining the positive team culture that has turned the squad around.

Coach Taylor Pirie

2024 Coach of the Year

Four-Year Lacrosse Player at Middlebury College, Former Lacrosse Coach at Manlius Pebble Hill School and Trinity-Pawling School

It is quite an accomplishment to step into a program as a new coach and achieve a winning record. To go undefeated in our league, bring home the championship, and be named NEPSAC Coach of the Year is unprecedented, but that is precisely what Taylor Pirie did as coach of the boys varsity lacrosse team this year. He humbly acknowledges that much of the team’s success was due to the positive team culture established before the season started and solidified by a successful spring break team trip to Florida. By the time the season kicked off, the team was already working as a unit, ready to take on our biggest rivals.

Despite having limited depth, the boys aimed to improve upon last year’s record. With some early wins, their confidence grew, but they needed to make adjustments. The turning point of the team’s season came after their loss to Hotchkiss under the lights at home.

The team was not mentally prepared for the game, displaying bravado without matching performance on the field. Following this defeat, Pirie facilitated a brief meeting, leaving the players to reflect on their performance and decide what kind of team they wanted to be. This moment of introspection led to a significant change in players’ attitude and approach. Pirie noted, “In team meetings after the Hotchkiss game, they were asking, ‘Do we want to be fake tough, or do we want to be tough?’” This turning point marked a shift toward tougher play and a commitment to improvement, resulting in a subsequent five-game winning streak. This included a nail-biter against Frederick Gunn, in which they won 14-13 in the game’s final seconds, and a dominant 18-13 win against Albany Academy. The team’s change in perspective underscored the importance of mental readiness and team cohesion.

Pirie fostered a positive team culture, and it paid off. The team developed resilience and unity by eliminating negative behaviors and encouraging belief in each other. He noted, “The kids put in more work than they’ve probably ever put in for lacrosse.” He emphasized, “This was the closest team they’ve ever been on,” underscoring the importance of camaraderie and mutual support in their success.

Class Notes

Class of 956

Frederick Ayer III is residing in Morocco, a relatively short distance from the epicenter of the recent earthquakes, some 70 km away. Those 70 km stretch into the Atlas Mountains, where the very vulnerable

villages are situated. Personally, his home was not touched. In contrast, Marrakesh suffered some relatively limited damage in the old city because of ancient construction methods. But the real damage is up in the mountains where access is very limited. National

Class of 1961

and international solidarity has been marvelous. It will be a long time before these isolated villages recover, but what is most important is the world realizes that Morocco relies in a large part on visitors from overseas. To anyone who asks, reply visit Morocco!

Class of 1968

William “Wim” Jessup is a recently retired general manager of private yacht clubs and president of Rascal-Sailing, LLC based in Darien, Connecticut, which provides training for recreational boaters. He is also the former director of training and education for Landfall Navigation in Stamford, and he holds a USCG captain’s license and is a US Sailing certified instructor at Sound Sailing Center in Norwalk. Wim

Class of 1967

Perry Boynton took a family trip to Southern Italy and Rome. He shares about his travels there, “Too many crypts for me. Hope my last stop is more ‘inspirational’.”

is a commissioner on the Five Mile River Commission appointed by Connecticut Governor Lamont to represent Darien. He is also the former chairman of Save The Sound, which actively advocates for and works to preserve, protect, and restore the Long Island Sound. In addition to cruising the countryside on his HD Softail Deuce and BMW S1000 XR, Wim has raced and cruised all his life on the Long Island Sound and offshore to Bermuda and other distant ports. Most of all he just loves cruising and racing with friends and family on his C&C 99 and just messing around in boats. Wim and his wife, Barbara, live in Darien, have three sons, one granddaughter soon to be six, and a grandson on the way.

Class of 1969

Charles Berkey and classmate Adam Kernan-Schloss had fun reuniting recently.

Francis Hopkinson Jr. reunited with Enos Throop Jr. and Enos’ wife, Muriel. Left to right: Frank, Muriel and Enos Throop and Bob Anthony ’65, at the Throop’s home in Royal Oak, Maryland

Class of 96

Douglas “Doug” Finch Jr. enjoyed seeing some of his classmates at last year’s reunion, and he shares recently, “I instantly felt a bond with the new head of school. I think my beloved school is in good hands again. It costs a hell of a lot of money to go here, and if as a parent reading this you ever wonder if it’s worth it, it sure has been to me. In 2018 I had a widowmaker in the outpatient waiting room of a Utica hospital and was brought back five minutes later. Every moment now is a gift. My children are all here in Fort Myers, Florida, where I’ve lived since 1984, and are prospering. Life is good.”

Class of 972

Walter Wemyss sends greetings to his classmates as he enjoys life after his career. Skiing and surfing are his bill of fare.

Class of 977

Dean Corkins, having just turned 65 in mid-January and ‘almost retired,’ wrote this class note from his 45-foot ketch sailboat anchored in the Exumas in the Bahamas. “It’s been an interesting trail leading from Millbrook to where I am today. There have been many twists and turns and never a clear path. Nevertheless, regrets are few and thanks are many. I’m sure that there are many more chapters to this story but without a plot the direction is anyone’s guess. I am looking forward to a big turnout of the Class of 1977’s 50th reunion in 2027!”

Class of 978

Bruce Herdman shares that “2023 was a big year for our son, Daniel. Suzanna Gonzales Castro agreed to and did marry

Class of 1970

Lee

Class of 1973

In 2020, Carey Birmingham uncovered an unpublished novel written by his father, noted author Stephen Birmingham, and took up editing and adding to the work. Finally, in 2022, Carey was able to get the work published. The novel, titled The Headmaster’s Wife, is being released on April 1, 2024, as a trade paperback and audio book. Take a look!

Class of 1971

James “Jim” M. Cannon IV, his wife, Lucy, and classmate Sumner Pingree enjoyed a reunion at Millbrook’s New York City Reception in December 2023. He can’t wait to attend the 2024 Alumni Weekend in June for the dedication of the Neale E. Howard Telescope display!

Class of 1978

Bill Mathews and classmate David Wakefield got together with their wives, Laura Mathews and LeDee Wakefield, at The Breakers in Palm Beach. The gathering was to celebrate Bill and Laura’s recent wedding.

Class of 1975

Eric Slade visited with Bob Anthony ’65 (pictured) and Eliza Chapman ’12 in early February in Corona Del Mar, California, where Eric resides. Eric is a seasoned and skilled stockbroker, and it was a great catch up.

Class of 1978

Bill Menard and his wife, Suzy, met up with Drew and Linda Casertano in Sicily, Italy.

John

is living happily in retirement in Texas.

Class Notes

him. They moved to Calgary (from Vancouver), so now we’re in the same area code again, and they got a puppy, so now we’re helping to raise a dog again. 2024 is shaping up to be a huge year for our daughter, Laura Bontje (nee Herdman). Her first children’s picture book, Was That a Cat I Saw, a palindromic adventure, was released March 12, and later in the year her second book should be out. We are proud, happy parents!”

Class of 988

Karla Held is currently teaching Spanish and French at Colorado Timberline Academy in Durango, Colorado, and spent three weeks in Chile this winter to help on some paddling trips with Pucon Kayak Retreat, a place she hopes to work for many winters to come. If anyone in the Millbrook community is interested in such a trip in Pucon, they are welcome to contact her. https://puconkayakretreat.com/karla-held

Class of 2002

Matthew Daniels and his fiancé, Emma Carlson, are both natives of Pawling, New York, and have known each other since childhood. Matt has been channeling his creativity as a digital video editor and content creator for The Children’s Village in and around New York City. Emma, a lawyer, keeps herself busy running an Irish Pub with her brother and sister in Pawling. Their professions keep them bustling, along with his two children Jude, 16, and George, 8.

Class of 2007

Charlotte Pfeffer completed her PhD in clinical psychology in 2023.

Class of 1988

Classmates Laurence Wintersteen, George Sayan, Andrew Pierce, and Bill Curran hiked Escalante, Utah, together.

Class of 1984 40th Reunion

David Chien visited campus while visiting the states on business and caught up with Bob Anthony ’65, Jonathan Downs ’98 and Meghan Grover. He met with current students from Hong Kong during lunch in Casertano Hall.

Class of 1991

Jessie (Zirinsky) Reid, Sarah Calabrese, Bill Eagen, John Berkey, and their families got together for a weekend of skiing in Vermont.

Class of 1992

Chris Drago successfully ran the race for Dutchess County Legislature in New York, beating his incumbent opponent in a close race. In a heartfelt communication, he shared effusive thanks to all who canvassed, volunteered, talked to their neighbors, donated, wore t-shirts, came to his Farm Party, followed him on social media, read his emails, and contributed to his campaign. He and his family were humbled throughout the campaign by the level of enthusiasm and support, and he was thrilled to claim victory. He is currently hard at work representing a district of about 17 square miles.

• Chris with his Aunt Fee, an ardent supporter

Class of 1993

Andrew Elder became a full-time photographer and videographer in upstate New York in 2022. His business is called Best Frame Forward, and he has had the pleasure of working with some of the biggest organizations and most impactful non-profits in the Capital Region. 2023 was his first full year in business, and 2024 is shaping up to be even better. Meanwhile, his two little guys are always happy to pose for papa (his wife is less enthusiastic).

Class of 1995

Franz Reiners visited campus with his family last July. They live in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Class of 1999

Joe Wendell currently owns and operates Duxbury Oyster Company, a sustainable oyster farm in Duxbury, Massachusetts. Wendel previously worked for Google in Mountain View, California, and, occasionally, as a voiceover artist.

Class of 2006

J’nelle Agee made her second appearance on CBS Mornings with Gayle King and the Today Show, as well as other news shows as one of 14 Sistahs to the Summit, an adventurous group of Black women whose most recent excursion took them on an expedition through the treacherous waters of the Drake Passage to Antarctica.

Class of 200

When James Augustine and Nikeyu Callaway are not busy planning their wedding, James is working as a broker in New York City and the Hudson Valley, and Nikeyu is finalizing plans to launch an advisory and artist collective.

Class of 20

Katherine “Nell” Gridley graduated from St. George’s University Veterinary School in June 2023, and she is now working as an emergency medicine veterinarian in New York City.

Class of 203

Caleb King has joined the National Board of Directors of Reach Out and Read, an evidence-based nonprofit organization promoting early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide. He will be supporting the organization in its efforts to equitably invest in children through reading and other language-rich activities.

Class of 204 10th Reunion

In addition to marrying her boyfriend of five years, Charlie Zuhike, in December 2023, Laurel Stine also started graduate school at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, pursuing her PhD in biomedical sciences. She will work in immunology labs to discover new medicines to treat autoimmune diseases.

Alumni Profile

MATHIEU DUBUC ’09

We asked Mathieu to catch us up on his busy days in college and beyond as he approached his 15 year reunion at Millbrook.

While he won’t be able to make it to campus since he is proposing to his longtime partner on the islands off the coast of Portugal, he shared the following on his path from high school ice hockey to college to the business world and now the business of being a family man.

In the five years following my Millbrook days, I felt like I needed to pursue what got me there in the first place: ice hockey.

My senior year statistics playing for the Millbrook Mustangs opened the eyes of the Middlebury College coaching staff who felt comfortable enough offering me an interesting package to join their team in the fall of 2009. Early in my freshman season, my on-ice performance earned me more and more ice time to a point where I eventually got to play alongside Martin Drolet, another Quebecker who led the league in scoring the year before. We were quickly called the French connection on the team’s radio channel. Athletically I couldn’t ask for a better first college year; I ended my freshman year 4th in points across the league. We won the NESCAC championship, and I still hold the league’s record today for most goals in NESCAC playoff history.

Academically, I chose to study economics at Middlebury College as it was the closest to a business major. I always had an entrepreneurial mindset; in fact, during my sophomore year I started an online grocery delivery service on campus called MiddShop.

But by 2011, I had been away from my family in Canada for four years, so after completing my sophomore year at Middlebury, I decided it was time to continue my education closer to home. I decided to pursue my passion for business and transferred to the John Molson School of Business of Concordia University in Montreal, where I also played two years for the Stingers, their men’s ice hockey team. In my last semester at Concordia, I decided to hang up the skates and start working full time as an account

Class of 2007

Kaleigh (Ferrari) Brownell stopped by campus recently when she was in the area after traveling up from her home in Florida. Her skills in biology, blended with an interest in forensics ignited by science teacher Gordie MacKenzie ’79, led her to become a crime lab analyst with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. In January, she spoke with our current forensics students about the intricacies of her work.

manager for the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) while finishing up my finance degree in the evenings. I graduated from Concordia in 2014.

RBC has been a great chapter in my life. I just celebrated my 10th anniversary with the firm earlier this year. When I joined, I stayed 11 months in the account manager role in the retail bank branches before moving to a business development manager (BDM) role for RBC Global Asset Management in 2015. At RBC GAM I was essentially in a sales/ consulting role for financial advisors on a designated territory representing all the mutual funds and ETFs at RBC and BlackRock. I supported a district vice president and helped grow the fund business across multiple dealers. I stayed 3.5 years in the BDM role, was promoted to district vice president in 2018, and then became the leader of the same territory. I have been in this job ever since.

In 2017, I met Julie the love of my life! We traveled the world together, including to Thailand, Italy, London, Portugal, and two times to Hawaii. She introduced me to scuba diving, which quickly became a big passion of mine. In 2021, our first baby girl, Lexie was born, and 13 months later, her baby sister, Flora, came into the world. Julie, Lexie, and Flora are my true treasures! I’m so proud of them.

Now, as I share this message I am heading to the Portuguese islands of Azores and Madeira where I am going to propose to Julie. Hopefully she says yes!! :) Marriage has always been part of the plan, but we chose to have our children first.

This is my little story in a nutshell. Millbrook provided a solid foundation for what I have accomplished in my life. The character I built during my days at Millbrook most definitely helped me get through the following 15 years of my life. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity I was given to attend this true hidden gem.

Class of 2014 10th Reunion

Chloe Naese graduated in June 2023 with a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of British Columbia. She took some time off during the summer to relax and travel to Norway and up into the Arctic Circle before starting her career at Mikyoung Kim Associates in Boston. She is happy to be back in the Eastern time zone!

Alumni Profile

MELODY ESTEVEZ ’12

Melody is a researcher and administrator at GripTape, a nonprofit that empowers high school students to pursue their passion projects with mentorship and funding. Applicants propose a ten-week project designed to satisfy a curiosity of almost any kind, and GripTape matches grant recipients with a supportive adult to cheer them on along the way.

The scope of projects is both broad and deep. Challengers have learned to code and then design apps. Others have undertaken art projects, created podcasts, learned to cook, worked on inventions, and formed nonprofits. Broadly, GripTape supports young people who are seeking access to resources to pursue their passions. As their Director of Research, Melody monitors projects as they come to life, interviews GripTape youth, tracks data, and shares success stories with stakeholders.

Melody relates GripTape to her CES experience at Millbrook, where she was able to pursue a passion project with guidance and support. Her CES combined her love of dance and music with the desire to make a film. She especially relished the chance to screen her CES film during the festival, which was a true culmination of her time four years in high school.

Post-Millbrook, Melody embarked on a journey of self-discovery and growth. She double-majored in psychology and gender studies at Pace University, gaining valuable insights and skills. Her internships further enriched her knowledge and experience. As a program coordinator for the Lower Eastside Girls Club, she honed her communication skills while advocating for girls and amplifying their voices. Now, in her current role at GripTape, she continues to make a significant impact.

A Bronx native, Melody is driven by a passion for youth empowerment. Her aspiration to create a nonprofit in her home borough is a testament to her commitment. Her exposure to the young minds at GripTape and her experience as a Millbrook student have fueled her eagerness to nurture the innate curiosity of all young people and to create greater opportunities for them.

Class of 2015

Emma Garschagen is the owner and founder of Sail Seabird, which offers coastal sail training voyages in New England. Sail Seabird trips are multi-day adventures in and between Maine and Cape Cod. Most voyages are open to all, but some trips are specifically geared toward high-school age kids, and some are specifically for women. While at Millbrook, Emma spent summers teaching sailing on the Hudson River and earned her captain’s license when she was a VIth former. Since graduating from Kenyon College, Emma has been working as a professional sailor guiding offshore passages. She started Sail Seabird to provide unique outdoor learning experiences through sailing. Emma also writes for Sail magazine and guest hosts the sailing podcast On the Wind. Emma and Sail Seabird are based in Portland, Maine.

Class of 2017

Yi Lin “Valerie” Tan made a special trip from Southern California to Millbrook to share her new film, Dancing in a Forbidden World, with students and faculty in December. In her 20-minute historical fiction short film, she sheds light on the AsianAmerican women that worked at the famous Forbidden City nightclub in San Francisco. The story is set in the 1940s, and the lead is a young Chinese American girl who reluctantly joins the infamous Asian nightclub to make money. She ends up falling in love with the world of performance and dance. After the film, Val shared her path to writing and directing the film and answered questions from the audience. As Val continues on her quest to make feature films, she keeps busy with a second job creating television commercials in Los Angeles.

Class Notes

Class of 206

Heidi Reiss has been living in Seattle, Washington, for the past three years since graduating from USC in 2020. Working in the genetics field, she started off in rare disease genetics but now works as a senior account executive at BillionToOne. In this role she promotes prenatal screening to OBGYN’s and genetic counselors in the Seattle area, spending most of her day in hospitals or women’s health clinics. BillionToOne has developed a new standard in prenatal care as the first company to provide a fetal risk assessment for autosomal recessive

Class of 2019 5th Reunion

Claire Reid graduated Cum Laude from Lafayette College with a bachelor’s degree in government/ law and environmental studies. She is now living in Washington, DC, and working on Capitol Hill as a staff assistant for Congressman Pat Ryan (NY-18).

conditions, like cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disease, where early detection is key for better outcomes. Previously, labs have only been able to see if mom and dad are carriers, but never before had insight into baby with a non-invasive option early in pregnancy. This tech earned the company a Top 10 Clinical Advancement nod in 2023 by the American Journal of Human Genetics . Heidi loves working with doctors and counselors to provide helpful or reassuring information for pregnant moms in an already stressful time. Seattle offers plenty of opportunity for career growth, and the easy access to nature

Class of 2020

is also unbeatable. Heidi skis in the winter, brings her paddle board two blocks to the lake in the summer, and plays lots of pickle ball and tennis.

Class of 207

Jen Hughes earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Dickinson College and worked in the nonprofit and research arenas before joining the Office of the National Cyber Director at the White House in 2022. At the start of this year, she was promoted to the role of special advisor.

David Ciancio continues to excel on and off the ice at Saint Michael’s College in Burlington, Vermont. As a junior year captain, he totaled eight goals and 11 assists in 29 games, and he blocked 68 shots as a defenseman. Along with being named New England Hockey Writers Association (NEHWA) Division II/III All-Star, NE10 CoDefensive Player of the Year, NE10 All-Conference First Team, and NE10 Academic All-Conference, Ciancio was also named the Northeast-10 Conference Sport Excellence Award winner, which is chosen by a vote of committee of athletic administrators and faculty athletic representatives and is awarded to athletes with a cumulative 3.3 GPA or better. He currently carries a 3.85 GPA as a business administration and accounting double major.

Class of 2020

Lars Heidenreich is a senior at Elon University, double majoring in entrepreneurship and project management. Last fall, he had the opportunity to pitch a new app, StayFull, to Daymond John of Shark Tank. Lars shared that “StayFull is a food security app with a database of essential information regarding nearby food assistance programs. This app was created with the support and mentorship of numerous people at WillowTree. Through our intuitive app navigation, StayFull prevents food waste by reducing the barriers people face when accessing critical resources such as food pantries, food banks, and soup kitchens.”

Class of 2021

Bauer Morrissey made history when he secured Hobart Men’s Ice Hockey a trip to the NCAA semifinals. In what became the second longest game in DIII men’s hockey history, with four OTs and 135 minutes and 17 seconds of ice time, Morrissey scored the game-winning goal just after midnight. Bauer and his Hobart teammates went on to win their second straight NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship.

Class of 2022

In his second year as a Gettysburg College Bullet, Ethan Kessler was named USA Lacrosse Magazine Division III Player of the Week. Ethan was recognized on the strength of his performance in Gettysburg’s season-opener against Lynchburg. Scoring four goals on seven shots in the 15-10 victory, Ethan also earned Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

Alumni Profile

DAVID DISCHIAVI ’13

David has great memories from his postgraduate year at Millbrook during which his experiences on and off the ice informed his path forward. After Millbrook, David played junior hockey, eventually committing to Western New England in Massachusetts, where he majored in business analytics.

He chased his professional hockey dream to Europe, playing in Sweden, Spain, and Italy, and then David and a partner founded a successful training facility in Toronto for young hockey players, which yielded two NHL draft picks and a few NCAA D1 commitments. Always pursuing new opportunities, David earned a master’s degree in sports leadership and coaching plus a teaching certification.

David, a dedicated mentor and guide, is currently teaching at a private school in his hometown of Toronto. Simultaneously, he is growing his latest venture, 3V Sports Management. Leveraging his extensive knowledge and experience in the hockey industry, David assists families in researching and selecting the most suitable programs for their aspiring players. Starting with advisory roles for younger players, David extends his support to hockey players, aiming to elevate their careers in the United States, Canada, and Europe by utilizing his vast network and expertise.

Looking ahead, David’s goal is to expand the agency globally, serving clients not only in North America but around the world. His focus continues to be guiding aspiring players through the intricacies of the hockey world, from their earliest days to the ultimate goal of signing a paid professional contract. He’ll take each opportunity as it comes to introduce himself to young prospects, educate them, and earn their trust as he helps them on their journey.

As his business gains momentum, David is mindful of his most significant Millbrook takeaways; “Enjoy every experience because every single one is different and memorable, network, and be kind to everyone because you never know.”

Photo courtesy of David Sinclair/Gettysburg College.

Photo by HWS Athletics.

Laura Toland will graduate from The Georgetown University Law Center in May 2024. She is planning to start work in New York City this fall.

Tess Toland will graduate from The George Washington University Law School in May 2024. She is planning to start work in New York City in the fall.

Class of 2020

Jonathan Feng is completing his senior year at Cornell University in the College of Engineering, majoring in computer science. His interest lies within data software engineering, and he has been exploring what being a data engineer feels like in various industries through four different internships. His first internship as a software engineer at Steris, a medical device manufacturing company, provided exposure to their tech stack as he worked on an aggregated deep learning model that predicts medical device failures. In his next internship as a data engineer intern with tech startup Heimdall Data, he enjoyed building a data pipeline from scratch to ingest and analyze their database proxy application log data. Currently, Jonathan is interning with Epic Games, producer of renowned products like Fortnite, Unreal Engine, and Fall Guys. He is on the Data Platform Team under Core Tech as a data software engineer intern delivering high quality data to everybody at Epic Games. After graduation, he will complete one final internship over the summer with trading firm Castleton Commodities International.

Class of 2022

In his second season as a starting forward for the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, Jo’el Emmanuel won Northeast Conference Player of the Week.

Alumni Profile

JD WHITING ’23

JD Whiting’s first year at St. Lawrence University was a whirlwind. His love of hockey, especially the game within the game, led him to a job as the student equipment manager for the Division I Saints women’s ice hockey team in a year in which they played in the NCAA regional finals.

While he can’t take all the credit for the Saints’ remarkable 28-11-0 record, JD’s commitment to the team was surely a factor. The long hours of hard work and travel made for an unusual first year in which JD’s work ethic and time management skills never faltered.  Beyond wrangling uniforms and sharpening skates, JD’s high hockey IQ made him an invaluable member of the winning team. “I’m a part of the St. Lawrence hockey family,” said JD. “It’s a great group of people, and I’ve built the connections to make my way in the hockey world when I graduate.”

As part of Mustang hockey’s dynamic sports commentating team while a student at Millbrook, JD’s insightful analysis belied a deep understanding of everything happening on the ice and off. At the higher levels, hockey has no off-season, and JD hopes to work at a development camp over the summer before returning to St. Lawrence as the Saints’ video coordinator for the program next season.

Class of 2023

Zia Victoria performed her song High School Wake live on the Today Show on October 23, 2023. Zia returned to Millbrook to shoot the video for High School Wake and reconnected with many of the people and places that inspired the song. Zia’s high school career was interrupted by COVID and the song is largely a reflection on her time as a Millbrook student and what she missed out on when she left high school to pursue a career in music.

Multiple Classes

If you’ve seen The Bear, a dramedy on FX that has served up plenty of awards fodder this season, you’ve likely seen the handiwork of Alexis “AJ” Links ’07

A casting director based in Chicago, AJ recently earned a Creative Arts Emmy Award in the Outstanding Casting category for her work on The Bear. Proving that it is a very small Millbrook world, Jono Pandolfi ’95 and his brother, Nick ’05, also have ties to the popular show. They have taken their ceramics business from Michelin-star restaurants straight to the hands of Hollywood stars. Their high-end dinnerware steals the spotlight in a Season 2 episode of none other than The Bear!

Tom and Bill

Rose wine pioneer and entrepreneur Sacha Lichine and his Director of Communications Tom Schreckinger ’77 hosted Sacha’s classmate Bill Menard ’78, Bill’s wife, Suzy, and newly appointed Director of Advancement Natalie Smith for an unforgettable visit to the esteemed Chateau d’Esclans in Cote de Provence, France. The day was filled with delights as the group explored the picturesque vineyards and winery, indulged in a meticulously structured wine tasting, and shared Millbrook stories over a sumptuous meal at Sacha’s home amidst the scenic Provencal vineyards.

Larry Schmidlapp ’63 and son Jake ‘08 stopped to say hello to Bob Anthony ’65 on Fisher’s Island.

Multiple Classes

Tommy Nolan ’12 caught up with classmate Sarah Anthony and her dad, Bob Anthony ’65, on Fisher’s Island in late August.

Kerry Carr ’18 graduated from Manhattanville College in 2023 with degrees in early childhood education and sports studies, while also competing on their NCAA women’s ice hockey and lacrosse teams. She is now pursuing her master’s degree in special education at Utica University, where she is using her last year of eligibility to play on their lacrosse team. She’s having a ball playing alongside fellow Millbrook alum Daniela Muscari ’19 – they are teammates once again!

Mustang varsity hockey alumni reconnected on the ice in a double-header between Merrimack and UConn. Zach Bookman ‘20 (right) competed against former teammate Jake Percival ‘21 (left), tallying seven total points for Merrimack and earning a Hockey East Defenseman of the Week nod. Bookman led all defenseman on the team with 28 points, four goals and 24 assists. He was also named Hockey East Co-Defender of the Week on November 13th.

Sarah Collins ’17 with her grandfather and former faculty member Farnie Collins ’53 during a visit to campus with host Nancy Stahl last summer.

Books

Royce Paris ’12 released his book, A Reason to Smile late last fall. His vision was to inspire hope by sharing the smiles beneath the masks of New Yorkers during the COVID-19 pandemic. On his website he shares, “In these candid snapshots, the book sheds light on the extraordinary strength found in the seemingly ordinary act of smiling through a mask. This photography book serves as a reminder that even in the darkest of times, the power of a smile can break through barriers, transcend physical distancing, and provide a source of comfort and hope. A Reason to Smile is a tribute to the courage and humanity of New Yorkers, reflecting how their smiles, even behind masks, illuminated the path towards healing and unity in a city that never stopped shining…a majority of those smiles coming from Harlem.”

Royce collaborated with The Brotherhood Sister Sol on this project –a full circle moment for him as he grew up across the street from their program.

Purchase Royce’s book at https://goodthin.gs/A-Reason-to-Smile.

Cate Sinclair ’20 has published a children’s book, The Tale of the Forbidden Stories. “In a cozy elementary school by the shore, where books whisper their tales and dreams come to play, a librarian named Mrs.Bookwell inspires children year long through her collection of books. But when a box reveals hidden stories, books that have been banned and ignored for years, the library’s shelves are enhanced by a revolutionary change. Join the adventure where books unite, voices rise, and every page tells a story of hope, acceptance, and change.”

You can purchase Cate’s book on Amazon!

Former Faculty

Engagements

Isabella Nugent ’13 is engaged to be married to Greyson Brilliant and will be getting married in September 2024 in Southampton, New York.

Matthew Daniels ’02 is engaged to Emma Carlson. The wedding is set for September 1, 2024, in Pawling, New York, where they look forward to being surrounded by family, friends, and numerous Millbrook alumni. Among their special guests will be Emma’s father, Rob Carlson ’75, a proud Millbrook alum, and Matt’s groomsmen: Brian Adams, Ollie Haydock, and Patrick Stone, all Millbrook Class of 2002. Moreover, he is fortunate to have a family tie with Millbrook through his cousin, Gordie Mackenzie ’79, who was also his dorm parent in Case Hall.

Eliza Cantlay ’03 became engaged to her partner of more than four years, Derrick Freeman, in her home state of New Jersey in October 2023. They are planning a private ceremony for September 2024 in their current hometown of Kansas City, Missouri.

The power of Millbrook community: faculty remain connected long after they retire. This group of former faculty friends (and spouses) continue to catch up regularly. Alums: you’re sure to spot someone you know!

Carly McWilliams ’05 is engaged to Jason Madigan, and they plan to marry in Millbrook’s Flagler Memorial Chapel this summer.

Engagements

Lacy Kelly ’07 is engaged to Evan Tonkel. They are getting married in Weekapaug, Rhode Island, this October, and a bunch of Millbrook friends will be attending the wedding.

Nikeyu Callaway ’10 and James Augustine ’10 are engaged. James proposed in August 2023, and Nikeyu and James have planned their wedding for September 2024.

Parker Holbrook ’14 and Amanda Smith were engaged to be married. Wedding planning is commencing!

Eliza Chapman ’12 is engaged to Craig Pecchia ’00, and they will be married in Millbrook’s Flagler Memorial Chapel on June 29, 2024.

Starsi Howell ’14 is engaged to Declan Laird, and they will marry in Scotland, Declan’s home country, near Loch

in August 2025.

Eleni Hellmers ’13 met her fiancé, Michael Bilails, at a dance at a Greek Orthodox church in New Orleans in October 2018. They will wed on July 21, 2024, in Vavili, Greece.

Loman,

Weddings

Kerry Powers ’04 married Edge Tyson Trullinger at Deer Valley in Park City, Utah, on September 23, 2023. Millbrook family included sisters Brooke ’04 and Courtney ’02 and mom and dad, John and Maureen Powers.

Skye Flanigan ’07 married Jake Lansburgh on August 12, 2023, surrounded by their closest family and friends. They were married in the Flagler Memorial Chapel at Millbrook School, and they now live in Basalt, CO, just outside of their hometown of Aspen/Snowmass.

Zublin ’09 married fellow comedy writer and longtime partner Talia Bernstein in Miami, Florida, on February 18, 2024. The two tied the knot at The Deering Estate surrounded by friends, family, collaborators, and colleagues. Kristen is currently writing a soon to be announced feature film with TeaTime Pictures, and Talia serves as a co-executive producer on CBS’ Ghosts, which is now in its fourth season. They live in Los Angeles, California, with their dog, Marla.

Kristen

Colin Norton ’04 married Kierra Johnson on June 3, 2023, in Old Chatham, NY. Millbrook friends and family in attendance included Louise Norton-Merriott ’11, Nell Burdis ’10, Steve Lewis ’04, Brian Frankenfield ’01, Emily (Cruice) Casey ’03, and Ana (Steele-Norton) Spinella ’06

Weddings

“Xan” Duhoski ’10 married Denys Pugach on August 11, 2023. Xan’s mother, former Millbrook faculty member Liz Duhoski Morrison, officiated as the couple eloped. Thea Adler ’11 was the photographer.

Ferrari

married Olivia Shanks on October 21, 2023, in Newport, Rhode Island. Millbrook family and friends in attendance included Matt’s sister, Kaleigh (Ferrari) Brownell ’07, John McCulla ’10, and Dylan Lawson-Johnston ’10

Elizabeth Lowe ’13 married Joe Fecsko at Basin Harbor on June 3, 2024. The happy couple honeymooned in Costa Rica.

Alexandra

Morgan Davis ’13 married Ethan Stanley on April 26, 2024, at the Hermitage Hotel in downtown Nashville. Morgan is a copy manager at a marketing firm in Nashville, and she and Ethan enjoy renovating their home and hanging out with their pups!

Matt

’10

Alexandra “Boo” Fuscone ’12 married Bill Pray on November 17, 2023, at 74Wythe in Brooklyn, New York. Millbrook friends in attendance included Eliza Chapman ’12, Sarah Anthony ’12, and Eliza Ellsworth ’12

Weddings

Laurel Stine ’14 married Charlie Zuhlke on December 16, 2023.

AJ Wallace ’14 married Alex Baltazar on October 21, 2023 in Ludlow, Massachusetts. Their reception followed at The Starting Gate at GreatHorse in neighboring Hampden. Group caption: From left to right, Millbrook friends in attendance from the Class of 2014: Gib Mitchell, Ryan Harper, Parker Holbrook, and Ben Duhoski

Emma Merrill ’13 married Andrew Calabrese on September 15, 2023 in Northeast Harbor, Maine. Millbrook family and friends who attended included Charlie Merrill ’09, Elizabeth (Morris) Merrill ’11, Caroline Merrill Rowley ’11, and Grace Hilliard ’13

Mansell Ambrose ’14 married Henry Beveridge on September 30, 2023, in Bridgehampton, New York.

Births

Grier Filley ’06 and her husband, Drew, welcomed Bryce Redmond Levinson on January 16, 2024.

Stoddard Horn ’07 and Meegan (Rourke) Horn ’07 welcomed Keeley Kilian Horn, born November 27, 2023.

Elizabeth Sednaoui Thompson ’09 and her husband, Gus, welcomed baby Frances Scott (“Scottie”) Thompson on October 28, 2023.

Ethan Vallarino ’07 and his wife, Jamie, welcomed twin girls, Portia and Thalia Vallarino, on August 16, 2023.

Catherine Coby Hughes ’05 and her husband, Rob, welcomed baby William “Will” Lachlan Hughes on June 5, 2023.

Births Current Faculty

Olivia Farrell ’10 and her husband, Will Einstein, welcomed their second baby girl, Billie Bancroft Einstein, on December 1, 2023. Billie joins big sister Ivy. Dillon Lawson-Johnston ’10 and his wife, Chloe, welcomed Row Lawson-Johnston on May 31, 2023.

and

on May 6, 2024.

Erica Shapey Freymann, Spanish instructor, and her husband, John, welcomed their second child, Wesley Alexander Freymann, on May 12, 2023.

Anna Birnbaum

her husband, Jeff Lamson, welcomed their second child, Maeve Ruth Lamson,

Meg Grover, director of admission, and her husband, Elliott, welcomed their second son, Harrison Shine Grover, on February 26, 2024.

Connor Nelson ’13 and his wife, Sam, welcomed Parker Drue Nelson on October 17, 2023.

Lucy Pulling Cutting P ’77

JULY 8, 1936-MAY 15, 2024

Lucy was the third of four Pulling children who grew up on Millbrook’s campus back in the 1930s and 1940s, and she graduated from Miss Porter’s School and attended Vassar College. Lucy and her late husband, George, were parents of George Cutting, III who graduated from Millbrook in 1977. Lucy joined Millbrook’s board of trustees in 1977 and was elected chair of Millbrook’s board in 1991, serving superbly in that role for a decade. During that time, Lucy worked seamlessly with the board and with Drew and Linda Casertano, newly hired the year before, to strategically plan for Millbrook’s next phase of growth and development. Increased enrollment and a growing endowment resulted, as did the construction of the Mills Athletic Center and the Holbrook Arts Center. But it was Lucy’s personal touch and her determination to meet tough challenges with optimism that characterized her leadership style. Her countless personal notes to trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and friends helped to create Millbrook momentum and a warm, cohesive, and purposeful community here. Her invaluable service and generosity of spirit will always inspire us and the generations that follow us down School Road.

Lucy was passionate about supporting the governance of independent schools, and in addition to serving Millbrook, she was on the board of Miss Porter’s School. Lucy built community through her volunteer leadership, program development, and fundraising for many other nonprofit organizations including, the Pratt Museum of Homer, Alaska, St. John’s Church of Cold Spring Harbor, the New York State Association of Independent Schools, and North Shore Holiday House. She and George shared a spirit of adventure, traveling to both the Arctic and Antarctic circles. Lucy enjoyed opera, walking with her black labradors, bird watching, horseback riding, playing the piano, and singing in the choirs at St. John’s Church and the Long Island Choral Society.

Lucy is survived by her four children, four grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and great nieces (including Sierra Flanigan ’05 and Skye Flanigan’07) and nephews in addition to her siblings, Joan Shepard, Patsy Sands, and Tom Pulling.

• 1994 Board of Trustees

• 1990 Edward Pulling

• Pulling family

In Memoriam

We offer our most heartfelt condolences to the families of all Millbrook alumni, parents, past parents, faculty, and friends who have passed away recently.

ALUMNI

1940

The Honorable James “Jim” L. Buckley died on August 18, 2023, in Washington, D.C. at 100 years old. After Millbrook, Jim went to Yale University and was subsequently commissioned as a U.S. Naval Reserve Officer. Following his discharge, he entered Yale Law School, graduating in 1949. Jim was the second of four Buckley boys to attend Millbrook; his brothers included John ’38, Bill ’43, and Reid ’48. Jim was one of the very few American citizens who served in all three branches of the Federal Government: Executive as president of Radio Free Europe, Legislative as U.S. Senator from New York, and Judicial as a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals. He was predeceased by his wife, Ann, and is survived by six children and eight grandchildren, including Jamie ’12

• James Buckley in 1991 with Bill Buckley ’43

1950

Jerome “Jerry” Doolittle died on November 19, 2023, near his West Cornwall, Connecticut home of 51 years. Jerry was an amateur herpetologist who helped to resettle several Vietnamese and Lao families in the Northwest Connecticut

area in the 1970s. He served two years in the White House as one of President Jimmy Carter’s speechwriters and then two years as the head of public affairs for the Federal Aviation Administration. He is survived by his wife, Gretchen, and their five sons.

William E. Steinwedell died on March 26, 2024, at home in Pasadena, California. After graduating from Millbrook, Bill went to Stanford University, earning his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and receiving a commission of Ensign USNR from NROTC. His military service included serving with the Attack Squadron 45 as a flight officer, classified materials officer, and an assistant special weapons officer. His squadron was assigned to transfer to Florida during the Cuban missile crisis but was cancelled after President Kennedy ended the conflict. After joining the Navy, Bill married Frances Blunt, and they raised three children during their 27 years of marriage. After his honorable discharge from the Navy, he worked as an engineer before shifting gears to financial planning and insurance underwriting. In 1982, he married Barbara, and together they enjoyed travel, civic engagement, and an ever-widening circle of friends. Their home was a gathering place for many, and their philanthropic interests blended life, art, and music. Bill is survived by Barbara, his three children, six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and, as Bill liked to say, one in the hangar! He will also be sorely missed by his two stepchildren, four step-grandchildren, and three step-great-grandchildren.

1952

John B. Webber died on April 19, 2023, in his hometown of Rutland, Vermont. After graduating from Millbrook, John (“Spider”) Webber went to Middlebury College and Boston University Law School. John was a fifth-generation Vermont lawyer active in Vermont Bar activities as a past president of the Rutland County Bar, the Vermont Bar Association, and the New England Bar Association. He received the Vermont Bar Association Distinguished Service Award in 1995. He was predeceased by his wife, Kathleen, and is survived by his daughter, Meighan Rice, three grandchildren, and his brother, Chris ’63.

1958

Richard D. Aeschliman passed away on April 19, 2023, on his beloved island of Bermuda. After Millbrook, Richard went on to Boston University. He leaves his wife, Frannie, and their son, Peter.

1961

Henry “Hank” Frothingham died at his home in Cuernavaca, Mexico, on July 20, 2023, after battling Alzheimer’s disease. Hank earned a bachelor’s degree in Latin American studies from the University of Pennsylvania in 1965 and an M.B.A. from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. After serving in the Army in the DMZ in South Korea, he joined the banking industry. He worked

Class Notes

for JP Morgan, the First National Bank of Pennsylvania, and the Bank of Boston, where he managed global operations and became a consultant. Along with his wife, Judy, Hank is survived by two sons, seven grandchildren, and three dogs.

Rez Williams died in Boston on February 26, 2024, after a long illness. He was an acclaimed island artist on Martha’s Vineyard, where he and his fellow artist wife, Lucy Mitchell, resided. Rez was instrumental in protecting the island he loved and its rural way of life, which suited him perfectly. He was one of the longestserving board members of the Vineyard Conservation Society, and he also served as president of the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation. In 2013, he was awarded the Creative Living Award by the Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation for the individual who has made significant contributions to the quality of life on the Island. Rez gained international recognition when in 1995, Thomas Hoving, the late director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, named Rez as one of the finest artists in America.

1962

Jim “Santiago” Catlin, a beloved husband, father, man of faith, and rabid Green Bay Packers fan, died on April 28, 2023. Jim went to Yale, where he studied physics and economics, and graduated Summa Cum Laude. He became a specialist in the Army and spent most of his active service in Germany. Jim worked for his family’s paper companies in Wisconsin. He enjoyed many hobbies, including jazz guitar, windsurfing, skiing, sailboat

racing, and canoeing through the grizzlybear-infested wilderness of Canada. Jim is survived by his wife, Carol, his three children, six grandchildren, and five siblings, including Tim ’57

1963

Stephen “Steve” Rubicam died on April 23, 2023, in Scottsdale, Arizona. He and his wife, Christine, lived in Paradise Valley, Arizona, and East Boothbay, Maine. He attended college at Claremont and the University of Arizona. Photography caught Steve’s eye, and in 1970, he settled down full-time in Boothbay to start a photography business with Christine. His works were published in the Wall Street Journal, Sailing magazine, and Down East magazine, among others. Steve is survived by Christine, three children, and four grandchildren.

1969

Wiley A. Branton, Jr. passed away on August 27, 2023. He was a former circuit judge whose father was a nationally known civil rights lawyer. Wiley built his own legacy in juvenile justice during his nearly three decades on the bench. Wiley was a valued member of the Arkansas Judiciary and a

friend and mentor to many. He retired in 2020. Before becoming a judge, Wiley was an attorney in Washington, DC. Wiley was a graduate of Georgetown University.

1976

James “Jay” Fallon died on August 31, 2023. He was a true lover of the outdoors, as he enjoyed hunting, fishing, and working with dogs. Jay is survived by his longtime companion, Annie Bendix, daughter Sarah, granddaughter Sadie, and four sisters: Kathy, Elizabeth, Susan, and Julie. Donations in Jay’s name can be made to the Trevor Zoo at Millbrook School.

1993

Ben Wentworth graduated from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, with a degree in psychology. Ben battled serious illness and survived complicated brain surgery. He was an enthusiastic and loyal Millbrook alumnus who returned often to attend his class reunions. He is survived by his parents, Eric and Jan, his brother, Tom ’89, and siblings John, Elizabeth, and Alexandra.

1996

Gregory “Greg” Owens died on June 27, 2023. He is survived by his life partner, Megan Ebel, his son, Keller, and his sister, Beth ’99. Greg loved sports, especially

surfing, horse racing, baseball, and hockey. He worked for a number of years on Wall Street but decided to leave the hustle and bustle of New York and move to Lexington, Kentucky, to pursue his passion for training, riding, and caring for horses.

2006

Tyler McEnroe died from injuries suffered in a car accident on December 9, 2023. He loved sports and the competition involved, and his passion was rooting for the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. He is survived by his parents, Tim and Marian, and by his brother, Corey ’07.

FORMER FACULTY

James “Jim” F. Hejduk died on September 18, 2023. He began his teaching career at Millbrook in 1968, serving as music teacher, organist, and choral director for three years. He went on to Milton Academy in 1971 in a similar role for the next 15 years, followed by 12 years at the University of Nebraska, where he was associate professor of music. In 1998, Jim joined the faculty at Belmont Hill School. Upon his retirement, Jim returned to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he maintained a busy life largely centered on music. Jim was a popular teacher and mentor at Millbrook, and he is remembered fondly by his students from his time here. Jim left a small bequest to Millbrook, for which we are sincerely grateful.

James “Jim” L. Jordy died on January 13, 2024, in Fort Pierce, Florida, at the age of 87. Jim lived a long and productive life, and he left an enduring legacy in his children, grandchildren, and hundreds of players he taught and coached, as well as in all things he repaired and built over the years. Tall in stature at 6’4”, Jim excelled in sports. He was a star basketball player in high school and in college, where he became the starting center for the Penn State Nittany Lions. Jim graduated in 1958 with a bachelor’s degree in education and earned his master’s in education from William and Mary in 1963. At Millbrook, Jim taught mathematics and coached basketball. Jim’s wife, Sally, died in 2015. He is survived by his children Mark, Jeff ’79, Leslie (Jordy) McGlashon ’83, and Elizabeth, and nine grandchildren.

H. Bruce Rinker, PhD passed away in Staunton, Virginia, on January 7, 2024, after a long and courageous battle with glioblastoma brain cancer. Bruce was Science Department Chair at Millbrook from 1988–1999 and a pied piper and dedicated teacher to his many students. He was a scientist and a forest canopy ecologist, and he conducted investigations from canopy walkways, dirigible balloons, towers, and climbing ropes.

He traveled extensively and often took student groups along to share his experiences. As a researcher and explorer, Bruce led numerous expeditions into the Amazon rainforest and the Galapagos Islands.

He conducted fieldwork in Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, French Guyana, Cameroon, and Australia.

Bruce was passionate about his craft and contributed mightily to the global scientific community’s effort to locate previously undiscovered species present only in the upper realms of the world’s forests. We are grateful for the gifts he imparted to our students as one of Millbrook’s master teachers.

Gary H. Cornog died at home on February 24, 2024, in Pittsboro, North Carolina, of a sudden heart attack while watching his beloved UNC Tar Heels on TV. After serving as director of admissions at Columbia University in 1978, Gary and his wife, Eleanor, moved to Millbrook School in 1980. Gary served as director of college placement and head of the English Department. Eleanor ran a dormitory and worked in the Development Office for several years. After a decade at Millbrook, the Cornogs moved to St. George’s School in Rhode Island. Their daughter, Megan, died too early in her life, and after her passing, Gary and Eleanor retired to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where Megan spent her college years. Gary was a man of elegance, refinement, and great taste. He was also passionate about literature, music, art, good food, and a good IPA. He was an accomplished chef and singer. Our love and prayers are extended to Eleanor.

CIRCLING BACK

Jesse Bontecou ’44 drops the puck for the final ice hockey game played on the old rink before the Mills Athletic Center and Bontecou Rink opened their doors later in 1996.