Nobles Magazine Spring 2024

Nobles

GRACE AND GROOVE

Left: Angela Yuan ‘25 dances to “Variations from Don Quixote” in the fall dance concert.

Right: Binney Stone conducts the upper school guitar ensemble during the dedicated performing arts block, M-Block.

LOOKING IN AND LOOKING OUT

Top Left: Algebra students use the windows as whiteboards for practice problems.

Below: Addy Dean ’24 works in a sunny spot on the Putnam Library window bench.

Bottom Middle: Valeria Yepes Restrepo ’25 and Akhil Janapareddy ’25 paint a classroom at Riverdale Elementary School during the Class II day of service.

Top Right: Chemistry students closely watch for a color shift in their beaker during a titration lab.

Left: Middle school science students dissect a sheep brain with science faculty Chris Averill.

INTENSE FOCUS

STAMPS AND STACKS

Above: Middle school visual arts faculty Molly Boskey Pascal ’05 guides Aidan O’Leary ’28 in custom stamp creation.

Above Middle: Mackenzie Ellis, Eva Yu, and Nathan Nozea, all ‘25, share a smile in the stacks of the Putnam Library.

BRIGHT LIGHTS

Below: Aidin Bina ’24 consults with Athletic Director Alex Gallagher ’90 before the Friday Night Lights Braveheart charge. Below Right: The Nobles Theatre Collective’s fall mainstage play, Three Days in the Country.

Breaking Barriers

ON MARCH 6, the graduate affairs office hosted a Women of Nobles event to celebrate graduates in STEM and honor the career of retiring math faculty member Tilesy Harrington. She was joined on a panel by Offiong Bassey ’03, Sara Falkson ’18 and Elizabeth Austen Lawson ’90. As I looked around the room, I was moved to be surrounded by generations of Nobles graduates, women who are blazing paths and doing good all over the world.

After the event, I reflected on why, as head of school, I seldom speak about my gender, reflections I later shared with students in Assembly. My reluctance comes in part from a desire to avoid unintentionally excluding or marginalizing anyone further in my efforts to shine a light on others. I am also mindful that discussions about gender in leadership can quickly be defined by and play into stereotypes that can become a focal point. I do not want my gender to be all that defines me as Nobles’ seventh head of school, as I feel it would only diminish the impact of my leadership on gender equity.

While I may feel reluctance, I also feel tremendous pride in serving as Nobles’ first female head of school. I take very seriously the responsibility to honor the legacy of the great female graduates and educators who preceded me, to serve as a mirror for today’s female students and colleagues, and to provide shoulders upon which our next female head of school may stand.

There is still important work to be done around gender equity. After our Women of Nobles STEM event, I learned that women still represent only one-third of the STEM workforce, and when I look around at those leading independent schools like Nobles, the number of female heads remains very small. Many ceilings still need to be shattered, and I take seriously my part in that progress.

Nobles also has much to celebrate around gender equity. In the 2024–2025 academic year, we will celebrate 50 years since women were admitted to Nobles. We will mark this momentous year by reflecting upon our history, including how we have evolved and become a more inclusive school.

I hope the whole Nobles community will join us in this great celebration next year!

Catherine J. hall, Ph.D., heaD of School

SPRING 2024

Editor

Tiffany Truong

Director of Marketing and Communications

AssistAnt Editors

Ben Heider

Associate Director of Communications

Anne McManus

Associate Director of Communications

Kim Neal

Associate Director of Communications

CrEAtivE dirECtion And dEsign

Dog Ear Creative dogearcreative.com

Lilly Pereira aldeia.design

PhotogrAPhy And illustrAtion

Eric Bronson

Blake Cale

Tim Carey

Kathleen Dooher

Michael Dwyer

Mithy Evans

Ben Heider

Leah LaRiccia

Jared Leeds

Kim Neal

Ryan Olbrysh

Sabrina Roberts ‘14

Shantala Robinson

Angela Southern

Brian Snyder

Nobles is published twice a year for graduates, past and current parents/ guardians and grandparents, students and friends of the school. Noble and Greenough School is a day and 5-day boarding school for grades 7–12 in Dedham, Mass.

www.nobles.edu

Letters and comments may be emailed to communications@nobles.edu or mailed to 10 Campus Drive, Dedham, MA 02026.

© Noble and Greenough School 2024

Campus Drive

Madi Grossman ’29 rappels from the Castle balcony with safety support from

during the annual middle school outdoor adventure rite of passage.

Jenny CarlsonPietraszek

ASSEMBLY HIGHLIGHT

To celebrate Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month, the Latinx affinity group, Poder, showcased the vibrant rhythms of Bomba Sicá, a mesmerizing testament to Puerto Rican culture. Nina Rosa ’25 and Lauren Yoon ’24 danced alongside faculty members Cassie Velázquez and Mariza Rosado. Rosado also gave a poetic recitation of “¿Y Tu Agüela, Aonde Ejtá?,” by Fortunato Vizcarrondo, as an example of AfroCaribbean poetry, to the resonant beats of faculty member Paul Lieberman on the drum.

Conectando por Conversación

Spanish III Honors students at Nobles participate in a unique exchange program that allows them to travel to Central America from the seats of their classroom. Once a week during the Guatemala unit, students engage in an hourlong virtual language exchange with a native speaker from Project Olas in Guatemala.

Project Olas’s mission is to create relationship-centered education by connecting language students with mothers who live in Zone 3 of Guatemala City, which is also home to Safe Passage, a partner of the Nobles EXCEL program. Facilitated by modern language faculty member Liz Benjamin-Alcayaga, the program connects students to the people of the country they are studying as they learn more about the Spanish language and Guatemalan culture.

Students first learn about Guatemala by exploring topics such as technology and the environment. Each unit begins with vocabulary and grammar lessons based on a particular theme, allowing students to build on those skills as they become familiar with the topic. The first session with the Olas mother is a group seminar with the entire class, during which the students introduce themselves and the Olas mother shares information about everything from her occupation and interests to her community and her experience with Project Olas. Students prepare questions for the conversation on a range of topics from Guatemalan geography and culture to climate, traditions and food.

After the initial group meeting, students are paired up with a classmate and meet with the Olas mother once a week during class. By the end of the unit, each student meets with the Project Olas mother twice.

“At first, students are slightly nervous and hesitant about holding and sustaining a conversation with a stranger,” says Benjamin-Alcayaga. “But I reassure them that this is a low-stakes opportunity to practice their Spanish in a real-life situation. There is no grade attached to it, no pressure to speak or understand perfectly; it is a space to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them while improving their interpersonal language skills and developing their cultural knowledge. After their meetings, students return to the classroom excited about having maintained a conversation, often remarking on our Olas moms’ genuine kindness and ability to connect with them on a personal level. Our Olas moms similarly enjoy connecting with our students and learning about their lives and interests. These women have told us that Project Olas has given them a space to feel empowered to share their own culture and experiences with people from around the world.”

During spring break in March 2024, 12 students joined Benjamin-Alcayaga on an EXCEL trip to Guatemala, where they volunteered at Safe Passage, learned more about the program, and met their partners from Project Olas.

“Working with the Project Olas organization has been my favorite project from all of my classes at Nobles,” shares Rory Taylor ’24. “Not only did I have the opportunity to hone my conversational skills with a native speaker, but I also forged a meaningful relationship with a woman named Evelyn. Our Zoom meetings were filled with laughter and curiosity, often discussing our daily routines, interests or the contemporary challenges faced by the people of Guatemala. Seño BA would often highlight to me how I would walk into the classroom after my meetings with Evelyn with a huge smile on my face. This collaboration was instrumental in broadening my perspective while also learning much about Guatemalan culture.”

ASSEMBLY HIGHLIGHT

Kate Osakwe ’27 presented a captivating slam poetry performance of “Lying, Crying and Dying,” an original poem she wrote as part of Mass Poetry’s spoken word program. Osakwe dedicated the performance to her sixth-grade teacher, who told her, “Anyone can be a poet.”

Beyond the Game

FOSTERING INCLUSIVE CULTURE IN TEAMS

Nobles hosted groups across the Independent School League (ISL) for the second annual Changemakers Conference, the ISL Athletics Leadership Symposium on Equity and Racial Justice, in November 2023. The conference brings together ISL athletics and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB). Each participating school was represented by promising student leaders involved in athletics, together with athletic directors and DEIB practitioners.

Keynote speaker Katie Benzan ’16 described her record-breaking athletic journey as a multiracial 5’6” basketball player at Nobles, Harvard and University of Maryland—and now, working with the Utah Jazz on roster construction. Whenever asked to indicate her ethnicity on a form, Benzan told students, “I didn’t fit into one box, so I created a new one. History has shown us that when people come together, celebrating and appreciating our differences, anything can be done…. No matter what box anyone tries to put you in, you all have the power to break down barriers and build your own place in this world.”

“I didn’t fit into one box, so I created a new one. History has shown us that when people come together, celebrating and appreciating our differences, anything can be done.”

K A ti E B E nz A n ’16

KE ynot E s PEAKE r, 2023 Ch A ng E m AKE rs Conf E r E n CE

Workshops ranged from equitable leadership to communication and shared language to building an inclusive culture on teams and in locker rooms. The student-athletes also participated in identity-based affinity groups, facilitated by educators from the ISL schools.

“We hope students will leverage the skills they acquired in the workshops to improve their leadership skills, enriching the experience for their teammates and enhancing the spirit of positive competition across the ISL,” says Chief Equity Officer Edgar De Leon ’04.

>> Nobles athletes listen to the keynote.

Investigations in Biochemistry

Students in the biochemistry research class presented semesterlong projects that covered a wide range of topics, from how antibiotics and viruses kill bacteria to how to purify bismuth and grow crystals of the element.

Biochemistry is an advanced projectbased course in which students learn how to conduct their own research. They begin their projects by discussing fundamental research topics and strategies, and identifying the primary literature they will use to design their innovative research question and experimental approach. Beyond the research, students devote a significant amount of time working toward effectively communicating their findings.

“We focus on designing a research project and ordering supplies in September,” explains science faculty

Sam Burke, Ph.D. “The students need to work within a set budget and learn how to take care of whatever model organism they decide to work with. October and November are focused on conducting experiments, and then everything culminates in a poster session in December.”

The poster sessions provide students with an experience similar to what they would experience at a research conference.

PROJECT 1: Using a series of chemical reactions and purification techniques, two students isolated bismuth from bismuth

subsalicylate, the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol. They melted down pure bismuth and manipulated its cooling to generate different hopper crystals, which look like inverted pyramids.

PROJECT 2: Another group investigated the effects of different antibiotics and viral infections on bacterial cell survival. Bacterial species can be divided into two categories, gram-positive and gramnegative, depending on their cell wall structure. There are classes of antibiotics that only work for one of the two groups. Additionally, depending on the mechanism of action for the antibiotic, cells will respond differently. These students also investigated how bacteriophages, viruses that specifically infect bacteria, can spread from cell to cell and limit bacterial growth.

PROJECT 3: A third group looked at how different food sources impact reproduction in yeast. Yeast will grow and divide as long as there is food and space. They also preferentially ferment even when oxygen is available (our muscle cells will ferment when low on oxygen, but we cannot survive on fermentation). This group looked at how challenging the yeast, by giving them less-than-ideal food sources and manipulating osmotic pressure, reduces their reproductive rate.

PROJECT 4: The last group investigated the effects of different substances on ant behavior. They worked with the common pavement ant and quantified tunnel building to see if common substances such as sugar, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine would alter the ants’ productivity. They also performed choice assays, allowing the ants to pick between the substances to see what they prefer.

The Power of Art

The paintings of former Nobles artist-in-residence Bob Freeman have been celebrated and highlighted in the Massachusetts State House and American Fiction, a five-time Oscar-nominated film.

Black Tie was one of two artworks selected from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to hang in Governor Maura Healey’s executive office suite, a commitment to prioritizing diversity and inclusivity through the arts at the State House. Made in 1981 during Freeman’s first year at Nobles in his Castle studio, Black Tie is part of the Social Season series. The painting highlights a social gathering of the Black middle class during segregation in America, when they were forced to create their own spaces.

In a press release, Healey said, “When people walk into the governor’s office, I want them to feel seen, represented and empowered. An important way to do this is by hanging artwork that is representative of the diverse Massachusetts experience.”

In American Fiction, Freeman’s paintings from the American Regatta series were displayed in the family home and beach home. The series represents Freeman’s realization of racing sailboats for recreation playing over the bones of his ancestors lost in the slave trade.

“Making art in the studio is a solitary event for the artist,” shares Freeman. “The audience response to the art comes later. Black Tie was originally bought by the Flather family, who is connected to Nobles, and then donated to the MFA. The MFA exhibited the painting in many more museums, creating larger audiences. Now in the governor’s office, the painting is being received by new audiences. Meanwhile, at the same time, paintings lent by the Childs Gallery to American Fiction opened to great reviews. How do I feel? Grateful to the Flather family, Governor Healey and the Childs Gallery for believing in the power of art.”

“Studying other languages and being in the position of a student where there’s a professor asking you to translate can be nervewracking, and it’s good to remember what that feels like for our students. It’s interesting how many Nobles faculty are still in the course of studying, whether it be a formal degree or just outside of class…. All of us understand what it’s like to not understand something as a student.”

Classi C s and Modern l anguage Fa C ulty

dA v E u lri C h on the NoblesU pod C ast

The NoblesU podcast, launched in 2023 by Director of Teaching and Learning Mike Kalin, features in-depth interviews with Nobles educators.

ASSEMBLY HIGHLIGHTS

Eli Wember ’29 gave a stellar performance of his favorite riffs and guitar solos, including “Crazy Train,” “Stairway to Heaven,” “Cliffs of Dover,” “Eruption,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Eye of the Tiger” and “Hotel California.” Wember, who started playing the guitar three years ago, performed onstage in front of 700 people for the first time.

Nina Ge ’27 gave an impressive performance of “Let Her Go,” by Passenger, on the electric guitar, receiving a standing ovation for her talents on guitar and vocals.

The Reluctant Researcher

“Research just isn’t for me,” thensophomore Irene Gao ’24 dubiously told her advisor and science department chair Jen Craft two years ago. She was flagging in the final stages of a laborintensive, often tedious project examining the efficacy of four machine-learning models in identifying lung cancer subtypes from tissue images.

Then, in January 2024, Gao’s perseverance paid off when she was named a Top 300 Scholar in the 83rd Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS), a prestigious science and mathematics competition for high school seniors. STS “recognizes and empowers the most promising young scientists in the U.S. who are creating the ideas and solutions that solve our most urgent challenges.” From more than 2,162 applicants nationwide, Gao earned a $2,000 scholarship, as well as another $2,000 for Nobles to support its STEM initiatives.

In her junior year, Gao applied machine learning to research the invasive lanternfly across the eastern United States. Months later, for her STS prizewinning project, she used machinegenerated models to predict the nationwide spread of a different invasive, the Tree of Heaven—a favored host plant of the destructive lanternfly. The spark for Gao’s project, “Deep Learning-Based Satellite Image Analysis for Predicting the Correlated Density of the Tree of Heaven,” was a research paper that used satellite images and machine learning to plot the distribution of cancer prevalence in the United States. For two months, she painstakingly honed her

purpose and method. Then she spent an additional two months carrying it out—from writing code to contacting institutions around the world for data, spending hours every night doing research after her schoolwork, and waking up at 2 a.m. to check the progress of her code.

“I wanted to prove to myself that I’m able to stick something out,” Gao says. “I had an inkling that if I gave it up, I’d have some regrets. I was really passionate about the project and wanted the work to come through—it was my brainchild. It was an amazing feeling overall.”

Her resulting research will be published in PLOS One, the peerreviewed, open-access megajournal published by the Public Library of Science. Throughout the process, Gao credited Craft, whom she calls “more of a life coach than just a science research mentor.”

Tree of Heaven or Ailanthus altissima, vintage engraved illustration.

Irene's work used machine learning to analyze satellite images and predict the spread of an invasive plant toxic to those around it, called the Tree of Heaven. She contacted institutions around the world for tree location data before finally finding an Italian survey that fit the bill.

FACULTY FOCUS DIRECTOR OF ACADEMIC SUPPORT HEATHER O’NEILL

Advocating for Students

“I owe my career to Britney Spears,” Heather O’Neill told Director of Teaching and Learning Mike Kalin on the NoblesU podcast for faculty and staff. It’s a surprising shout-out for an educational leader whose summer job at Spears’ performing arts camp radically changed her trajectory.

Working at the camp made her realize she wanted to help students manage stress and focus on wellness, so she left law school to pursue health education. Positions were rare, so she took a job at Marshfield High School as a math tutor and special education teacher. She went on to earn several graduate degrees in special education, educational leadership and health education. She was head of the special education department for Marshfield High, about to become the districtwide assistant director for special education, when she joined Nobles as the director of academic support.

That was in July 2019, when no one could have predicted how essential her role would be in designing hybrid learning for all students (and their teachers) during the 2020 pandemic. Her experience working with diverse teaching and learning styles has proven critical to helping the community adapt. Some of her greatest qualifications won’t show up on her résumé: indefatigable empathy, warmth and humor. This combination coaxes out the best in students and reinforces her rockstar learning center team.

In 2021, recognizing the need for a drop-in support space for students returning to in-person learning, O’Neill enlisted the buildings and grounds team to renovate a classroom, which became the current Learning Center. Students now pop in for executive function coaching, test-taking strategies, math tutoring or getting unstuck on an English paper. In this climate, they gain confidence and self-advocacy skills with academic success.

One misconception O’Neill is eager to dispel? “That students who have learning profiles may not be the brightest students—that pains me because many of our students are intellectually gifted.” She has fiercely advocated for awareness around neurodivergence and how it affects young people in the classroom. O’Neill aims to equip students with the skills to ensure that they actualize their true potential. She leverages her expertise about attention, organization, motivation, neuroscience and best teaching practices to make that happen.

In 2021, O’Neill launched a summer ONSET (Outfitting Nobles Students for Education and Transition) program for new students to familiarize them with systems like Canvas and the Google Suite so they could hit the ground running. Through proactive professional development and collegial collaboration, O’Neill has helped faculty teach more equitably and deepen student learning.

“ ROOT FOR, NOT AGAINST.”

ASSEMBLY HIGHLIGHT

Danny Gallagher ’24 spoke about his experience competing in American Ninja Warrior, a sport he loves because it constantly evolves, with new challenges and obstacles at each competition. He shared that what he loves even more than the challenge is the supportive community, whose mantra is “Root for, not against.”

Collegial Collaboration

Nobles teachers connect with one another to energize their practice, enrich it with diverse perspectives, and spark creativity. During a professional development day in fall 2023, Nobles faculty dedicated a day to such an exchange. Director of Teaching and Learning Mike Kalin organized a Share Fair with 14 representatives across grade levels and disciplines, hosting sessions on innovative education. Among some of the workshops were tailoring teaching for diverse learners; building community and increasing participation through play; annotating using an online social platform; and employing visual thinking strategies.

Computer science teacher Max Montgomery ’14 introduced the basics of large language models, the tech behind generative artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, and practical strategies for prompt engineering. Montgomery, who, in addition to CS and AI, also teaches about robotics and blockchain, says of these technologies, “They’re going to permeate everything that everybody does—so having some understanding of what these technologies are and how they work will help people make informed decisions about what they want to do with their lives.”

Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Aneesa Sen guided participants to delve into their own identity markers, sharing how those markers had impacted their socio-emotional learning and self-expression. Through this exercise, colleagues discovered meaningful aspects about one another and reflected on the complexity of students’ experiences.

Math teacher Eddie Harvey demonstrated multidisciplinary methods to bring statistics to life, emphasizing the value of connecting statistics to students’ real-world experiences, whether polling peers or analyzing data bias. Harvey’s students are challenged to collect and interpret data with integrity, knowing it has the power to drive policy.

Workshoppers expressed excitement about adapting newfound tools for their teaching and gratitude for their colleagues’ shared expertise. Nobles’ culture of collaboration inspires lifelong intellectual and social discovery for the entire community.

Practice Makes Progress

The biennial faculty art show in Foster Gallery showcased the works of all eight visual arts faculty members, and the fall 2023 rendition, “Practice Makes Progress,” celebrated the idea that effective teaching demands active, personal engagement in artistic practice.

Central to the show was the theme of exploration and questioning, weaving in notions of time, distance and selfreflection. David Roane’s assertion that “all art is autobiographical” manifested through his large-scale paintings of his alter ego and explorations of his personal history. Molly Boskey Pascal ‘05 exhibited her watercolor alphabets, which came from a desire to craft enduring artwork that resonates deeply with her children.

There’s synergy between the artist’s creation of the artwork and the artwork’s manipulation of the artist. Betsy VanOot’s urban doorways expressed their desire to be self-portraits. John Dorsey’s slab-built pottery comes in pairs, a precise example of the iterative process inherent in the practice.

Betsy VanOot’s oil on canvas painting: “Black, Orange, Yellow and Blue: Norwood”

Curtis Mann’s fragmented glass installation raised questions about who creates visual media of trauma and how we consume it, while Hannah Latham’s photographs from agricultural fairs probed the power dynamics and ethics of the exploitation of animals.

A hint of cross-disciplinary experimentation emerged. John Hirsch’s enlarger-as-camera technique rendered sculptural arrangements of found sea glass, while Nora Bourdeau paired her ceramic bowls and plates with her photos of them in action—filled with the vibrant meals she has cooked.

Foster Gallery aims to be a dynamic hub that actively draws people into the world of creativity. A large collaborative canvas at the entrance demonstrates an ever-changing tapestry of expression and evolution. “Practice Makes Progress” was more than an art exhibition; it celebrated the unending artistic journey.

THE UPSIDE OF FAILURE

Acclaimed author Ilyon Woo spoke in Long Assembly about her Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey From Slavery to Freedom, an American love story about a courageous couple who pose as master and slave in a heroic escape from slavery.

In winter 1848, described by Woo as “a time of worldwide revolutions,” with Ellen Craft disguised as a white man and William Craft posing as “his” slave, the Crafts left Georgia and set off for Philadelphia. Despite many terrifying moments, the couple pulled off their perilous plan. Their worries did not end with their arrival, however, as the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 resulted in droves of slave hunters traveling north. As well-known activists, the Crafts’ freedom remained in jeopardy. Woo unassumingly leveled with students, sharing the unexpected catalyst that led to her success and an award-winning book: failure. “I’m going to start off with a confession,” shared Woo. “I nearly got a D in history when I was a sophomore at a school very much like yours. The bane of my existence in history was the DBQ (document-based question).”

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“...the very qualities you might be struggling with right now may also contain your greatest strength.”

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author ilyon Woo

Abdirizak Abdulle ’25 reflects on faculty member David Roane’s mixed media piece, “I Have Bees to Say.”

The rows of upperclassmen began to pulse with the laughter that comes with shared experience.

“The very qualities that made me so bad at DBQs when I was in high school—my indecisiveness, my inability to grab a single line, articulate an all-encompassing viewpoint, and do this with a timer—are actually what has made my present work possible.

I use document fragments to answer historical questions, but I am doing this in my own way. So I want to invite you to consider, what is your Achilles heel, your flaw? … I was told I was ‘too sensitive, indecisive.’ To ‘just hurry up, decide, it doesn’t need to be perfect.’ Now let me encourage you to flip that negative tendency upside down and look at it another way. What’s the flip side of being too sensitive? Being nuanced? The flip side of being indecisive? Being able to imagine multiple points of view. So I suggest this exercise as a way of seeing how it is possible that the very qualities that you might be struggling with right now may also contain your greatest strength.”

ENRICHING EXPEDITIONS

In March 2024, nearly 200 students, faculty and staff embarked on transformative Experiential and Community Engaged Learning (EXCEL) journeys around the globe. Through service projects, cultural immersion, music exchange, education and research, they forged connections across continents in the Bahamas (Island School), Cuba, Guatemala, India, New Orleans, Rwanda and South Africa. Invaluable EXCEL partnerships with nonprofits, including the Kliptown Youth Program in South Africa, Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda, and Safe Passage in Guatemala, immersed students in meaningful and transformative opportunities. Each expedition fostered personal growth, strengthened friendships, sparked curiosity and cultivated empathy for our shared humanity.

Collage by ryan olbrysh

Sophia Levering ’24 was the NEPSAC Player of the Year and ISL MVP.

MEET THE ATHLETE

Sophia Levering ’24

How did the team do this season?

We checked off our three main goals: Win the Harrington Tournament, the ISL title and the NEPSAC Tournament.

Mr. Resor always emphasizes that the ISL should be our biggest goal because it measures success over the entire season. So, to win the ISL, you have to be consistent every week, every day.

What position do you play?

I really love playing defense because I’ve always been very competitive. I like matching up against the best forward on the other team and not giving them an inch. I also love that when you have the puck, you can see the whole play in front of you.

Tell us about playing for Coaches Resor and Cedorchuk.

They’re the best. I understand why they have such a legacy and why the program has had so much success. Their coaching styles work great together. They know each other so well.

What was it like playing at home for the NEPSAC tournament?

That was awesome. It’s such a rare opportunity. I’ve never seen that many people packed into our rink before—it was so cool. Especially against Williston because we lost to them away for the past two years. Having it on our home ice this year was so exciting.

ATHLETICS SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

FALL 2023

The boys cross country team won the ISL for the second year in a row. The team advanced to the New England Championships, where they placed third, and three runners qualified for the All-Star meet.

Nearly 70 percent of the girls cross country team secured personal records at ISLs.

The field hockey team beat Andover 2–1 at Andover for the first time since 2013. The teams tied in 2015 and 2022.

Boys varsity soccer advanced to the Class B New England Championship game highlighted by a come-frombehind victory in the semifinal game against Suffield Academy.

Girls varsity soccer ranked No. 3 in the ISL, playing against the most competitive Class A NEPSAC teams.

Girls varsity volleyball played Thayer Academy during Friday Night Lights and won 3–0.

The football team secured a major season win, defeating Brooks School 28–14, whose seven-point victory in the 2022–2023 season prevented Nobles from making a NEPSAC bowl game.

WINTER 2024

Boys varsity alpine skiing finished fifth in the ISL, and girls varsity alpine skiing captured the Class A NEPSAC Championship for the second consecutive year. Head coach Fred Hollister celebrated and concluded his final season leading the alpine skiing program for the past 30 years.

Boys varsity basketball hosted more than 80 teams as a part of the New England Recruiting Report Scholar Roundball Classic and defeated longtime rival Belmont Hill 76-67 in the showcase.

Girls varsity basketball won their 10th New England Championship in the last 12 years with a season record of 29-1. Coach Alex Gallagher celebrated his 600th win, and players Ashley Dinges ’25, Christina Pham ’25, Nasi Simmons ’24, and Jasmyn Cooper ’25 hit 1,000-point milestones.

Boys varsity hockey was named ISL champions for the first time since 2015, with an overall record of 15-8-4.

Girls varsity hockey capped an undefeated season (27-0-4) and won the NEPSAC Championship in the Chuck Vernon (Elite) division. Coach Tom Resor also celebrated his 800th win.

Boys varsity squash won 70 percent of their matches and ended in higher divisons at nationals and New Englands compared to last season.

Girls varsity squash finished fifth in the ISL, eighth in New England (Class B) and 16th in Division II at nationals.

Twelve of 14 varsity wrestlers placed at the ISL Championships, the Graves/ Kelsey Tournament.

Nasi Simmons ’24

Ali Coleman ’24

The Nobles Theatre Collective

What could be more meta than the Nobles Theatre Collective’s musical production of Mean Girls—a story about high school students and teachers brought to life by high school students and their teachers? Nobles’ adaptation of this Broadway musical about a teenage girl navigating social hierarchies required a complex plan that was set in motion more than a year before the curtain rose. The NTC invested thousands of hours of labor by more than a hundred people to make such a musical happen. Here’s a glimpse behind the scenes, where learning comes alive and lifelong connections are formed.

Kim Neal

PHotos by Ben Heider L Leah LaRiccia

WE’RE STORYTELLERS. Everything we hope students get from our program comes through the process of creating the most engaging stories possible for our audiences. Collaboration, group before self, hard work, the detailed skills to build a flat (theatrical) wall, or hang a light, speaking with clarity, imagination, creativity—all to the end of giving to the audience.”

Daniel Halperin, director. Mean Girls marked his 25th Nobles musical.

199 distinct costume looks onstage

↑ Jissel Rodriguez ’24, costumer. “This was my first musical ever, and I learned to sew. Costumes help you visualize what’s going on and bring the characters to life—they definitely add a little magic.”

↑ Melissa Lyons ’97, actor and middle school history and social sciences faculty member. Lyons was one of six faculty members who played a part onstage. She played the mother of the lead, Cady (Amelia Simons ’24); Michael Polebaum ’08 played Cady’s dad. “I always tell the kids to take a risk, so I felt I should, too. Something I love about teaching here is connecting with past students... and it’s fun to work with my colleagues in a different way. It’s also great to not be the expert in the room,” Lyons said.

(A little bit dramatic)

↑ The Mean Girls table read

The making of

I made some of the BEST FRIENDS I’ve ever had…and my character, Janis, really resonated with me. Mr. Halperin and I would run through a line 40 times, emphasizing different words, and it made everything come together. Parts like Zach and me dancing all the time happened naturally; I just had fun with it. For younger kids coming up, I’d say never doubt yourself.”

↑ Charlotte Waldert ’25, assistant student choreographer. Waldert partnered with Director of Dance Nicole DeWolfe to lead choreography for actors from a wide range of dance backgrounds.

↓ Jordyn Julien ’25 on returning to the NTC since her Sixie debut in the ensemble of Les Misérables, pictured with Zach Green ’24, who played Damian.

← Hermione Arias Soto ’24, spot caller/technician and Alex Stein ’25, deck chief/technician. Before Mean Girls, Arias Soto’s main experience was with costumes. She also brought her Assembly Booth experience to the show. In addition to tech, Stein has acted in the NTC since middle school.

↑ ↓ Pit band. The crew built a custom-designed stage extension with space for the pit band below, strong enough to withstand the most zealous tap number—while also insulating sound for the instrumentalists and conductor—contained in a creation Scenic Designer/Technical Director Erik Diaz describes as essentially, “a giant drum.”

800

cues (approx.) called by Stage Manager Karina Cruz, Class I. Every time she said “Go,” lights, scenery, sound and/or projections changed.

Just TALKING OVER MY HEADSET and being able to calm them down, direct them how to fix something, or put the problem aside to keep going has really helped, especially with students who haven’t done a musical before or are just really nervous. I love it.”

600+ Dunkin’ Donuts munchkins consumed by tech students at Saturday calls

↑ Staging was visually reinforced by scenery and collaboration between the projection designer and the lighting designer, and made the eyes of the “Apex Predator” glow.

↑ Karina Cruz ’24, stage manager

Field TRIP

In January, the full cast, crew and band went to a private screening of the new musical version of the Mean Girls film.

This is where all the stuff that the kids are LEARNING IN CLASS really comes into focus. What are they learning in their math classes? What are they learning in their science classes, in their physics classes? Here are the practical applications of some of those things.”

The making of

15,488 Estimated number of human hours poured into the show from choosing the show through strike.

Whichever PART I GET , I’ve kept that mentality of ‘I’m here because this is where I wanted to be. This is what I signed up for.’ Being onstage—there’s nothing that can match that. Whether you’re the lead part or in an ensemble role, it’s just so much fun to be up there. You look out into the audience and people are smiling.”

↖ Ariel Rabinovich ’26, ensemble. Active in theatre since middle school, Rabinovich embraces a lead or ensemble part with all he’s got—in Mean Girls, with a healthy dose of humor.

Erik Diaz on technical design

← Octavia Reohr ’23, a veteran of the NTC, back to help on set with Noah Brauner ’25

Behind the Scenes

STUDENTS SHARE WHAT WENT INTO PUTTING ON THE BIG SHOW.

“Context makes acting so much easier and stronger. You can make informed choices, rather than trying to come up with something just out of your head. I really like history. It’s important for the actors and also audiences to know where the actors and the playwright are coming from. Mean Girls is set during a time I don’t remember (around 2012), but a lot of people here do, so it’s more relatable than some shows I’ve researched about a far-off time. People felt more connected to it.”

Finnoula Wheeler ’26, lead student dramaturg, costumer

“The people in the band are really special—that’s what makes the time commitment worthwhile. Pit has made me appreciate theatre a lot more. Having a live band brings something to a show that recorded music just can’t. The pit being under the stage this year actually helped us bond even more as a band; we were dancing underneath while the music was going on, and lipsynching along with all the dialogue.”

Kevin Huang ’24, pit band (viola)

“For the back LED wall, there were hundreds of squares with small LEDs we had to glue on. Even though outside people were helping with projections and lighting, it was all student-run during the show—we were clicking the buttons, telling people to go—it was all us, and the adults were completely hands-off. It was a lot of fun. I built set pieces, like a table, or cut pieces of wood to create a tower. It makes me feel empowered, and I’m able to use those skills outside of school.”

Hermione Arias Soto ’24, spot caller/technician

“I remember coming into singing sessions during my first musical, feeling so intimidated and thinking, ‘I don’t know how to read music.’ So as a choreographer, I understand it’s that way for some people with dance. I try to put feature dancers in front so if you’re behind them, you have someone to look at if you get nervous. The biggest challenge of this job was starting, because you didn’t know what you wanted it to look like; you had to listen to the music. It was a lot to coordinate, but it was so fun, and it turned out so cool.”

Charlotte Waldert

’25,

assistant student choreographer

“I was one of the few, with Noah (Brauner ’25), who had built a set before, so I had to take on a lot of responsibility in teaching others but also doing a wide range of jobs myself. I did lots of lighting, carpentry and driving the skyjack. During the show, I was backstage, which was a really interesting, different perspective. I almost like the audience not knowing too much; it adds to the whole magic of how we pull it off.”

Alex Stein ’25, deck chief/technician

Opposing Counsel, Trusted Friends

In a field traditionally dominated by men, two friends from the Class of ’97 are writing a new narrative—from opposing sides of the same courtroom. How do they face each other in class action lawsuits involving Fortune 500 companies and remain friends? With a nod to Nobles, for one thing.

From left: Sarah Schalman-Bergen and Alison Hickey Silveira, both from the Class of ‘97

I2017 — SMALL WORLD

At Nobles, SchalmanBergen was the managing editor of the Nobleman and Silveira was a star on the crew team.

It’s an August afternoon in Boston, and the weighty city air carries a waft of Seaport brine. In the offices of Seyfarth Shaw LLP, lawyer Alison Hickey Silveira pauses as she opens an email from the opposing counsel on her case. A name—Sarah Schalman-Bergen—catches her eye. “There can’t be more than one Sarah Schalman-Bergen,” she thinks, as images of Shattuck classrooms and assemblies in the ’90s fill her mind.

While they haven’t seen each other in 20 years and are on a contentious class action wage and hour case, she composes a quick email anyway, and hits send. Within moments, the phone rings. It is the Sarah Schalman-Bergen from Nobles.

“I called her immediately,” Schalman-Bergen recalls, looking back on the fateful case—and the single email—that reunited them. “I was ridiculously excited to connect with her.”

This, however, was not the right moment for much more than an email and a quick call. They had high-stakes corporate litigation to attend to, so it would be a while before they could arrange to casually grab a drink together. SchalmanBergen, partner at Lichten & Liss-Riordan, P.C., represents plaintiff workers suing for alleged wage payment violations on a class action basis, and Silveira, partner at Seyfarth Shaw, represents the companies.

“While we both vigorously represent our clients and our respective positions,” says Schalman-Bergen, “our Nobles connection gives us the trust, respect and understanding as a base that helps us work better together. I think this is especially unique as two up-and-coming women partners in our respective law firms, a space that has traditionally been reserved for men.”

Top: Silveira with Nobles classmates in fall 1996. Bottom: Schalman-Bergen with Nobles classmates who went to Shady Hill School together.

EARLY 1990S — FINDING NOBLES

Standing on the sidelines of their son’s soccer game in Scituate, MA, friends of Silveira’s parents hand them a paper—it’s an application to a private school up in Dedham.

“Alison should apply here,” they say. “It would be a good fit.”

The Hickeys take the paper home and, knowing little about private schools, Alison applies and an on-campus interview is scheduled. “I remember driving onto campus for the first time,” recalls Silveira, “seeing the Castle and being like, ‘Holy cow!’ It was this world I didn’t even know existed. Going to Nobles was a privilege, and it felt like it from day one.”

In 1995, former computer science faculty Steven Bergen brought computers to Nobles—and along with him, his daughter. A self-proclaimed “faculty brat,” Schalman-Bergen was always conscious of the fact that she arrived at Nobles on a different path than most. Ski tags hung from metal clips on the jackets of other students, suggesting weekend trips to the mountains, season passes. “I am really cognizant of the privilege that I had to attend Nobles,” says Schalman-Bergen. “It has set me on a course to better understand the world that I interact with.”

Silveira and Schalman-Bergen each had unique paths to the Nobles community, but it is this shared experience that both women attribute to getting them to where they are today. Their gratitude has only grown in the decades since they graduated.

While we both vigorously represent our clients and our respective positions, our Nobles connection gives us the trust, respect and understanding as a base that helps us work better together.”

SARAH SCHALMAN-BERGEN ’97

2018 — THE CASE CONTINUES: MEDIATION

Almost a year after Schalman-Bergen and Silveira connected over email, their firms are still litigating the same case. A mediation, which was held in Oakland, California, is left unresolved, so the case continues. Schalman-Bergen, then a more junior attorney at a former law firm, suggests to her primarily male team that she feels she can work with the opposing counsel, one of whom she has known since high school, to come to an agreement that both sides feel good about. While she initially receives some pushback, it eventually becomes clear

Both women were encouraged by Nobles faculty members to take risks outside of their comfort zones—Silveira by Bill Kehlenbeck to take to the Assembly stage for many flute performances, and Schalman-Bergen by Beth Reilly ’87 to join the softball team.

that this is their best option. Six months later, the firms reach an impasse on several issues, and in 2019, SchalmanBergen and Silveira, accompanied by colleagues, meet in person to attempt to resolve the issues. “It took a while for me to convince them that this was an important relationship, that it mattered, and that I could speak to her in a way where she could communicate with her client and get through to them on certain issues,” says Schalman-Bergen. “And it wasn’t until in that case that both sides had a real impasse that she and I had the opportunity to connect.”

2019 — SETTING A PRECEDENT

It’s a cold January morning, and 8th Avenue is starting to hum. The 52 stories of the New York Times building hover over the city, cool and reflective, a colossal icicle piercing the winter skyline. On the 32nd floor is Seyfarth Shaw’s New York office.

Silveira has just flown in from Boston that morning and is already in the building. For Schalman-Bergen, who took the Amtrak from Philadelphia, it’s just a short walk from Penn Station, but the biting air makes it feel longer.

“The entrance to the New York Times building is cool and imposing, worthy of a corporate law firm office,” explains Schalman-Bergen. “There’s a security guard and a sleek elevator that takes you up high above New York City. Anytime

We knew each other when we were kids. We fundamentally know who each other is and what makes us tick. We are able to have contentious conversations and advocate for our clients…”

ALISON SILVEIRA ’97

I walk into a fancy law firm office, it reminds me that we are not on equal playing fields in terms of resources.”

When Silveira thinks back, she remembers being determined to get a “yes.” “We both knew that there was a way to do it,” she explains. “There were some very sticky issues where we both came into the meeting unwilling to compromise because of our clients’ needs.”

Accompanied by colleagues, Schalman-Bergen and Silveira spend the majority of the day in a conference room, passionately arguing for their positions from opposite sides of the table. After the seven-hour meeting, Schalman-Bergen is proud to call her office to report that they have managed to get it done. “There were a lot of lawyers on my side, and I was pretty proud that the two women on our side were the ones able to break through the impasse and get to a yes,”

she says. A settlement is reached in February 2019, and in January 2020, it is approved.

The next time Silveira and Schalman-Bergen see each other is in December 2021, working on a separate case. They finally get that beer together.

Even though they don’t always agree—and they often don’t—Schalman-Bergen and Silveira can always trust that the other person is coming from a place of good intentions. “What I think our relationship has brought in all the cases that we have had against each other, including some that are going on right now,” explains Silveira, “is a level of trust. We knew each other when we were kids. We fundamentally know who each other is and what makes us tick. We are able to have contentious conversations and advocate for our clients, but do it in a way that we can also get to a good result on both sides and trust that the other is being honest, which I think is not something you can always find in the legal profession.” Silveira explains that while conversations can get quite contentious and uncomfortable, having done this together now since 2017, they find they always come back to this place.

PAVING THE WAY

Silveira and Schalman-Bergen spoke up, were eventually heard, and resolved their first case together in a way that others in their firms could not. After years of similar work, they have earned the coveted title of partner in their respective firms, but their path to success was not without significant challenges.

“Law firms are no joke,” says Schalman-Bergen. “And they’re not all fun and games. So the fact that Alison and I are both women operating in a business world that is traditionally dominated by men feels like an important moment. We are in another series of litigations now, and we are able to speak freely and directly to each other in negotiations. I don’t have to ask anyone for permission to talk, and neither does she.

Silveira, the mother of three children, also faced her own challenges. Many of her obstacles surfaced as she worked to balance her career and her family. While Silveira always believed that she could achieve anything she set her mind to, she knew that she would have to do it on her own. But she was fortunate. “Seyfarth is a firm where I was able to practice on an alternative track and successfully keep my foot in the world, and keep going, and keep building my skills as an attorney,” she says. “But my path to partnership as a working mom of three was much more attenuated than it is for the men in our field who can be promoted much more easily.” Silveira explains that while efforts are being made to create alternative tracks and retain women in the

field so they do not have to step away due to the demands of motherhood, it is far from perfect.

HARKENING BACK TO NOBLES

Schalman-Bergen and Silveira continually point to their Nobles experience as the catalyst for their success in their law careers and in their work together (and against one another) since that serendipitous first case. They felt prepared, both academically and personally, as they stepped into the world beyond Nobles.

“I really do feel like Nobles set me up on the right track for life, put me where I am today, and that I am who I am today because I went there,” says Silveira. “There’s a place for supersmart kids, there’s a place for musicians, there’s a place for athletes, and there’s a place for drama. Whatever you’re interested in, you’re allowed to be who you are and to try different things.”

For Schalman-Bergen, Nobles was where she learned how to learn. “It prepared me very well academically,” she says. “I had some great teachers who I really connected with, who took great interest in me, spent a ton of time with me, and really cared about my development.”

The trust shared by these high school classmates has its roots at Nobles. “Knowing that trust is still going to be there,” explains Silveira, “we can have our conversations and be the advocate that both of us need to be, to do right by our clients. That’s always going to come first. But I think the connection that we have, from years ago from Nobles— how we were taught and the people we were taught to be— you can always come back to that.”

Schalman-Bergen articulates the essence of why they can do the challenging and contentious work well and remain friends outside of the courtroom. “She knows me,” she says. “There are very few people in my life who have known this many versions of me for this long.”

Graduate News

Leah Freeman-Haskin ’02 partners with illustrator Shantala Robinson to debut a children’s book that celebrates the color brown in The Last Two Crayons. See page 43.

Diving Into Naval History

This year, Liam Nawara ’20 had his second article published in a prestigious U.S. Naval Institute publication with an award-winning piece that explores lessons from the British Royal Navy’s use of converted commercial ships during the Falklands War.

BOOKSHELF

Clara Poole and the Wrong Way Up

BY TAYLOR TYNG ’91

Pixel+Ink; Coming July 2024

Middle Grade (age 8–12)

Soaring to the top is one thing. Staying there is quite another. That’s the message of the second book in the engrossing middle-grade adventure Clara Poole series.

Now studying naval architecture and marine engineering at the U.S. Naval Academy, Nawara has a fascination with naval history that comes naturally. With a father in the Navy, Nawara lived in places like Pearl Harbor and at the naval base where the Imperial Japanese Navy planned and practiced for that fateful attack.

That love of history was nurtured at Nobles, where he took classes like “Modern America at War” with Ben Snyder and began synthesizing his ideas through his work on Cogito, Nobles’ international affairs journal.

At the Naval Academy, Nawara, who will commission this spring and join the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program as a prospective submarine warfare officer, has fine-tuned his deep interest in history with the technical expertise from his engineering studies.

He set his sights on getting published in Proceedings, the prestigious monthly journal of the nonprofit U.S. Naval Institute, which he grew up seeing on his coffee table, and in March 2022, his first article was published in its pages. “Revive Expeditionary Battle Damage Repair Squadrons” covers limitations in the Navy’s model for battle damage repair. And in September 2023, Nawara was among the winners of the Chief of Naval Operations’ Naval History Essay Contest for another piece. That article, “Lessons for a Wartime U.S. Navy: STUFT Vessels in the Falklands War,” won first place in the midshipman/cadet historian category. The article was published in Proceedings in March 2024.

“It really was a combination of Nobles and the Naval Academy,” says Nawara of his success. “The two educations paired themselves incredibly well across a wide variety of fields.…Nobles prepared me for the Naval Academy and the academic rigor here at this institution, and Nobles, in so many other ways, prepared me to lead.”

The ferry Norland, one of the main ships taken up from trade (STUFT) for the Falklands War, was used as a troop transport.

Fresh off winning WOOBA’s One-Hundredth Air Race, Clara Poole should be flying high, but she’s feeling more uncertain than ever. After a summer of negative publicity, she arrives at Air Academy unsure if she even deserves to be there, to train as an aeronaut alongside her new friends…only to discover that there are several conditions to her acceptance.

But that becomes the least of her problems when a series of strange accidents throws her and her friends’ safety into question. Circumstances shift from bad to worse when the school’s headmaster goes missing, hurling the academy into disarray and under the iron-grip control of Assistant Head of School Cyprian Hunt. Friends become enemies, and enemies become friends as Clara tries to keep herself out of trouble. But trouble may be the one thing she can’t avoid.

With humor, heart and more death-defying feats than you can imagine, Clara Poole and the Wrong Way Up is a stunning second novel that explores how the journey to get what you want is perhaps more important than the goal itself.

The Last Two Crayons

BY LEAH FREEMAN-HASKIN ’02

Groundwood Books

Children (ages 3–6)

Sienna looks forward to drawing a picture for her school’s spring art show, until she ends up with the last two crayons.

By the time Sienna arrives at the art table in her classroom, all the crayons are gone except dark brown and light brown. Now, how can she make a special picture for the art show? Andy teases that all she’ll be able to draw is mud and dog poop. Her teacher tries to cheer her up, telling her that lots of wonderful things are brown. So Sienna imagines some of her favorite things—her grandma’s rose garden, her new bicycle, rainbows—but none of them are brown! Her friends remind her that chocolate ice cream is brown, and so is the grizzly bear at the zoo. Sienna draws both, with the help of her friends, but neither picture seems special enough. In the end, inspired by an early memory, Sienna comes up with her own idea for a drawing that’s perfect for the art show.

The Last Two Crayons looks at the beautiful world of brown, with a heartwarming and empowering ending that celebrates diversity, creativity and family.

Global Advocacy

For Saffiyah Coker ’20, a senior at Tufts University double-majoring in economics and international relations, the world is her oyster. Coker traveled to Ghana twice in the past two years, most recently as the recipient of the Anne E. Borghesani Memorial Prize, to research the Kayayei, female headporters in the Madina marketplace.

“My host family took me to the marketplace and helped to translate as I spoke with these women, who carry incredibly heavy pans on their heads with goods for people as they shopped,” recalls Coker. “Due to the arduous nature of their work, many of these women have fertility issues and back pain, yet they move with such speed, grace and elegance.” Coker aims to examine the wage disparities between these women and the men working within the informal labor market in Ghana for her senior economics thesis.

Her time at Nobles planted and nurtured the seed to learn about and understand new cultures and peoples, and to highlight social inequalities. As a Class V student, Coker went on an EXCEL (Experiential and Community Engaged Learning) trip to South Africa, and later in high school, she went to France on a language immersion EXCEL trip. Coker also participated in City Term, spending a semester as a Class II student in New York City. “The opportunities afforded to me at Nobles were life-changing,” says Coker. “I learned to love experiential learning and moving out of my comfort zone. Now I actively work to seek out these chances to grow.”

Coker’s next global adventure will be moving to Asia with the Luce Scholars program after graduation to work in a development bank that primarily finances African, Asian and Caribbean investment projects. She will continue to research, ask questions, meet people, and identify inequality that is often deeply structurally rooted in societies. Through her work and actions, Coker is personifying the advice she would give to Nobles students today: “Do what you want to do, even if it is the opposite of what others are doing. You will be amazed at how many dividends you will gain in the end.”

In spring 2024, Coker earned the Presidential Award for Civic Life, Tufts University’s highest honor for outstanding civic leadership and service.

“Do what you want to do, even if it is the opposite of what others are doing. You will be amazed at how many dividends you will gain in the end.”

Meaningful Mentorship

In 2020, Lizzy Rueppel ’18 embraced intergenerational connection as the world experienced widespread isolation—perhaps elders most acutely. Rueppel, then a junior studying public health at the University of Michigan, volunteered with Perfect Pair, an organization that matches college students with older adults to enrich the quality of life, health and sense of purpose for both. Now at Columbia University Medical Center, Rueppel coordinates clinical research for an Alzheimer’s study and remains on Perfect Pair’s leadership team. Below, she speaks about her volunteer experience.

How did you become involved with Perfect Pair?

I joined as one of the first volunteers for our Michigan founding chapter and fell in love with the program because it creates these unique one-on-one connections. I didn’t feel like I was volunteering; it just felt like a meaningful relationship with my pair, Bobbie Jean. I came to call her as my third grandma, and she called me her 15th great-grandchild. I loved it so much that I decided to join the leadership team. I was the third member of our national board, and the three of us realized the impact of the program and how we could grow it to other schools and campuses. We’re now at 20 schools in 15 states, and I’m still heavily involved in the operations.

It’s unusual for someone your age to seek time with older people. What makes it so worthwhile not only for them but for you?

Intergenerational connections offer so much mutual understanding, empathy and companionship. When there were stresses in my life, I’d talk to my pair, and she’d say, “Oh, I’ve done that,” and then share three or four stories. I loved having that mentorship in college, when life can get stressful and everything feels so intense. Many seniors experience loneliness, which can have so many negative effects not only on their mental well-being but also on their physical well-being—those impacts are really clear. But the surprising impact is on students; it’s not initially why they sign up, but they realize that by being in the program, they get a close friend with great mentorship, advice and

support. The biggest takeaway of our program is that those connections are mutual.

What do you wish people understood better about this stage of life for the elders you’re working with?

There’s such a unique joy in aging, and it’s not scary. Longterm-care facilities can be intimidating to younger adults, but there’s such beauty in spending time with those rich in experience and advice. I want to reframe the conversation: They’re just people who love talking, sharing their life stories, and hearing about

others, who are open to new ideas. There are so many stereotypes that our program is trying to fight, along with the ageist thinking that we should be siloed and separated.

How has your experience informed and influenced your career aspirations in public health and Alzheimer’s research?

I’ve always been interested in medicine but have gained unique insight into the challenges that older adults face in terms of having comprehensive support, funded care and policies that support

the needs of this growing population. I’m dedicated to improving the conversation and advocating for greater resources. My goal is to go into primary care with a geriatric focus; less than 3 percent of primary care physicians are geriatricians. The challenges, the management and the presentation of illness are so different in older adults, so we really need that specialized care.

Through Perfect Pair, Lizzy Rueppel and her match, Bobbie Jean, built a friendship that endures over

time and across the miles.

Documenting Gen Z Politics

As soon as Rachel Janfaza ’16 could apply for a role in the student newspaper, the Nobleman, she did. A longtime love of writing sparked her initial interest. But, once on staff, what she found was more than an opportunity to write.

There, Janfaza remembers Henry Kinard and John Hirsch, then the newspaper’s faculty advisors, fostering an environment that encouraged tough conversations about often controversial topics. Those freeflowing discussions empowered the students to ensure their perspectives were always at the center of the newspaper’s coverage, she said.

Today, young Americans’ viewpoints are at the heart of Janfaza’s work as a professional journalist, too. She freelances for publications such as The New York Times and Teen Vogue, and is the founder of The Up and Up, a newsletter that covers what young Americans think about politics.

While at Harvard, she studied abroad in London and wrote about a youth-led movement against Brexit for Teen Vogue. Her college thesis dove into the role of social media in youth-led movements.

After graduating in 2020, Janfaza became an associate writer at CNN, covering campaigns and breaking news while also writing about young voters, a position she loved. The 2022 midterm elections allowed Janfaza to strike out on her own to focus exclusively on young voters— Gen Z, her generation, in particular.

Born between 1997 and 2012, the generation has experienced a series of crises—from 9/11 to the 2008 financial crisis, school shootings, catastrophic weather events and the pandemic. And while other generations also have grappled with serious hardships, social media has made it far easier for young people to react to them and mobilize.

That’s especially true for Gen Z, the first generation to fully grow up on social media, Janfaza said. “That sense of awareness through social media is both overwhelming and also empowering.”

In the past three election cycles, “really super fed-up young people,” as Janfaza calls them, have turned out in exceptionally high numbers. What they’ll do this fall isn’t so clear, and that’s what Janfaza is focused on now. She’s embarking on listening sessions and focus groups on and off college and high school campuses, mostly in battleground states, which will inform her reporting on and Up and other work. “My goal is to tell the story of the political com ing of age of Gen Z,” says Janfaza.

The Power of Giving

A journey of hope and the spirit of paying it forward

BY MATT GLAZIER ’05 | ILLUSTRATION BY BLAKE CALE

I have always been an adventurous, active person. I like to think it began in 2003, when I attended a class trip to Vietnam with Nobles classmates. We biked from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, learning about the culture and seeing the country— it was incredible. From there, I was hooked. Throughout my adult life, I traveled frequently and explored new places, from heli-skiing in the Canadian Rockies to hiking Machu Picchu. Seeing the world was always my biggest adrenaline rush.

Then, in late 2020, I started feeling really sick. I became overwhelmed by constant fatigue, and soon I was unable to be physically active. I was hospitalized in January 2021 with a rare genetic disease that caused abrupt kidney failure. I was promptly initiated into dialysis treatment, prescribed countless medications, and informed about the urgency of a kidney transplant.

For the millions of other Americans who’ve had similar conversations with their doctors, they know the kidney transplant process is not easy. Nearly 2,000 cases of kidney failure are diagnosed in Massachusetts each year, and fewer than 5 percent receive a transplant. The average waiting period for a deceased kidney donor is about four years. Finding a living donor can expedite this process, but campaigning to find a match can feel daunting, especially while managing the additional challenges of dialysis.

Six months after receiving my diagnosis, and with barely any movement in finding a donor, my amazing wife, Julia, took to social media to ask for help. Her post was shared by countless friends, and friends of friends, and applications began pouring in. I knew my match had to be in this group of selfless people.

Rewind to 2017. I had met David Atkins when we were both living in San Francisco. We were connected by a mutual affiliation to Nobles; Dave’s wife, Faith, comes from a long line of Crowleys who attended Nobles. We became incredibly close very quickly. Only a year after meeting Dave and Faith, Julia and I moved to Los Angeles, and eventually to Boston, but we remained in constant contact. When Dave heard about my situation, he immediately came forward as a potential donor. A friend I’d had for only a few years was willing to save my life. Wow. I started believing the transplant was possible.

The process of finding a living donor is extensive, to say the least. My transplant team at Mass General began with a handful of potential matches, and after countless blood tests, tissue samples and various other procedures, they narrowed it down to two strong applicants. Due to HIPAA restrictions, the transplant team wasn’t allowed to share the applicants’ identities. Dave and I kept in close contact throughout the process, so I knew he was one of the two. I didn’t know it then, but the other match would play an important role in my story later.

After six months of extensive screenings (blood tests, EKGs, chest X-rays, tissue matching, various disease screenings and heart tests), Dave was deemed the best match for me. And in September 2021, we underwent surgery together at Mass General. After about four hours for Dave, and seven hours for me, the transplant was a success. We recovered in adjoining bedrooms at my home in Boston, watching football games and finally breathing sighs of relief.

Today, I feel stronger than ever. I will never truly be able to express my gratitude to Dave and Faith for their sacrifice. Their gift quite literally gave me my life back, and it allowed

us to start a family. Julia and I welcomed a baby boy in November 2023.

When I share my experience, I often get hung up on the thought of that second donor. Back when Dave was deemed the best fit, I asked my transplant team for the name of the anonymous donor. I wanted to thank them for their generosity in going through the extensive testing process. The transplant team told me that the person had never met me but was touched by my story and wanted to remain unknown.

The thought that someone I had never met would consider giving me this life-saving gift is incredible, but to also not want any recognition is genuinely unbelievable. It is the truest, purest act of kindness I could ever imagine. I often ask myself, if the roles were reversed, would I be capable of doing such an act? This thought drives me to be a better person and empowers Julia and me to give back.

In late 2023, Julia and I launched the David Atkins Fund in partnership with the American Kidney Fund. Named after my selfless donor, the David Atkins Fund provides financial and educational support for current and potential living kidney donors. We’ve issued nearly 40 financial grants in the Boston area, covering transplant expenses not covered by insurance. We’re thrilled to get this initiative off the ground and are honored to help other kidney patients and the heroes who give them a second chance. In summer 2024, we will expand the program to the New York metro area.

“I also think about that anonymous donor, and the love I feel for that perfect stranger. And though we didn’t end up being a match, I’ll forever cherish their generosity.”

As I reflect on the past three years since my initial diagnosis, I think about the long chain of events and the difficult yet beautiful memories woven through each link. The doctors, the administrators, the friends and strangers reaching out to provide support, the neighbors dropping off hot meals, the family members driving me to the dialysis center, the call from Dave celebrating our match news, the tears and the restlessness, and the hope and the promise that we’d turn this experience into invaluable perspective. I also think about that anonymous donor, and the love I feel for that perfect stranger. And though we didn’t end up being a match, I’ll forever cherish their generosity.

Graduate Notes

Sarah Faux ’04 in her Brooklyn, New York, painting studio.

PHOTO BY JSP ART PHOTOGRAPHY

1952 & 1953

Class Correspondent

John Childs

Let’s begin with a dinner here at North Hill in late January with Terry and Dave Horton, Susan and Bob Hoffman, and Jean and me, arranged by Tom Linden’s widow, Sally. This mini-reunion was a hoot and brought back memories going back to the 1940s. Horton hasn’t changed, full of energy and living in a condo in Wayland, while Hoffie has slowed down some but is still engaged and holding his own. Meanwhile, Terry, Susan, Sally and Jean remain, of course, dynamos.

Bob Hoffman shared: “Hello, all. Now that I am in my 90th year, it is time to tell you how I got here. Susan and I have five children, including three Nobles graduates: Karen Hoffman ’84, Chris Hoffman ’85 and Stephen Hoffman ’86. Four of them now live on the West Coast, from Seattle to Eugene, Oregon, to Los Angeles. Son Greg and his cousin Kay now own and operate Hoffman Insurance. Susan and I live at North Hill, and a year and a half ago, I suffered a stroke, so I am now in skilled nursing care. Thank heaven we moved here when we did. I hope all of you are in good shape, and best of luck.”

Staying with the ’52 guys, who are all now or soon to be 90, Ben Taylor reports from Northern California that “vertigo” struck him four years ago, taking him away from the joys of fishing and golf, causing a fall that fractured a hip, and forcing the use of a walker. A good deal of his time is now devoted to

writing and conversing with old friends, particularly fishing buddies, who joined him on the water in Central America, Iceland, Canada, Alaska, the Bahamas, the Florida Keys and New Zealand (12 times). His favorite Nobles memory: “Beating Milton to complete an undefeated football season with teammates from two great classes.”

Lu Hallett and Carol are thriving in “warm” Florida, enjoying their successful family, and are full of stories from his military days flying helicopters. He and a 90-year-old contemporary are the last of 19 buddies still alive, and one incident is worth repeating here. While stationed in Alaska monitoring Russian activity near the ice cap, Lu landed to place his foot directly on the spot of the North Pole. Try and top that one!

Carol Willauer recounted a rough welcome to 2024 for both Peter Willauer and herself. It started in late December, in Nevis, when Peter was

hospitalized with bronchial pneumonia, medevacked to Ft. Lauderdale, and then medevacked to Portland, Maine, for rehab and therapy. Along the way, Carol got COVID, then norovirus, and spent a week in the hospital. “Hell of a way to start the New Year!” Forever resilient, they are both on the mend and planning a return to Nevis in April for a month.

Moving on to the Class of ’53, Stanley Johnson responded that he and Thora “are still moving about on this planet, taking the upcoming election seriously, enjoying our three children and five grands, and are happy.” He also reminded me that carpooling on cold days when I drove and he lived close by, I would put the car in second gear and push the motor hard to warm the car quicker. Trivia (stupidity?) never dies! Jack Farlow reported from snowy Maine about the joy of snow-blowing, exploiting the local library (recommends authors Lee Child and Tess

GRADUATE NOTES GUIDELINES:

Ger ritsen), and has high praise for the TV series Good Omens. Charlie Soule is “still kicking” in Falmouth, Maine, awaiting warmer weather for boating and golf, plus playing bridge and performing “honey-do projects” in anticipation of the inevitable “D-Day.” I also had the pleasure of chatting with Ted Jennings, and he sent along the following thoughts: “After 30 years of overlooking the Hudson River south of Albany, Sally and I moved 10 years ago to a retirement community even closer to doctors and downtown. No stairs, no lawnmowers, no snow shovels and plenty of friends to eat dinner with. One Nobles memory: Bram Arnold ’44 stuffing an obstreperous Dick Crespi into a wastebasket. Another memory: the short, secret ‘Honor Roll’ of those ‘excused’ from Mr. Eaton’s literature class. Wish we could share more in person!”

A short report from Dave Thibodeau, proving he is in good shape and enjoying life.

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Getting away from his “home” at Fox Hill, he has been staying in Naples this winter and is hoping to go on a cruise on the Great Lakes this spring. It took a bit of prodding, but Harris Poor fills us in on his life voyage. Whereas I referred to us rounding third base, he insists on still occupying second base. His road to getting there includes singing, opera, oratorio and teaching both singing and business after retiring and obtaining a master’s degree. He obviously has a strong interest in classical music, but more important, jazz music from the bebop era, evidenced by an impressive collection of autographs from Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and 50 others. Like all of us, he has medical issues, but controllable ones, and his wife, La Vonne, keeps him on track. “I feel she is the reason I am still on second base. My greetings to all classmates, and I can say go slowly around third. Keep plugging!” Finally, Jean and I continue to thrive at North Hill, remaining active on committees, curling, playing bad golf, sailing (Jean), and thoroughly enjoying the escapades of our children and grandkids. So, that is the news from 12 of the 17 presumed living members of ’52–’53. No word from Atwell, Bennett, Biddle, Blanchard or Geilich

1955

Class Correspondent

Bob Chellis

Bob Chellis reports that the Class of ’55 carries on, mostly upbeat and active.

Charlie Nichols writes from Pennsylvania, “Linda and I are doing fine…age affects, but it doesn’t hinder. We have a great-grandchild due in April, a college graduation in May, a college reunion in June, grandchild wedding in June in Southwest Harbor, Maine, and another grandchild wedding in October at Tanglewood. Daily activities are unchanged…horses and cars.”

Sam Gray and Gerry are doing well, and they’ll be ready for more summer sailing. Larry Flood and Tyler are still in Blue Hill, Maine, year-round, when they aren’t adventure-traveling. They’re involved with Blue Hill’s excellent local public/ private high school, following their enthusiasms, and reading everything in sight. I didn’t hear from Freeman Davison, but he and Darlene are at Lakewood Ranch in Florida.

Jim Lowell and Susan are living at the Community at Pond Meadow. He’s an active investor and advisor, and social investing is still a main focus for him and his clients. He worries about the stability of the U.S. market, international trade and the health-care systems.

Tim Horne writes that his Sanibel Island home, newly built in 2019, was built to withstand major hurricanes. And it has, though some post-hurricane repairs must be made. The island overall has a long road to recovery. Tim’s been visiting a number of national parks, and especially liked Crater Lake in Oregon. This very deep and dark blue lake is purportedly the second largest volcanic lake in the world!

Tremendous scenery there, and in that part of Oregon. A similar visit to the North Cascade Mountains in Washington State revealed a panoramic view of snow-capped mountains—many above 10,000 feet—gorgeous valleys and lakes, and a terrain largely undisturbed. A true wilderness, it’s one of the least visited of all the national parks. Travel to Greece in May will include Athens and environs, and the interesting island of Santorini. Meanwhile, Watts Water Technologies celebrates its 150th anniversary this year and continues to grow profitably. The company went public in 1986 and is listed on the NYSE, and the Horne family still holds significant ownership.

David Fisher writes often, loves the San Francisco area, and has a place on beautiful Lake Tahoe. David’s sister, Judy Robbins, a poet, retired from the Winsor School English faculty, is at Fox Hill Village, as am I (12 years, but who’s counting). We’re on a book committee together, and she confirms that David continues as well and enthusiastic as ever.

And your clerk, Bob Chellis, notes that (signs of aging) last spring I was eager, as usual, to soak up sun on my fourth-floor balcony, the morning paper and black coffee, while getting some (healthy) color. Then the multiple Mohs surgeries started, seemingly from head to heel, then three months of brachytherapy. Look it up: It’s radiation oncology for small cancers in difficult places. It’s effective, saves the bone, but twice as many small doses are needed to do the job.

Time-consuming, so I’m well behind on everything. Sandy is into her fourth year of memory care assisted living. She’s in a lovely 12-resident cottage here at Fox Hill, with supportive programs, meals prepared and all tasks done by a dedicated staff. And it’s just a five-minute walk uphill from my apartment.

We lost John Harrison last year, and Sally is carrying on in the house on Richards Rd., near Dedham center. Last year, Johnny gave us a poem he had written, honoring others, and it was in the Class Notes. This year—reading it again—he’s gone, but it fits him like a glove, and I’d like to print it again, honoring him and all our lost 1950s schoolmates, “for whom the bell has tolled.”

Remembrance

You who were so kind and strong

We honor you this day

Your spirit conveyed was like a song

Cheering away dismay

Remorse we feel cannot depart

For we who cared so dearly

Will remember always your loving heart

Which gave to others so freely.

This day we share sadness and love

For the loss of one so true

Yet, we have heard from up above Your wish for a happy Adieu

In these days we live without you

We hold warm memories within our hearts

As we fondly think about you

While, for a while, we are apart.

J.J.H. Jr. ’55

1956

Class Correspondent

Gren

“Rocky” Whitman

John Fritts shared some lore surrounding the building of the ’56 Path. It was Fred Wells who had the “great idea” for building it as the class gift. John recalls: “There was a problem of keeping the various levels in place. I saw some railroad ties near the Public Works Building in Wellesley and thought they might be the solution. The night watchman said we could have a dozen or so of the old ties. Under the cover of darkness, we used the Nobles dump truck and ‘acquired’ 12 ties, new ones, of course, and rewarded the watchman with a bottle of my father’s favorite bourbon. I’m certain the New York Central Railroad never missed them.”

George Waterman reports: “I continue to expand the library of worldwide art from 1940 to today. Visual Art Library is now nearing 100,000 books and catalogs from Africa, the Near and Far East, Europe and the Americas. The library is all about art, including video art, land art, performance art, painting, sculpture, computer art, assemblage collage, drawing and other forms. Susan Firestone and I will head to Venice for a month in April, primarily for the opening of the Venice Biennale, where approximately 90 countries will be represented.” (For more info: visualartlibrary.org)

A Wounded Dove

The dove of peace is circling above us

Looking for a place to land

She is tired, worn out with a wounded wing

So many have dedicated their lives in her name

Isaiah envisioned swords being turned into plowshares

St. Francis refused to join the Crusades

Muhammad was a prophet of peace,

Buddha spread a gospel of peace Gandhi taught the world nonviolence

MLK shot for protesting a war

John Lewis jailed and beaten

Our culture has ears that do not hear

We have turned plowshares into swords

Peacemakers silenced, murdered, imprisoned

The dove of peace circling nowhere to land

We need a voice to shout from the mountain top

— Bob Bach

“In evolution’s joke on humans,” comments Dave Carroll, “I’m developing a painful bad back, roughly lumbar vertebrae 3 and 4. Our class of vertebrates develop these problems because the axial skeleton was designed to walk on toes and knuckles, and evolution has just not caught up with walking upright. That makes us king of the beasts, intellectually, and medically, king of the chiropractors’ living.”

John Turtle reports, “Anne and I enjoy our life now at Lasell Village in Auburndale. Last year, I set up a Class of 1956 Zoom meeting. It was nice to have 12 classmates join. I recognized

“Under the cover of darkness, we used the Nobles dump truck and ‘acquired’ 12 ties...I’m certain the New York Central Railroad never missed them.”

more names than faces.” John says he’s ready to set up another Zoom meeting for ’56. Let him know if you’re interested by contacting him at john.turtle@ verizon.net.

1957

Class Correspondent

Eliot Putnam

David Woods writes from Peterborough, New Hampshire, where he moved in 2017 to a Continuous Care Retirement Community called RiverMead. David’s wife, Eleanor, already had dementia, so she moved directly into memory care, but she died on the same day that Biden was inaugurated in 2021. David reports that “RiverMead is comfortable living with cleaning, dinners and snow removal all provided for. We are about 300 residents, many with similar backgrounds to ours. So I have good friends among

John Fritts ’56 reminiscing about the railroad ties he and his classmates “liberated” for the construction of their class gift, the ’56 Path.

the residents. A few years ago, Harry Healer and his wife, Cynthia, moved into RiverMead also. Harry is now in assisted living. I spend my days walking a neighbor’s dog, reading lots of classic authors I missed at Nobles (e.g., Jane Austen) and Doris Kearns Goodwin, whose histories of American Presidents have given me a whole new dimension of understanding our history. Of course, I still love music and adore the interpretations of Yuja Wang, a Chinese-born pianist whose repertoire includes most of the great Romantic concertos. I would love to know how [former faculty member] Richard Van Kleeck ’45 would have responded to her playing. Like most 84-year-olds, my bones are weaker and other systems are yielding to age, but, on the whole, I can still get around and am enjoying life.”

Eliot Putnam shares some thoughts about winter, Motley’s Pond and climate change: “An article in the February 20 Boston Globe was headed: ‘Joys of ice fishing remain, but there’s a catch.’ It, of course, described the impact global warming is having on our everyday lives, especially our winter lives, whether in making ice-fishing tournaments or pond hockey less and less possible because safe natural ice is harder and harder to find. And that, of course, took me way, way back to our Nobles era, when winters were winters, snow drifts dominated the campus, and Motley’s Pond was the center of winter activity. By early December, back in the ’50s, we would anxiously test

the safety of the ice that was forming on Motley’s, and when the safety OK was given, all roads led to ‘The Skatehouse,’ where we donned our skates and ventured out on the shiny, black, beautiful surface of pond ice. What a moment that was, how free one felt gliding through the crisp, cold air, how delightful to hear the sound of skates cutting the surface or hockey pucks being slapped about. I remember the rickety old board rink we put up, the hockey games we played in it with other schools, how cold our fingers would get on especially wintry days. I especially remember ‘Zoof’ Warner, one of Nobles’ great faculty members and coaches, treating the rink with a homemade resurfacing rig he made from wood and hoses in preparation for a hockey game. In especially cold winters, one was able to skate up and down the Charles River for considerable distances.

Well into February, skating on Motley’s dominated winter life, and playing hockey in artificial ice rinks was the exception, rather than the rule, there being only a few of them in the Boston area back then. So…a wonderful memory. Sorry you missed it, if indeed you did.”

Lance Grandone is “still kicking here in Nokomis, Florida. The latest body parts showing signs of wear are the knees, but I refuse to undergo knee replacements at my age, so I just received cortisone shots in each knee, and what an improvement! Add some physical therapy, and I’m getting around much better now. It is absolutely critical that I maintain my

health as I’m the primary caregiver for Karin, as she is housebound with all her health issues. I’m staying busy with the condo association. I enjoy the work, and it’s a way to leave a legacy for the other owners so they don’t have to worry about the mundane operational issues. We still live in our Nokomis house and rent out the two condos we own. I just finished building two new PCs for a home network with links to our condo management company and those owners who have computers. I don’t know what we would do without the Internet. However, every day I get about 75 email updates from various news sources and tech sites, and there are always three to four cases of company files being hacked, ransomware or denial-of-service cases. This is deeply concerning to me after spending 45 years in the information systems and management consulting fields, as I am well aware of the consequences of hostile intrusions to our country’s infrastructure. Just the thought of our losing power or communication access is enough to keep anyone up at night. I am trying to keep as mentally active and informed by reading, doing puzzles, and taking vitamins. I hate to say it, but I think 2024 is going to be a watershed year for our country, and not in a good way. I just hope we will survive it without a civil war.

“I hope all is going well for the survivors of the Class of 1957. I always look forward to reading the Nobles magazine and checking the Nobles website. I wish I wasn’t so far away geographically so I could take

advantage of mini-reunions. Warm regards to all.”

Robert McElwain reports, “How lucky we were to have that wonderfully unique experience of attending Nobles in the 1950s. A few of us did not have particularly impressive résumés when we applied to Nobles, and, when we get together nowadays, we have some chuckles about that and how we often struggled and misbehaved. In my case, I always got low grades in math and English. But I always received encouraging comments from my teachers about how I hung in there and worked hard (‘Keep it up, Mac,’ etc.). My teachers were incredibly supportive throughout my five years at Nobles, especially after my parents died in my junior and senior years. I was addicted to soccer and baseball. Our teachers were our coaches. Parent volunteers and our coaches would drive us to games in their own much-used cars. Mr. Horton, our baseball coach and math teacher, particularly liked going down to Rhode Island to play against St. George’s. One of the reasons? Gas down there was nine cents a gallon! In those days we had ice hockey on Motley’s Pond and baseball ‘spring training’ in ‘The Cage.’ We loved all of that. I could go on and on, but this entry is starting to bulge at the seams. After graduation, we went off in different directions. Most of us went on to college. Four of us went into the Army, National Guard or Air Force. Since I was refused at the colleges I applied to, I chose to volunteer for the draft before the draft got me

after college. So I went down to the Army recruitment booth on Waltham Common and enlisted. Good choice: I went to Germany, made new friends in the Army from Waterville, Maine, Brooklyn, New York and New Jersey. In closing, I chose to teach French and Spanish and coach soccer, cross country and baseball on the junior high school level, public and private, after attending college at Trinity and Middlebury. I loved all of it, and I am indebted to my Nobles teachers and coaches, and headmaster Eliot Putnam, for all their encouragement and inspiration all these years.

“Postscript: I once came over to Nobles with my Fenn School cross country team back around 1990. At the end of our XC event, as I was waiting for the last runners (by now walkers) to cross over the finish line, I noticed a very familiar figure, an older man, walking along next to the river: It was Mister Bird, aka ‘GK Bird,’ one of my Nobles teacher/coach heroes. We had a wonderful mini-reunion right then and there!”

1958

Class Correspondent

Chris Morss

Tappy Wilder writes: “On January 1, I turned over my title and duties as Thornton Wilder’s ‘literary executor’ to Jeremy McCarter, the gifted writer, producer and arts executive in the worlds of drama, to say nothing of the depth of his understanding and appreciation of Thornton Wilder’s take on the world. I have known Jeremy for some 20 years, and the Wilders

are thrilled that he is now officially on the Good Ship Wilder. I will continue to captain the ship (LLC) in a legal and managerial way, although now with more time for research, writing and naps. The Wilder year ahead, anchored by Imelda Staunton playing the part of Dolly Levi this summer in a London West End production of Hello, Dolly! and a late fall opening of Our Town on Broadway, directed by Kenny Leon, is pretty exciting. I may have to put those naps on hold, but you never know…”

Peter Horton writes: “Last summer, I spent several nights in the hospital due to a hungry tick. I came away with great respect and admiration for the night staff, and, by some crazy reasoning, we haven’t watched any TV for the last five months. Much relief.”

Bill Russell writes: “On the happy side, I regularly enjoyed recollections from the conversations with Nobles classmates at the highly successful dinner last June. Thanks again to Bob Bland and Chris Morss. On the unhappy side, my brother, Tim Russell ’61, died suddenly last September. I’ve been blessed with having many wonderful friends; my friendship with Tim lasted the longest of any and is deserving of being called the best. I write this from Disney in Orlando, Florida. Jan and I are with our three children, two in-laws and four grandchildren. I intend to avoid all roller coasters and other kinds of terror-inducing extravaganzical activities.”

Chris Morss writes: “Just over a year ago, after 40 years of owning it, I sold my

1941 Plymouth woodie to an enthusiastic younger buyer who has done wonders with it. The 1940 Pontiac convertible underwent refurbishing at a fine body shop last fall and remains in my garage. The major challenge now is undertaking a major Marie Kondo job on this hopelessly cluttered house, but as a member in good standing of Procrastinators Anonymous, no progress is being made, alas.”

Peter Wadsworth gave a recent presentation to the members of the Friday Evening Club, in which he summarized the evolution of his career and pro bono work in health care from 1970 to the present. In 2017, he published a book entitled Finding the Best Healthcare You Can Afford and has since authored or co-authored numerous articles on health care with an emphasis on quality improvement and consumer involvement. He is a co-founder of the Better Healthcare Policy Group (BHCPG.org), which includes nationally known experts in health-care management and economics. Last year they published a white paper entitled “The Better Care Plan: a blueprint for improving America’s healthcare system.”

He is currently focusing on patient safety and publicly reported health outcomes.

Peter Norstrand writes: “Kathy and I celebrated our 30th anniversary with a long weekend in NYC. Saw four shows, including Stephen Sondheim (Merrily We Roll Along) and Michael Jackson (MJ), a comedy (& Juliet), very funny, and an intense drama (Appropriate). Half a day at the Met and MOMA.

Over 14,000 steps one day. Dined at a fabulous Greek restaurant, Milos, in the company of Nathan Lane and Apple’s Tim Cook. Decompressed on Amtrak’s Northeast Regional on the way home, enjoying Connecticut and Rhode Island seaside vistas.”

Michael Whitman is downsizing to a smaller house and selling his chainsaw, like probably everyone else in their early 80s. He shares: “Wow, ‘early 80s’ does sound older than I feel, or, I’m afraid, act. I enjoy continuing to get into ‘good trouble,’ as Gren’s old pal John Lewis put it.”

1960

Class Correspondent

Albert Vandam

Al Vandam and Alison went on a two-week Alaskan cruise on the Ponant (French) line last fall, Nome to Victoria, BC. Great wildlife and cultural events.

Tom Walker writes: “After 24 years, we are still very fond of our adopted home in New Jersey. It is remarkably green, and the four seasons are moderate; none of the tank farms or superfund sites are nearby. What more could you ask? Especially when the summer produce is some of the best in the world?

“Molly has transitioned from her work with the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia and now is totally immersed in doing the art. She loves every minute, and is remarkably good, says one with 10 thumbs and no color sense. I became involved in a renewable energy project 15 years ago; we are hoping that the first turbine blades will spin

while I am still alive to see it, and we are actively working on a couple of solar projects, and better and more sensible uses for our biomass. It’s fascinating, and some Penn State RESS classes have made it even more so. Three of our children are within a day’s drive of here in West Virginia, Vermont, and Bolton, Massachusetts. It is wonderful to see their families. We keep busy and are very much enjoying retirement.”

1961

Class Correspondent

Peter Ward

Brad Willauer celebrated his 80th birthday with 15 kids and grandkids at Sugarloaf, where their season’s ski pass for octogenarians is a mere $30. The Willauer family still races their boat Breezing Up every year in the Newport Bermuda Race with an all-Willauer crew of eight. Brad is still involved advancing the Maine College of Art and Design, where he was board chair a decade ago, and the Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership—a Willauer family effort.

Bert Dane and his wife, Sally, traveled to Egypt, Malta and Portugal on three different trips in 2023. They got their entire family of 16 together to celebrate Bert’s 80th birthday. They still love living at North Hill, where Sam Mandell and Rae Ann also live.

Abbot Cutler, retired professor at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, published his fourth collection of poems in January titled Roosting Place of the Crows

(Lilypool Press). His earlier collections are Rebecca, 1843-1847, The Dog Isn’t Going Anywhere and Say Dance, Say Night. Abbot and wife Sarah gave up a house they built 40 years ago at the end of a long dirt road and have moved to Shelburne Falls within an easy walk to the coffee shop and the bar. A lot less maintenance! They travel regularly to Reno and Boulder to see their sons and grandkids.

John Merrill just finished Teehalt’s Planet, a sciencefiction novel based on the work of author Jack Vance, whose entire 43-volume work graces John’s library. To get your free copy, send your mailing address to merrillintl@gmail.com. John’s novel Sons of Light (2004) has a five-star rating on Amazon.

Chuck Kaman ponders crypto. Two years ago, he got a patent on a cipher. His wife Maureen Malin, continues full time providing emotional support, education and clinical skill to medically complex patients with neurodegenerative diseases and their families at McLean, the largest psychiatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.

Sam Sears is 90 percent retired from his law firm. He spends as much time as possible with his five children and nine grandchildren and traveling with his wife, Marilyn, to Croatia, the Iberian Peninsula, Mexico, Hawaii and such.

Sam Perry is still working part time in money management. He and his wife, Melissa, are alternating their time between homes in Chestnut Hill and the Adirondacks, growing vegetables wherever they can.

1. Albert Vandam ’60 and his wife, Alison, in Glacier Bay, Alaska 2. Alexander Caskey ’64, Matt Schmid ’65 and Alexander’s son Sasha Caskey 3. Steve Owen ’66, Dick Byrd ’67 and Mike Wiggins ’64 catch up before the Nobles-Milton game.

Peter Ward and wife Adrienne were scheduled to cruise to South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula after Christmas but had to cancel in mid-December when Peter woke one morning with a major case of atrial fibrillation that was finally reversed in early February. Not life-threatening, but it sure saps all your energy! His four kids and five grandkids live in San Diego, Santa Rosa, Eugene and Bainbridge Island. See the live view of the Grand Teton from his desk at PetersWebcam.com.

Jack Lowell and his wife, Natasha, have lived in the same house in Coral Gables, Florida, for 39 years. Natasha is a private banker with Grove Bank, and Jack is a commercial real estate broker with Colliers, now retired. They have five healthy, employed kids and three grandchildren, aged 4, 5 and 20. They are both very active in community work. Jack serves on the boards of the Salvation Army, Teach for America, and the Bond Issue Advisory Board for the Miami County School Board; he’s former chair of

the Coral Gables Community Foundation and current chair of the Coral Gables Property Advisory Board, all of which keeps him very busy. Every August they spend three weeks in Mattapoisett on Buzzard’s Bay. They are looking forward to a visit by Jim Newell and Sally, who are escaping the Northeast Kingdom during mud season in April.

Jim Henry has lived in Jacksonville, Florida, since 1989 and loves it. He has two children and four grown grandchildren who are doing great. His wife, Jane, passed away in 2016. He has since remarried, and his wife, Sue, also has two children and four grandkids. Jim and Sue had a great trip to Spain and Portugal last May and have just booked a cruise, which will partially take them to their old stomping grounds of New York and Boston before heading to Nova Scotia and Quebec. “Kids and grandkids all doing well, so we have much to be grateful for. I guess our reunion days are over, but I’ll never forget our days at Nobles and all the friendships we made. Special times.”

Pete Miles and Alice are both thoroughly enjoying the much more relaxed life in Yakima, Washington, after dealing with unbelievable growth in Bend. Pete still skis at White Pass, just one hour from home, although snowfalls are low this year in the Pacific Northwest. Pete spends a lot of time helping their youngest daughter with her side business heat-pressing designs and logos on shirts, hoodies and hats at more than 100 sports events a

year, plus businesses and private parties. Yakima has a huge sports complex, SOZO, which draws regional youth and adult sports tournaments. This is besides their daughter being the manager of a large medical clinic and coaching a club girls volleyball team!

Stuart Gauld has been living in Bluffton, South Carolina, for 14 years. His wife, Suzanne Veilleux, runs her own psychology practice because she gets satisfaction from helping others. They live in a quiet 55-and-over community. Stu was recently elected to the management board of directors to try to effect some badly needed changes: “It is very frustrating to work with people who don’t want to give more control to the community.”

As his body parts slowly give out and get replaced, he has devoted a fair amount of time to learning to be a “fairly good pool player.” They still go to Hilton Head, where there are 15 miles of hard sand to ride bikes on at low tide and the water is a perfect 75–80 degrees all summer. Stu has two sons and five grandchildren. The artist lives in the Berkshires, and the entrepreneur lives on Long Island. The oldest grandson is about to graduate from Caltech. The youngest is just 1. Stu and Suzanne spent two nights with Jim Newell and Sally on their way to Montréal last September: “Amazing place they have in the woods of Vermont! They are always very welcoming to old friends!”

Jim Newell and wife Sally walk most days in their Vermont woods, where they

have lived for over 50 years. They still heat with wood and boil sap to make maple sugar. They travel quite a bit “but have eschewed planes for trains and boats: They take more time (which we have plenty of), they are not always as convenient, and they cost more, but they are far less stressful.” Chris Schmid, who spends time in the Dordogne Valley every year, occasionally comes west from Maine to visit.

After 20 years, Jim Tyng and wife Pat sold their barge cruising business in France in April 2001, just in time to avoid the turmoil and impact of September 11. Having lived in Duxbury for 30 years, they then decided to follow their two sons, Chris Tyng ’87 and Taylor Tyng ’91, to California, where they settled in the rural Santa Ynez Valley with a view of row crops and vineyards in Santa Barbara County. There, they enjoy watching the growth of two families and four grandchildren. They split the year, returning to the Cape on Nauset Heights in East Orleans each summer and fall. They continue to travel, exploring the West, as well as cruising on the Baltic and Adriatic Seas, and taking a Viking World Cruise, which was cut short by COVID after only 60 days. Activities include property renovations on each coast, plenty of tennis and golf, and some historical research and writing. Two years ago, they decided to leave California and move back east to the low-country town of Bluffton, South Carolina. Unknowingly, they traded wildfires and mudslides in favor of alligators and

tornadoes. But they still return to the Cape each summer. A final bit of news: There is a new Tyng generation benefiting from a superior Nobles education, as Taylor’s daughter, Harper Tyng ’26, is a student at Nobles.

Tony Wood and wife Annie live in Dedham, about a mile from Nobles. They have two children, Melissa Wood Savage ’91 and Holtie Wood ’95

Jay Johnson spends winters with his sister in Tarboro, North Carolina, and summers in Mattapoisett. He sold his house in Florida to his cousin.

Ken Reiber thinks he has finally retired from his marketing consulting practice (although he’s thought this before). He and Mi often go to the San Francisco Bay Area to see their respective offspring and three grandchildren. In the past few years, they have spent time in Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia and France, and made a couple of extended visits to Italy, as well as a variety of places in the United States.

Boynton Glidden’s wife of 45 years (Barbara) passed away seven years ago after a long illness. Their children, Sam Glidden ’92 and Starr Glidden Peteet ’94, are blessed with three children each, so Boynton is a proud grandfather of six. They all live close by and are immersed in various youth sports. He enjoys watching them observe nature and catch bass, sunfish and trout in the spirit of the Fur-Fin-Feather Club of 1961. In 2021, he married Dana, “a wonderful woman from Texas. Hard to believe we live in the same place where my grandfather settled back in

1914 and where my father, A.B. Glidden ’36, myself and my brother, Findlay Glidden ’64, all grew up.” Boynton still works part time trading hardwood lumber as well as traveling to Arizona, Texas and Sheridan, Wyoming, where he met Dana. “It is wonderful to get out to the Big Sky country again, although at age 80, my days of roping and branding are long gone. I can only ride old plugs who won’t buck! I am doubly blessed to have good health, and enjoy fishing and horses. I gave up hunting years ago. Dana and I look ahead with optimism to a changed world from when and where we grew up in the 1950s and ’60s. If any of you are in the Dover area, please contact me. I would love to get together and reminisce about Nobles in the ’50s and ’60s.”

1963

Class Correspondent

Jim Lehan

We heard from Dick Harwood that sadly his wife, Patricia “Tricia” Harwood, passed away on December 12, 2023. He also shared the news that his great-grandson, Elijah Grayson Beard, was born on October 10, 2023.

1964

Class Correspondent

Ned Bigelow

Sandy Darrell and his wife are in Medfield, “where the livin’ is easy and low-pressure volunteer work and regular personal and house maintenance are the

order of the day. Bigelow and I manage to get together every month or so to talk about life, friendships and Nobles memories. Kids have left the building. Daughter and grandson live mostly in Valencia, Spain. Son and family serve as Bible translators in the mountains of Peru. Zoom has been a great blessing in both situations.”

Ned Bigelow reports, “Today was forecasted to be a good old-fashioned nor’easter, dropping up to a foot of snow. It’s raining, and it would appear that the sleds will remain in the garage. But hey, it’s New England, so I’m willing to wait a minute. By the time these notes are read, we will have hopefully had a well-attended, successful 60th reunion. Where 60 years have gone, I do not know, but I am very grateful to still be connected with the dear friends I made attending Nobles in the 1960s. Wishing everyone good health and peace.”

Franklin Reece reflects, “Can it really be 60 years since Eliot ‘Deke’ Putnam growled, ‘Reece, get a haircut!’? Time flies when you’re making other plans. Sam and I continue happily together, 55-plus years and counting, living in Cambridge and on Little Cranberry Island. She, retired, serving on boards; me, notso-retired, running a business (www.interim-exec.org) and serving on boards. Children nearby: Bettina in Portland, Maine; Tom with wife Jessica, daughter Lily and son Tom II in Dedham. All are thriving in their chosen fields of real estate (Bettina) and law (Tom and Jess). Lily and Tombo are blessings. Sam and I enjoy reasonably good

health, spending time with our grandchildren, sailing in the Great Harbor off of Acadia, and skiing at Sugarloaf. Life is good, and we are most thankful.”

Clint Smith has a PSA to all male grads over 30: “Get your PSA level checked every three to four months. It saved my life. Really, insist upon it. Pay for it yourself if you have to. Just do it. Elizabeth and I are very reluctantly adjusting to emptynest syndrome in Lexington. Both kids are in college now. I know, you experienced this several lifetimes ago and have no sympathy for us. That’s what I get for waiting until the right woman came along.”

Clint has been working on a project for the past several years that has to do with Tim Coggeshall and his Dauntless cruises over many years: “With great appreciation for the trust that the Coggeshalls have placed in me, I am attempting to memorialize all the logs of all the cruises that Tim Coggeshall skippered, by means of digitally scanning the original log books and then transcribing them into more easily readable printed versions, hopefully word for word as much as that may be possible. If you or any members of your family crewed on any of Tim’s cruises aboard his sloop, Dauntless, please heed my plea for any information, mementos, photos, diaries, souvenirs or the like, especially photographs. If you have anything that might be appropriate for digital scanning, please gather it/them together in a safe place for now, but don’t scan them. I am trying to do (and oversee) the scanning for this project in the

highest possible practical resolution. It is intended for all time and will hopefully end up in the office of the school’s archivist as a digital publication available to everyone. I can assure you that each time I read a page from the log entries (many of which were written by the student crew members, a number of whom are now deceased), I am magically transported back to another time, another world. The collection is a treasure.”

Bill Miles writes, “My 26-year-old son, Matthew, teaches at the Nativity School of Worcester through AmeriCorps. Part of the deal is a free master’s in education at Clark University. My older son, Bill Jr., enmeshed me and Helene into part (very small part) owners of a Danish Division II professional soccer team, located basically in Copenhagen, AB Gladsaxe. I’ve been to Copenhagen three times to work with staff, players, sponsors, etc. Helping mentor a Côte d’Ivoire player since I’m his French language link. My grandson goes to Middlesex, and we took the boys’ team there for pre-season. He is being pursued by D1 universities, and I accompanied him and his Boston Bolts MLS Next team to a tournament in Phoenix. Hobnobbed with a variety of D1 coaches. He’s off to IMG in Florida next. His sister, a junior at U Michigan, is studying in Copenhagen. Their other sister is helping her dad at a Burlington, Vermont–based start-up called Wasted. Daughter Sarah is still one of the principals at Challenge Success, a Stanford University–based educational non-profit (they’ve done work with

Nobles). Her daughter headed to be an Oregon Duck in the fall, and her twin is in decision mode. Helene, my spouse, is at Dartmouth running the Rassias Center. She and I mentor about 10 Dartmouth football players and teach ESL every week to 10 to 15 refugees here (Haitians, Ukrainians, Russians, Mexicans, Afghans, Nicaraguans, Cubans and more). I also have been teaching three Haitians how to drive. Trying to squeak in tennis, golf, biking, Nordic skiing and lots of little kid soccer coaching.

Alexander Caskey, along with son Sasha and Matt Schmid ’65, joined forces with an international group of adventurers in July 2023 for a four-day canoe excursion on the Upper Missouri River in Montana. “We traced (in reverse) a part of the route that Lewis and Clark took in 1804 (we went downstream, they went upstream against a formidable current). Amazing terrain and two rattlesnake sightings: a pair of snakes that swam out to greet us (we sped away), and we watched a rancher with a long, forked stick casually toss (twice) a snake that was getting in the way of his river shore picnic with his girlfriend.”

1968

Class Correspondent

Mike Sherman

Mike Sherman is in his 52nd year teaching at Belmont Hill. Nipper Harding is enjoying retirement in Yarmouth, Maine, playing hockey three days a week and working on music. “I recently released an album

online of French Art Songs by composers Gabriel Fauré, Claude Debussy and others: nipharding.hearnow.com. Much thanks to Nobles for a great classical education, and to Brian Jones for the enjoyment of singing.”

1969

Class Correspondent

Peter Pach

Peter Pach shares, “We find our time in Middle Haddam has been consumed by our new and only grandchild, Aida Victoria Pach, born in September. As grandparents often report, a 5-month-old and growing girl can keep you hopping. I’m still on the historic district commission, which is rewarding but can be difficult when we tell someone, all neighbors, that their plans to build something doesn’t fit in the district.”

Peter Gates and his wife, Debbie, spent three weeks in Southeast Asia. “It was this year’s bid to escape a bit of winter (though we don’t really mind the cold the way increasing numbers of Florida-bound friends seem to). We went from Saigon up the Mekong by riverboat to Phnom Penh, and then on to Siem Reap, where the famous temples are, including Angkor Wat. From there to Luang Prabang, ancient capital of Laos (look up the Dave Van Ronk song). Came home through Taipei via Bangkok. Lotsa fun.”

Wigs Frank, who has long been active in Yale alumni affairs, served as co-chair of the Yale Class of 1973 50th

1. Jim Sleeper ’68, Nick Hyde ’68, Bob Lasher ’68 and Ned Grant ’68. Said TKperson: “The Lonely Hearts Band reunites after 55 years for three nights at Solitude Mountain, Utah, in 2023.” 2. Peter Gates ’69 and his wife, Debbie, celebrating New Year’s Eve in Hanoi. 3. Jeff Lawrence ’69, Susan Lea (spouse of Wigs Frank ’69) and Wigs Frank at their 50th Yale Reunion 4. Alex Paine and John Reynolds-Bonilla (both ’70) and their families visited Valparaíso, Viña del Mar and surroundings in Chile 5. Lev Byrd and Chris Counihan (both ’70) lacing them up as in the days of yore: Class of 1970 defense partners.

“We grew up together and, to a degree, as I get older, I realize that we shaped and formed each other.”

John Linehan ’72, reflecting on the friendships he formed at Nobles

Reunion this past June 2023. Jeff Lawrence and Wes Wellington also attended. Wes took part in the In Memoriam service, which honored deceased classmates.

David Brown reports, “I am doing the Scotland walk again, probably for the last time.”

This will be the seventh time he has walked across Scotland (an organized event, the Great Outdoors Challenge). The Challenge attracts hikers from around the world who devise their own routes for the twoweek hike in May. David has written about each of his walks and other travel adventures on his website, aweewalk.com.

Steve Baker remains in Lake Wales, Florida, where he is involved with the care of his mother, who is now 99 years old and in a nursing home. Last fall, he purchased his mother’s condo. “A voice in my head was saying, ‘Everyone needs a home base.’ So I bought it.” He’s having some electrical work done and “will soon have a contractor repaint most everything from the current industrial beige color (ick) that virtually every place is painted these days.”

Stew Young is in his fifth three-year term as a selectboard member for the town of Gosnold, which consists of the Elizabeth Islands just off Cape Cod. For a small town, population around 65, it’s facing significant issues. “As an island chain,” Stew said, “we are increasingly impacted by sea-level rise and energetic storms. This winter we have already had multiple breakthroughs of the barrier beach that protects the entrance to Cuttyhunk Harbor. We have been urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to finish a critical dike project, but state regulators are against hardscape on coastal beaches and seem to value bird habitat over an existential threat to the community. I am reading about the Middle East. Currently, in A Peace to End All Peace, by David Fromkin, I’m learning about how European politics before, during and after WWI and the fall of the Ottoman Empire led to the mess we see today. I retired as president of the Rotch Jones Duff House and Garden Museum in New Bedford after 14 years but somehow ended up as treasurer. On the profit side and shamelessly pitching, I’m still at LandVest, focused on the Boston suburbs to Cape Cod and the South Coast, and always looking to help sellers and buyers anywhere in New England. The last and best hat is being a grandfather of Lila, 5, and Cameron, 3.” Stew is not alone in elected office. Toby Burr was elected to the Marion Select Board in May 2022.

1970

Class Correspondent

Levy Byrd

Lincoln Lyman now has six grandchildren under 6. He is retiring in June ’24 after 50 years in the trenches. Let’s make an extra effort to meet in person at Nobles for our 55th!

Jim Goldman reports, “I can’t quite seem to fully retire from my practice as an endocrinologist. I stopped seeing patients somewhere along the way during the pandemic, but still do some work for my department. Keeps me off the mean streets. I’m also working with the admissions office from my med school alma mater, UMass Chan, and doing pro bono online consultations for an organization that helps clinics in underserved areas across the country. Add to this three young grandchildren living very nearby, and I barely have time to get my head above water. A lot busier than I thought I’d be in my 70s, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Alex Paine, his wife, Cathie, and daughters Johanna and Louisa went to Quilpué, Chile, to visit John Reynolds-Bonilla and his family for four days. Alex and his family were coming from Entre Ríos, Argentina, where they stayed some days. In Chile, Alex, John and their families visited Valparaíso, Viña del Mar and surroundings.

Bill Gray writes: “After nearly 50 years of working, I am retiring with the exception of one public company board (SeaWorld, since 2013). My wife, Diana, and I have been married

for 44 years. We have two daughters, and our first grandchild, Jack William Reynolds, was born January 11, 2024, and a second is due in late May/ June. A girl! We are in Jupiter, Florida, and are due to return to Southport, Connecticut, in May. My brother Bob Gray ’66 and I are the last of the Grays. Our brother, Morris Gray ’64, died in 2020.”

1972

Art Depoian

Tony Brock-Fisher writes: “I finally got around to reading George Colt’s The Big House. As I read, I was further surprised to learn how alike our family heritages are. It turns out we are both descended of Boston Brahmins (as is, I suspect, a majority of our Nobles class). Finishing The Big House, I learned a lot about George that I never knew, as well as myself. Although not related by blood, our family trees have occupied the same air spaces. George’s great-great-grandfather was wounded at Gettysburg; my great-great-uncle Sumner Paine became the youngest member of the ‘Harvard Regiment’ to die there. His great-great-greatuncle John Malcolm Forbes joined forces with my great-grandfather Charles Jackson Paine to build the America’s Cup Defender yacht Puritan in 1885. And the closest collaboration of all: His great-uncle Gordon Donald Forbes married my aunt Faith Fisher and fathered four of my cousins! Why did I have to wait

over half a century to discover this? Looking back, I can see that the Brahmin way of segregating people with prejudice into two categories (those I will take the effort to know and those deemed not worth the effort) had been successfully passed to me by my Brahmin father. Thank you, George, for showing me that! I’m sorry now that I did not get to know you better at Nobles. Thanks for writing this great story!”

John Linehan reports, “All good here. Right now, I am in Atlanta. Connie just flew in to meet me here for a wedding, and then we parted again for a week when she heads back to San Francisco and I move on to other cities. Last weekend, she met me in Las Vegas, where I had business on Sunday, for two nights, where we saw two shows together for about 40 hours. I’m on a 14-day trip to nine cities, which is unusually slow for me…usually it’s more cities than days, so I guess I’m slowing down! I’m still working about 80-plus hours a week because I love what I do and I really love my team, so we just have fun together. It was a blast to see my old classmates from ’72. It’s funny, once we recognize each other (‘Dude, what happened to your hair?’). It was really easy to get back to the friendship we had together so many years ago. We grew up together and, to a degree, as I get older, I realize that we shaped and formed each other. So…thank you guys for that and for the continuing friendships! Hope to see you soon.”

1976

Class Correspondents

Tom Bartlett

Rob Piana

Half of the Toms in our class have reported in with updates, and both happen to be associated with islands.

Tom Lamb divides his time between the Island of Bermuda, where he and his brother run the family’s resort, the Pompano Beach Club, and his home in Ponte Vedra, Florida. Family life includes a happy marriage and two daughters in their 30s, one recently married. Tom invites classmates to visit the island, not only for the hospitality of the PBC, but to sample the island’s two most famous cocktails: the Rum Swizzle and the Dark ’n’ Stormy.

Tom Bartlett is now interjecting to say that the only dark ’n’ stormy we normally experience on this Island of Great Britain is a cold winter’s night. There is hope of springtime, however, now that the snowdrops and daffodils are poking their heads out of the turf. Just the other day, I heard a robin who was a real singer. That last sentence is a clue to the identities of two of our classmates who also live on this island, and who I hope to hear from with updates for the next edition…and that goes for the rest of you, too!

In case you’ve forgotten, we’re within striking distance of our 50th Reunion. So tap out a few lines and send them over.

Classmates might be interested to hear news of your retirement, realignment or career redirection, as we contemplate the half-century since we all walked away from Nobles (apart from Hendo). Don’t delay, share today!

1979

Class Correspondent

Dan Rodgers

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the passing on January 5, 2024, of our dear classmate Rob Roach. It goes without saying, but I’m gonna say it anyhow, Roachman was a friend to everybody in our class and an all-around good fellow. And I’m sure that you will, like me, always remember his hearty laugh and positive attitude, no matter what adversity he faced.

Bob came to Nobles from Waban and attended all six years. He played varsity football and wrestled. Bob was also the captain of the Nobles chess team, but the less remembered about that, the better! And one additional detail that everyone should be aware of: Your faithful scribe sat next to Bob every single morning in assembly for four years. I could not have picked a better friend to sit next to than Bob. And Bob was great friends with Geoff Pendleton and Dan Kiryelejza

Bob attended Dartmouth after Nobles and graduated in 1983 with an A.B. in economics along with myself and Dab Standley. While at Dartmouth, Bob played varsity football on two Ivy League champion

teams. He was also a member of Theta Delta Chi.

After Dartmouth, Bob joined the team at First National Bank of Chicago and remained in the financing industry for all of his far-too-short life. While Bob didn’t marry, he was never short of friends, and fortunately some of our classmates were there for Bob in his last days. So as we Dartmouth men would say: Give a rouse for Kerry Kehoe, Tim Lyne, David Vogel, Bill Bliss and Tom O’Brien, who stood by Bob when he needed them most. But most of all, give a rouse for Bob! And remember him always as our young and vibrant friend.

1980

Class Correspondent

Martha Kittredge Rowley

Tom Underwood was happy to get together with Hedrick Ellis and Michael Gorham this summer in Western Massachusetts. Elizabeth Soderstrom visited this fall on a college tour with her husband and daughter. Also, I had brunch with Steve O’Connor and Stu Remensnyder in Amherst. Lots of Nobles connections in 2023.

Deborah Smith reports, “I am still working at the Fay School in two capacities: as a seventh grade English teacher and the secondary school counselor for eighth grade day students applying out. I still live on campus, and Nathaniel is currently spending his second semester of junior year studying at University of Queensland, in Brisbane,

Australia. I look forward to meeting him in mid-June for a three-week trip in Australia and New Zealand, where we hope to do some skiing! The inspiration for all of this was that Martha Rowley’s daughter, Susan Rowley ’19, studied in Sydney, and they took a family trip in New Zealand, so she has been a big help.”

1981

Class Correspondent

John Fiske

Last June, Joan Alker went to Iceland to celebrate her daughter Vera’s graduation from Bryn Mawr College. Then, she and daughter Emma, 26, made a quick trip to the Loire Valley and Paris to celebrate Joan’s 60th birthday.

For Dan Cullaty, the terrain, history and friendly yet sparse population made Sardinia “the perfect place” for a seven-day bicycling excursion last October. More recently, he and Anandi celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in Costa Rica, which he calls “a beautiful place with a friendly population that is on the leading edge of preserving their abundant ecosystems.”

Over New Year’s 2024, John Fiske went on a Quark Expeditions cruise to Antarctica. He has now set foot on all seven continents. He saw seals and whales, and thousands of penguins. He claims that the seas in the Drake Passage were “not too bad.”

Still based in London, John Keohane writes that these days he splits time between London, Boston and the family

1. From left: Tom Underwood, Hedrick Ellis, Michael Gorham (all ’80) 2. Haley Clifford Adams ’83 and Haruo Iguchi ’82 reconnected in Kyoto, Japan. 3. Eleven cast members from the 1988 Nobles production of Sweeney Todd reunited to attend the Broadway version. From left: 1988 classmates Sasha Leland, Kevin Capone, Tim Russell, Curt Stevenson, Lee Wexler, David Aznavorian, John McManus, Therese Flynn Eckford, Wendy Alker, Emi Bague, Katrina Newbury and Nobles music faculty member Michael Turner.

home in Co. Kerry, Ireland. He has spent a large part of the last 10 to 15 summers at a villa he rents in Santorini, Cyclades (Greece). In the colder months, he frequently visits Tavira in the Algarve, Portugal.

Portugal, he says, is “good fun and a great value.”

George Mumford has visited all but three states (Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi) and only four continents. He’s planning on going to the NW Miramichi

River in New Brunswick this summer to spread his father’s ashes, which will be “the final chapter of my book—a sequel to my father’s book about our legacy on the river.”

1983

Class Correspondent

Nancy Sarkis Corcoran

If you’re in Maine, keep an eye out for Chris McCusker’s daughter Cate McCusker, a reporter for WMTW Channel 8 in Portland!

Amor Towles’ new book, Table for Two, came out in April 2024. It is a collection of short stories plus a novella. Also, an eight-hour adaptation of his book A Gentleman in Moscow, starring Ewan McGregor, was aired on Showtime and Paramount+ on March 29, 2024.

Haley Clifford Adams was traveling in Japan in February when she unexpectedly received a Facebook message from Haruo Iguchi ’82. “We made plans to meet in Kyoto for dinner at a famous noodle restaurant, which, according to Haruo, was a favorite of David Bowie.” She enjoyed a lovely meal with Haruo and his wife, Yoko, and reminisced about the good ol’ days at Nobles.

1985

Class Correspondent

Neil Bleicken

Neil Bleicken reports: “Life is good for us in Exeter, New Hampshire. Our sons Teddy (16) and Tim (12) are super busy with school and athletics. Teddy is a runner at Exeter High School, and Tim plays baseball

in the Babe Ruth League while attending the Cooperative Middle School. Both love their sports and are having a blast! Lisa enjoys her work for a Boston-based tech company, as do I for a Portsmouth-based investment firm. On the sadder side of life, we lost Mom last year, who passed away at 93. She had a long and happy life, and left this earth well cared for and with her family by her side. We continue to be grateful for our family and friends, and often think of Nobles and the wonderful people we met there who made such a positive difference in our lives.”

1988

Class Correspondent

Sasha Leland

Eleven cast members from the 1988 Nobles production of Sweeney Todd (and a couple of their intrepid spouses) reunited to “attend the tale” of Sweeney Todd on Broadway. Making the trip even more magical, the group was joined by Nobles’ former director of music Mike Turner, whose first Nobles show ever was our performance of Sweeney. Now, Mike conducts Chamber Singers and Greensleeves at Nobles and teaches music theory and composition. See photo on page 60.

2000

Class Correspondent

Lisa Marx Corn

Marlon Henry reports, “I had a cool ‘full circle’ moment recently with Leah FreemanHaskin ’02. Leah was reading her new children’s book, The

1. Yoni Goldberg and Scott Annan (both ’00) at the premiere of Junction in L.A., a film produced by Annan. 2. Anaheta Metghalchi von Berenberg-Consbruch ’03 met up with the Seiffert family in Munich, Germany, in November 2023 for Christian Seiffert’s 50th birthday party. From left: Thomas Seiffert ’63, Stephan Seiffert ’93, Anaheta Metghalchi von Berenberg-Consbruch ‘03, Christian Seiffert ’91, Moritz Seiffert ’99. 3. Chris Boyd ’04 with his wife, Liz, and their two children, Theodore (6) and Frederick (4).

“

The generational connection was powerful over two

decades later.”

2004

Class Correspondent

Carolyn Sheehan Wintner

Grad and former faculty member Marlon Henry ’00 appreciating the “identityaffirming presence” of faculty member Bob Freeman, and “full-circle” moment as Bob’s daughter, Leah Freeman-Haskin ’02, shared her new children’s book at Marlon’s daughter’s school. Below, a photo from the event.

Last Two Crayons, at my daughter’s school. It was an awesome experience getting to see Leah read her book to my daughter’s class about a Black girl learning to appreciate the beauty in the color of brown skin. The event was special for me because I remember Leah’s dad, former Nobles faculty member and artist-in-residence Bob Freeman, being an identity-affirming presence when I was a student at Nobles. The generational connection was powerful over two decades later.” See photo at left.

Devin Green was ordained as an Interspiritual/Interfaith minister in 2002. “Rev Dev” considers herself a minister mostly for the spiritual but not religious, or a “Minister of Connection.” Her passion and purpose is now in The Connected Way™, helping others and the world to heal through connection to self, source, the land and other people. You can learn more about what she’s up to and connect with her at theconnectedway.com.

Sarah Faux reports, “Since leaving Nobles 20 years ago, I’ve been focused on creating a life as an artist. I live with my partner and our cat in Brooklyn, New York, near my painting studio, where I spend most days. I work with three galleries in NYC, L.A. and Shanghai, and exhibit my paintings at home and abroad. In addition to painting, I teach part time in Hunter College’s MFA Program. I will forever be grateful to Bob Freeman for setting me off on this path!” (Photo on p. 48)

Kristen Danforth and her husband have been enjoying life in the Pacific Northwest for the last 10 years or so. Their children, Madeline (4) and Jack (21 months), keep them busy, happy and crazy. When not moderating snack negotiations between the kids and dog, Kristen works in health policy research and teaches at the University of Washington. Kristen notes, “Please reach out if you’re ever in Seattle. We’d love to meet up!”

Chris Boyd has been living in Dallas since graduating from Nobles. He studied engineering at the University of Texas at Dallas, which is where he met his wife, Liz. After graduating, he started his career in the energy industry, where he is currently a commodity trader. Liz worked in 3D animation, including as a character modeler for The Book of Life, and has since left the industry to become a professor at UT Dallas.

They have two wonderful boys, Theodore (6) and Frederick (4), also known as Teddy and Freddie, and a geriatric but lovable mutt named Scruffy.

2005

Class Correspondent

Saul Gorman

Allison Khederian and her husband, Matthew Tucker, welcomed their second child, Eva Rose Tucker, on March 8, 2023. They also recently moved back to the Boston area from NYC and look forward to reconnecting with local Nobles families!

2006

Class Correspondent

E.B. Bartels

Happy 2024 to all you 2006-ers! Can you believe that as of this spring we graduated 18 years ago? We’ve been out of Nobles for as many years as most of us were when we graduated from Nobles! Or, to put it in another way, if one of us had a kid right after we graduated from high school, now that kid would also be graduating from high school! Yikes, we are getting old, but hey, you all are doing many wonderful and exciting things with your lives and that’s what matters, right?

First, shout-out to Becky Barbrow, who gets extra credit for being the first to reply with an update. Becky wrote: “I’m going to welcome a baby boy (little brother to my daughter, Sophie), potentially on the leap year this year on February 29!” By the time you all read this, hopefully Baby Boy Becky

has arrived safe and sound, and everyone is happy and healthy. Thinking of you, Becky! Send in a photo of your cute little family for the next round of updates!

Next, we hear from Harry Aspinwall, who always has thrilling news to share: “I directed my first feature film near where I grew up in Scotland, with Bobby Rainsbury from The Crown and Clive Russell from Outlander and Game of Thrones I have an art opening in April in Providence of watercolors and drypoint etchings for a deck of cards with illustrated folklore motifs, and I’m getting married in May.” Jeez, okay, Harry! Enough amazing things already! Just kidding, this is all great, and maybe we can plan an ’06 meet-up at your art show in Providence. In the meantime, congratulations to you and your fiancée, Hang Nguyen!

Erin “Notorious EKG” Greene emailed to share: “My husband and I bought a house and moved from NYC up to the Hudson Valley. We’re enjoying exploring our new town on long walks with Franklin, the puppy we adopted in the fall. If you find yourself in the area, let me know—I’d love to see you!” I had the pleasure of visiting Erin and her husband, Greg Millar, at their new home back in November, along with Erin Bruynell Gallagher, her husband, Sean Gallagher, Janna Herman, and my husband, Richie Corrado, and, let me tell you, Erin’s town is cute AF, and Franklin (“Frankie”) the puppy is even cuter, so definitely swing by if you’re in the area! Speaking of Nobles friends visiting one another, we also

have an update from “across the pond” courtesy of Melissa Weihmayer: “After a long process with setbacks during the pandemic, I will finally submit my Ph.D. with the London School of Economics this spring. It analyzes the local governance of forced migration, with cases from Colombia, Ukraine and London. A highlight was getting to know local government officers from all over London as they find creative ways to support asylum-seekers. There’s good stuff going on at local levels, and that gives me hope! No idea what my next steps are. For now, I’m looking forward to a visit from Caitlin Fang this summer for some epic picnics in London parks.” Yay, Melissa! So proud of you completing your Ph.D.! And have so much fun with Caitlin. I’m jealous and can’t wait to visit you in London at some point.

For our next update, Caroline Holland shared:

“I got married to Joe Hanley on September 9 on a boat in Newport, Rhode Island, with our dog, Emma, serving as Dog of Honor.” Please see the photo on page 66. Um, amazing?! Just look at that picture! I’ve never seen a dog happier to be involved in a wedding. Congratulations to you and Joe, Caroline! You all look so joyful (but especially Emma).

Well, now it’s time for me to share my big update: Your loyal class correspondent, E.B. Bartels, is now also a mom! Yup, as of this winter, Richie and I have a kid! Luca Bartels Corrado was born on January 21 at 7:03 a.m., weighing in

Seth Priebatsch ’07 and his new rescue pittie, Tock. 2. From left: Dan Monaghan ’18 and Scott DeSantis ’11 in Lawrence Auditorium at the Class I Meeting on February 1, 2024. 3. Tyler Zon and Oliver White (both ’12) played each other in a business school soccer tournament.

1.

“I directed my first feature film near where I grew up in Scotland. I have an art opening of watercolors and drypoint etchings and I’m getting married in May.”

Harry Aspinwall ’06 has a full plate this spring. Check out his creative projects, including his recent artwork, on Instagram @harryaspinwall.

at 9 lbs. 5 oz. He wasn’t due until January 24, but Luca saw it fitting to arrive a few days early, showing up on the very day Richie and I met at a South Boston dive bar 12 years prior. Clearly this kid already appreciates a good story. Turn to page 67 for a photo of Luca.

2007

Class Correspondent

Kat Sargent

Seth Priebatsch is enjoying life in Boston. He is currently working on a new venture in real estate and AI called Groma. When he’s not working, he loves spending time with his new rescue pittie named Tock. They recently tackled a snowy hike and look forward to more adventures together this spring. See photo on page 63.

2009

Class Correspondent

Maria Montes

Lucas Zullo has moved back to the East Coast after eight years, and started a position as the clinical director of the David Farber ASPIRE (Advancement of Suicide Prevention, Intervention, Research and Education) Center, a suicideprevention speciality center in Philadelphia at Thomas Jefferson University. Nadia Lonsdale writes, “I met my husband, Filip, just

prior to the pandemic at a party in Boston after returning from a few years in Washington, D.C. We got married in Sintra, Portugal, in September and currently live in Northbridge, where we’ve taken on a historic home renovation project (our house was built in 1900). Not sure why exactly we thought this was a good idea, but here we are learning to DIY just about everything we can. It’s been a fun design challenge to refresh our home while maintaining the historic features of the house. We have a 7-year-old

Holden Corcoran ‘18 and Shirley Hu ‘19 (second from right and far right) with two friends in Paris.

Jack Russell terrier named Pete who supervises all projects and is just the best pup.”

After living in Austin, Texas, for five years, and three years in Wilmington, North Carolina, Maria Montes Sibilia and her husband, Alec, will move back to Massachusetts this spring with their two pups, Luca and Mila. Melina Bartzokis visited Maria last fall with her mom and sister. She also spent time with Hannah Pasterczyk and Fiona Roman ’79 earlier this year to celebrate the life of her dear grandmother, Maria Elvira Niño, who absolutely adored attending grandparents’ weekend at Nobles back in the day. Maria has made a career change from the tech sector and will join the real estate family business.

Julia and Rob Troy share, “Lilla Frances Troy joined our family on December 16, 2023. Big brother Robbie (2) is over the moon and loves hanging out with ‘baby.’ We’re looking forward to traveling from Pennsylvania to see our families and Nobles friends this spring and summer!”

Megan Bunnell just finished her OB/GYN residency and is starting a maternal-fetal medicine fellowship at Brigham and Women’s this summer.

2010

Class Correspondent

Tori Goyette

Willy Bliss ’10 and his wife, Rebecca, live in Portland, Oregon.

2011

Class Correspondent

Katie Puccio-Williams

Julia Weber finished her MBA at Vanderbilt and is starting work with a fast-growing startup called Monogram Health, based in Nashville. She’ll work to engage providers around Monogram Health’s at-home kidney care value-based services. Julia lives in WedgewoodHouston and commutes to Brentwood.

Scott DeSantis and Dan Monaghan ’18 returned to campus in February to share some wisdom with Class I students about personal finance as well as planning for a professional career post-Nobles and college. During their campus visit, they also offered financial-planning sessions to faculty and staff. Scott is CEO of Civic Financial, a financial-planning firm based in Boston, which he started as a sophomore at Amherst College. Through the Nobles network, Dan joined Civic in 2022 upon his graduation from Brown (and Lauren Overzet, formerly of the Nobles office of the head of school, joined the team in 2024).

Civic has recently been recognized by Forbes as one of the top wealth management firms in Massachusetts. In August 2022, Scott married Lizzy Briskin (granddaughter of Fred Gardner ’44). Scott can still be found on the squash courts or hunched over a chess board, and he is a proud member of the Nobles Graduates Council.

Rezlin Watson started a print-on-demand business selling clothes, stationery, stickers,

In Memoriam

AUGUST 2023–APRIL 2024

JOHN CRAIG ’51

RICHARD LUCAS ’46

PETER PARTRIDGE ’54

ROBERT ROACH JR. ’79

WILLIAM ROCKWOOD ’77

HENRY RUSSELL JR. ’61

GORDON WILCOX ’44

ROBERT WILCOX ’42

ROLLIN WILCOX JR. ’41

A new In Memoriam web page on the Nobles website honors graduates, faculty and staff members who have passed. Please visit www.nobles.edu/in-memoriam for official obituaries and timely information, such as services. To notify us of a deceased graduate or former Nobles faculty or staff member, please contact the Office of Graduate Affairs at graduateaffairs@nobles.edu or call 781-320-7018.

magnets, prints and more, all bearing high-quality images of their own art. You can check it out at RWatsonArt.myshopify.com

2021

Class Correspondent

Hadley Winslow

Julia O’Donnell met Jane Goodall.

The Class of 2021 had so many people abroad this year! Alex Halaby in Kathmandu,

Nepal; Jane Saltzman in London, England; Tommy Kantrowitz and Jordan Lysko in Stockholm, Sweden; Gabriel Rayev and James Kasparyan in Copenhagen, Denmark; Lily Roche VanOot in Florence, Italy; Kayla Henderson and Abby Holding in Madrid, Spain; Antonia Gomez in Turks and Caicos; and Hana Qaswari in Prague, Czech Republic.

Announcements

e ngagements:

Kate Maroni ’13 to Stewart Staunton in September 2023

Drew Bennett ’14 to Francesca Macrae in December 2023

Toni Abate ’15 to Simon Merryweather in October 2023

Claire Dardinski ’15 to Jack Simonds in August 2023

Jen Mace ’15 to Tim De Silva in September 2023

Emma Roberts ’15 to Teddy Henderson in December 2023

m arriages:

Todd Chisholm ’83 to Karen Johnston in September 2023

Marc Gladstone ’83 to Miriam Butterman in August 2023

Erin Summe ’04 to Timothy Whitehead in March 2024

Caroline Holland ’06 to Joe Hanley in September 2023

Tucker Johnson ’09 to Molly Fox in September 2023

Nadia Lonsdale ’09 to Filip Aberg in September 2023

Willy Bliss ’10 to Rebecca Leopold in September 2023

Zoe Carey ’12 to Jonathan Broome in August 2023

Cam Smith ’12 to Codi Quirk in August 2023

Tom Morrison ’14 to Elizabeth Akant in September 2023

Maggie Seitter ’15 to Ellie Wildman in October 2023

1. Toni Abate ’15 got engaged to Simon Merryweather in October 2023. 2. Emma Roberts ’15 got engaged to Teddy Henderson in December 2023. 3. Todd Chisholm ’83 and Karen Johnston got married in September 2023. 4. Marc Gladstone ’83 and Miriam Butterman got married in August 2023. 5. Erin Summe Whitehead ’04 married Timothy Whitehead in South Africa in March 2024. Attending the wedding were several Nobles graduates seen here with other guests: Suzanna Lee ’04, Emily Rafferty Muther ’04, Andrew Hayes ’04, George Sholley ’04, Heather Summe-Aleksinas ’02, Ari Press ’04, Tara Ryan ’04, Lilah Aubrey ’04, Jenna Gomez ’04. 6. Caroline Holland ’06 and Joe Hanley got married on September 9, 2023, in Newport, Rhode Island. Their dog, Emma, served as Dog of Honor. 7. Nadia Lonsdale ’09 married her husband, Filip Aberg, in September 2023. 8. Cam Smith ‘12 married Codi Quirk in August 2023.

9. Allison Khederian ’05, her husband, Matthew Tucker, Henry (2) and new arrival Eva Rose Tucker (born March 8, 2023). 10. E.B. Bartels ’06 and her husband, Richie Corrado, welcomed their son, Luca Bartels Corrado, on January 21, 2024. He is pictured here with his favorite wolf blanket. 11. Matt Salmon ’06, his wife, Ashley, Maddie (3) and Brooks (1) welcomed baby boy Hunter Pearson Salmon on September 29, 2023. 12. Steph Goyette Chaston ’07 and her husband, Matt, welcomed a baby girl in December: Callan James Marie Goyette. 13. Katherine Sargent ’07 and her husband, James Hogan, welcomed their second baby, Wilhelmina “Willa” Porter Hogan, in July 2023. 14. Julia Luscinskas, Rob Troy (both ’09) and Robbie (2) welcomed Lilla Frances Troy on December 16, 2023. 15. Megan Bunnell ’09, Eric Schlobohm and big brother Willie welcomed baby Henry in July 2023. 16. Nick Raffone ‘10 and his wife, Alessandra, welcomed Livia Frankie Raffone in September 2023. 17. Cat Dickinson Gaillard ’13 and her husband, Charlie, welcomed their son, Paul Dawson Gaillard, in March 2023.

n ew a rrivals:

Allison Khederian ’05 and her husband, Matthew Tucker, welcomed their second child, Eva Rose Tucker, on March 8, 2023.

Courtney Weinblatt Fasciano ’02 and her husband, Michael, welcomed Cecilia Diane Fasciano in December 2023.

Nick Raffone ’10 and his wife, Alessandra, had a baby girl, Livia Frankie Raffone, in September 2023.

Matt Salmon ’06 and his wife, Ashley, had a baby boy, Hunter Pearson Salmon, in September 2023.

Sarah Cantin ’05 and her husband, Robin King, had a baby, Henry Gabriel King, in September 2023.

Joyce Tse Leslie ’08 and her husband, Adam, had a new baby, Decker, in September 2023.

Dan McGoff ’04 and his wife, Hayley, had their second child, Emmett Michael McGoff, in September 2023.

Julia Luscinskas Troy and Rob Troy (both ’09) welcomed their second child, Lilla Frances Troy, in December 2023.

Cat Dickinson Gaillard ’13 and her husband, Charlie, welcomed their child, Paul Dawson Gaillard, in March 2023.

Megan Bunnell ’09, Eric Schlobohm and big brother Willie welcomed baby Henry in July 2023.

E.B. Bartels ’06 and her husband, Richie Corrado, welcomed their son, Luca Bartels Corrado, on January 21, 2024.

JOIN US IN CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF WOMEN AT NOBLES

Share Your Memories

The 2024–2025 academic year will mark a momentous occasion in the history of Noble and Greenough School—the 50th anniversary of when the school enrolled female students. As we reflect on this milestone, we want to preserve and celebrate the rich tapestry of memories and experiences that make up our community. We invite all members of the Nobles community to join us in a collective memory-gathering effort. Whether you were a pioneer of coeducation, a student navigating the changing landscape, a dedicated teacher shaping young minds, or a parent supporting your child through this transformative time, your story is an integral part of Nobles becoming a more inclusive school.

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS YOU CAN GET INVOLVED:

Share Your Written Reflections:

Write about your experiences, anecdotes and reflections on coeducation at Nobles. Whether it’s a memorable classroom moment, a significant event or a personal journey, we want to hear it all.

Submit Photos and Memorabilia:

Dig into your personal archives and share any photographs, documents or memorabilia that capture the spirit of coeducation at Nobles, or Nobles in general, to be preserved in the archives.

Participate in Oral Histories:

Consider participating in an oral history interview to share your account of the early years of coeducation at Nobles.

Scan the QR code to view submission guidelines and storytelling prompts for written reflections, information on donating to the archives, and more about the oral history project. Questions? Email Archivist Heidi Charles at heidi_charles@nobles.edu.

“...education will give you a sense of the world’s scope, of its wonders, of its many and varied ways of life.”

—AMOR TOWLES ’83, AUTHOR AND 2022 NOBLES DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE, FROM HIS NOVEL A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW

When you support the Annual Nobles Fund, you support a transformative educational experience. Visit nobles.edu/giveonline to make your gift to the ANF.

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