A2 Magazine Spring 2023

The road to success starts here.

Abigail Nicholson ’31 was “Head of School” for the day on April 24 at The Albany Academies, a silent auction item at last year’s Spring Gathering.

Abby’s morning began with a review of the architectural renderings of the campus realignment, followed by a visit to the PreK girls’ class to read a book, then a walkthrough of our facilities, and a brief check-in to finalize the lunch menu. The day concluded with meetings to discuss end-of-year activities and the digital campaign to promote our school.

Abby’s major decision as head of school was surprising her fourth grade class with no homework!

Board of Trustees

Nancy Carey Cassidy P’13,’15,President

Kaari Stannard P’20, ’23, Vice President

Eileen M.Considine,Esq P’08,Secretary

Dr.Eric Lewis ’83,P’17,Treasurer

Jennifer Amstutz P’19,’21

Carl Becker,Esq.’04,P’35

Nicole Borisenok ’08

Dr.Fran’Cee Brown-McClure

Peter Campito ’78,P’15,’17,’20

Caron O’Brien Crummey ’77,P’04

Richard Flaherty P’15,’21

Dr.Kyle R.Flik P’18,’23,’26

Dr.Robert Higgins ’77

Michael Lasch P’20,’22

Dr.Hyacinth Mason P’19

Dr.Stewart C.Myers ’58

Neerav Patel ’96,P’31

Geoffrey Plante P’20,’22

Elissa Smith P’23,’25,’26

Eileen Tucker Spiro ’05

Dr.Ferdinand Venditti,Jr P’03,’14,’15

Nancy Cohen Wekselbaum ’69

Alumni Association

Cdr.Joseph Fitzgerald,USN (Ret) ’74,President

Evril Clayton ’00,Vice President

Charles Anderson ’75,Secretary

Mark Bonavita ’94

Barnaby Bullard ’89

Kirk Harbinger ’85

Neil Johanning ’73

Stefan Kuhar ’12

M.Jacob Miorin ’12

Erik Rayno ’12

Dr.Anthony Tracey ’00

Ben Williams ’99

Alumnae Association

Samantha Miorin ’10,President

Taylor West ’14,Vice President

Jennifer Walsh ’09,Treasurer

Madeline Blackburn ’17

Jeannine Blanco ’89

Natalie Brown ’00

Tara Crisafulli ’11

Natasha Franklin ’00

Gretchen Freihofer ’04

Margaret Lamar King ’65

Jennifer Ritano Levy ’93

Carol Crummey McCardle,Esq.’04, Past President

Josephine Tracey O’Connor ’94

Carmen Power ’04

Cathy Rosenblatt ’65,P’97

Sarah Toledano ’10

Kelley Walsh Triscari ’07

Immediate Past President

Rosemary Daoud Walsh ’77,P’07, ’09, ’10, ’13

Mission Statement

The Albany Academies coordinate single-sex and coeducational learning environments to develop diligent students of high character who become curious, critical thinkers.

The Road to Success Starts Here.

Over the last few years, this phrase has been one of the ways we explain the impact of an Albany Academies’ education to prospective students and their families. We do this because so many alumni and alumnae have shared that their school experiences were foundational to their professional and personal success.

In Open House settings, I spend a few minutes explaining the building blocks of this foundation:

•Dedicated professional educators

•Challenging academics

•Individualized attention and effective student support systems

•A vibrant, like-minded community bound by traditions and history

•Access to a wide range of co-curricular experiences and opportunities

•An emphasis on character development

At a minimum, these experiences prepare students for admissions and academic success in competitive colleges and universities. In their fullest expression, they allow our graduates to live lives of purpose.

In this issue of A2, we highlight a few of these success stories, which I hope you enjoy reading. However, I imagine when you look at the list above, you will also have your own memories of exceptional teachers, classes, and experiences foundational to your or your children’s success.

W hile specific names and events will necessarily change with time, these building blocks remain in place, readying the next generation of Albany Academies’ graduates to live their own lives of purpose.

Indeed, the road to success really does start here!

Sincerely,

CHRISTOPHER LAURICELLA, ED.M. P’20, ’22 HEAD OF SCHOOL

l The football team lent a hand with the construction of the new building at 135 Academy Road back in 1931. Construction was completed for a delayed opening of the school on September 19, 1931.

from the board

president ’ s letter

We are very pleased to announce the addition of two new members: Geoffrey Plante P’20, ’22 and Dr. Robert

During the more than 200-year history of The Albany Academy and Albany Academy for Girls we have evolved and adapted several times to ensure we remained relevant to our students and families. Over all those years, our board of directors has understood that a willingness to change is important to our longevity and to maintaining our reputation as the premiere private academic institution in the Capital Region.

Geoffrey Plante P’20, ’22

Geoff Plante is a Partner with KPMG Consulting practice where he leads the New York State account, as well as various regional and national roles in the government line of business. A graduate of Siena College, he is a certified public accountant and certified project management professional with over 31 years of experience assisting clients with large transformation projects. He is a board member of Building on Love and a former board member of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, Ronald McDonald House, and USA Powerlifting. He resides in Wynantskill, New York with his wife Laurel and two daughters, both of whom are alumnae.

The next step in our evolution is upon us. For several years, we have been exploring how we could better utilize our facilities to foster improved educational outcomes for students. After completing a comprehensive market study and speaking with representatives of our stakeholder groups, the board of directors decided that creating a new model that involves organizing by division is in the best interests of our students—who are always our primary concern—and critical to ensuring the longevity of the institution. As we embark on this multiyear initiative, we know that you will have questions, and we are prepared to provide you with answers. Please visit our dedicated web page at https://www. albanyacademies.org/campus-by-division where you will find several resources on our Campus by Division initiative.

Dr. Robert Higgins ’77

The next step in our evolution is upon us. For several years, we have been exploring how we could better utilize our facilities to foster improved educational outcomes for students.

I have heard some concern that we are moving away from a single-six educational model. That is not the case; we are maintaining our single-sex model, with each building organized by grade rather than gender. Our intent is to consolidate resources in developmentally appropriate spaces, increase faculty collaboration with grades and schools, and increase safety within and between our buildings. We are confident that this initiative is best for our students and know it will strengthen our school and help preserve it for future generations.

I encourage you to learn as much as you can about this initiative and get involved with one of the committees that will help ensure its success. I am confident that this reorganization will position us to remain a premiere institution for hundreds more years.

Robert S.D. Higgins, MD, MSHA, serves as president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and executive vice president at Mass General Brigham, roles he assumed in December 2021. As president, Dr. Higgins is responsible for the vitality and success of the clinical, academic and educational mission of the Brigham in support of patients locally and across the globe. As executive vice president, he plays an active leadership role within the Mass General Brigham system, setting and guiding strategy, priorities, and performance. A distinguished academic and clinical physician with a long track record of collaborative leadership, Dr. Higgins joined the Brigham from John Hopkins, where he served as Director of the Department of Surgery and Surgeon-in-Chief, as well as the William Stewart Halsted Professor of Surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Widely regarded as a leading authority in heart and lung transplantation, adult and pediatric cardiac surgery and mechanical circulatory support, Dr. Higgins is a pioneer with remarkable clinical and academic accomplishments. Prior to Hopkins, he served as Department of Surgery Chair and Director of the Comprehensive Transplant Center at The Ohio State University Medical Center from 2010 to 2015. He has served in numerous national professional leadership roles and authored more than 200 scientific articles and book chapters. Dr. Higgins earned his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and his medical degree from Yale School of Medicine. He also earned a master’s degree in health services administration at Virginia Commonwealth University.

NANCY CAREY CASSIDY P’13, ’15 BOARD OF TRUSTEES PRESIDENT

Higgins ’77.

Campus Realignment

Do you have questions? We have answers. We have fielded many questions over the last few months about our work of unifying the school through the “Campus by Division” model. Below, we share our responses to the most frequently asked questions.

When will the campus realignment be completed?

These changes will be phased in over the next two years, beginning with the relocation of Lower School boys in grades 1-4 to the current Albany Academy for Girls campus this upcoming fall. They will join preschool, pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten students already located on this campus. In the fall of 2024, Middle School boys in grades 5-8 will relocate to the Lower and Middle School campus, and Upper School girls will move to the Upper School campus.

Does unifying the campuses mean the Lower and Middle Schools will be co-educational?

No. The Lower and Middle Schools will remain single-sex, with separate areas within the Lower and Middle school building housing classrooms for girls and boys. This approach creates a united, divisional culture focused on students’ developmental needs while appropriately retaining elements of single-sex education.

What went into the decision to make this change?

This change is the result of four years of study and reflection. We gathered and analyzed stakeholder feedback and met with students, parents, alumni and alumnae, and our professional community to discuss this analysis. We worked with an economist to assess historical data and provide forecast information. We conferred with other schools that made similar changes and studied local and national

enrollment trends in independent schools, both independently and with a consultancy with expertise in admissions. School leaders and the Board of Trustees concluded that this change is a significant opportunity to have a profound and positive impact on all aspects of the school.

How will longstanding traditions be preserved?

We have already begun discussing this through committees established over the last month. As we move forward, we will continue to seek input from students, faculty, alumni, and alumnae on maintaining important traditions, honoring the schools’ histories, and creating opportunities for new traditions. We will then share the plans that these committees develop with stakeholders.

Will the current educational program change?

No. We will continue to provide our students with a premiere academic experience, individualized attention, a focus on character development, and a strong foundation for a life of purpose. An Albany Academy education will only improve as we develop and execute a master facilities plan driven by our program needs. These needs include updating the science wing on the current Albany Academy campus; a new Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Innovation Center; updating instructional technology; renovation of the current Albany Academy for Girls lobby; and campus preservation projects.

Take the first step in the admissions process:

1. Visit our campus

2. Call or email the admissions office

3. Submit an application

4. Talk to other Academy families about their experiences

For more information or to schedule a tour, please contact Director of Admissions, Shellie Carr at 518.429. 2348 or carrs@albanyacademies.org

OUR OFFICE IS AVAILABLE FOR TOURS THE ENTIRE SUMMER!

Announcing our 2023 Commencement Speakers

A2 The Albany Academies Magazine

spring 2023

Editor: Ann Wendth, Chief Advancement Officer

Associate Editor: Nancy Palluti P’25

Contributors: John McNally P’37

Photography: Nancy Palluti P’25, Stephanie McCauley P’21, ’24 of iSmile Studios, Carl Sanders Socolow, Lori Van Buren of the Times Union

Design: Oberlander Group

Printing: Fort Orange Press

We’re pleased to announce that Elon D. Johnson ’94, Senior Creative Director & Head of Development at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, will be the 2023 Albany Academy for Girls commencement speaker on Monday, June 12. Called a storyteller and visionary, Ms. Johnson is an influential player in the entertainment world. She discovers, fields, creates, elevates, develops, and produces TV series, TV and feature films, and over-the-top media services offered directly to viewers via the internet. As an Emmy Award-nominated producer, Ms. Johnson has led the creation and execution of many critically acclaimed shows across several networks. She is the Senior Creative Executive, Head of Development at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. As lead of this wing, Ms. Johnson’s work consists of discovering, fielding, creating, elevating, developing and producing TV series, TV films, feature films, and OTT content. Ms. Johnson also served as a Show Producer at Anderson, Anderson Cooper’s daily talk show where she received her Emmy nod and Co-Executive Producer for several of VH1’s reality reunions. She spent four years as an in-house Executive Producer and Creative Executive at Viacom/Paramount overseeing more than a dozen multi-genre shows a year before accepting the position at Tyler Perry Studios. Most recently, She led the development and production of the scripted drama All The Queen’s Men, as well as the revamped specials of The Tyler Perry Show.

As the grandchild of immigrants, Ms. Johnson has maintained close ties to her family roots in Barbados, working on a number of international projects. Brooklyn-born Ms. Johnson is a graduate of Columbia University in New York City, now residing in Atlanta, Georgia.

Peter Kim ’87 will be the commencement speaker at The Albany Academy on Tuesday, June 13. Dr. Kim graduated from Harvard College and then Weill Medical College of Cornell University where he received his M.D. with Honors in Research. During medical school he spent a year doing research at the NIH with a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellowship. There he cloned and determined the structure of the human FADD gene and mapped FADD to Chromosome 11q13. He then completed a general surgery residency with three additional years of surgical research at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC hospitals.

In 2014 he completed a master’s degree in Medical Management at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. Since 2007 he has worked as an attending surgeon at North Central Bronx Hospital and Jacobi Medical Center, two municipal hospitals in New York City. Dr. Kim has also taught medical students and residents as Associate Professor of Surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He started the North Bronx Faculty Practice and has served as a Director of the Board for Physician Affiliate Group of NY (PAGNY) for the last 9 years.

Recently, Dr. Kim has started a video podcast series called “Between Two Scalpels” with General Surgery News exploring new topics in the fields of surgery, anesthesia, and medicine. Currently, he resides in Pelham New York with his wife, Sarah, who is a gynecologist at Stamford Hospital.

A2, The Albany Academies Magazine, is published twice a year by the Institutional Advancement Office and sent to alumni/ae, parents, grandparents, donors, friends, and other educational institutions. Comments are welcome and should be addressed to the Chief Advancement Officer, The Albany Academies, 135 Academy Road, Albany NY, 12208 or email wendtha@albanyacademies.org.

In every effort to reduce our footprint we eliminated duplicate addresses in our mailing list. For additional copies of the magazine contact the Office of Institutional Advancement.

THE ACADEMIES FUND EQUALS OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCOVER

Undesignated gifts to The Academies Fund are your best opportunity to support our current students. Your gifts enable their academic, athletic, and artistic achievements, open doors, and create opportunities.

Please give today at albanyacademies.org/ thank-you-for-your-gift, call 518.429.2391 for assistance, use the enclosed envelope to send a check, or scan QR code below. Thank you!

Dr. Peter Kim ’87 The Albany Academy

Ms. Elon D. Johnson ’94 Albany Academy for Girls

fresh a

Legacy of Dreams

Thank you to all the parents, coaches, teachers, and friends who supported Legacy of Dreams in the fall. It was a wonderful evening held at Crowne Plaza, The Desmond Hotel in support of athletic programs at the Academies. Thank you to our chair, Andy Safranko ’91, P’23, ’26; our sponsors; honorary committee; and all those who supported the event! Visit https://www. albanyacademies.org/legacy-of-dreams to see the video and photos from the night.

Cyrano de BurgerShack—An Old Classic gets an Update

AAPA Teacher Appreciation

The Albany Academies’ professional community enjoyed a special appreciation luncheon on December 14, hosted by the Parents Association. This holiday tradition was a special way to thank our faculty and staff and celebrate the holidays. Thank you to all of our wonderful parents who participated and volunteered!

Alumni and Alumnae Share Career Advice with Students

More than 50 Upper School students had a chance to learn about a wide range of careers from our alumni and alumnae at our Speed Mentoring event held on March 6 in the Stevens Center. Local alumni and alumnae joined us to share their experiences and answer questions in brief tabletop discussions. Students learned about potential careers, internships, mentoring relationships, and potential May Project placements. Thanks to the Alumni and Alumnae Associations for sponsoring this event!

An updated, modern-day version of Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play “Cyrano de Bergerac,” “Cyrano de BurgerShack” was presented in February and told the story of the eloquent Cyrano, king of the local Burger-Shack, who can’t seem to win the love of his best friend, Roxanne. Our students performed an amazing show!

Students Perform for Seniors

Students in theatre, dance, and music at the Academies performed at the Beverwyck on December 14 for many of our alumni and alumnae who reside in the independent senior living community. This year’s special holiday tradition was a tribute to Betty Aufsesser Sonneborn ’40, P’65, ’67, ’68, ’72, GP ’03, ’06, a longtime resident of Beverwyck who sadly passed away in October. It would have been Betty’s 101st birthday on December 14, which made the event even more special!

Frank O’Brien III ’84 Memorial Hockey Game

We were thrilled that so many alumni and alumnae came to skate in the Frank O’Brien III ’84 Memorial Hockey Game held on December 30.

ARTrageous: A Look Behind the Scenes

This year’s ARTrageous event was a unique virtual event, providing an open studio tour of the Upper School visual and performing arts program. Highlights included studio art, photography, dance, and students of the musical. It was a night that showcased our students and faculty in action and behind the scenes preparing for winter and spring shows.

York City Albany

Young Leaders Gatherings Held in New York and Albany

The New York City and Capital Region chapters of The Albany Academies Young Leaders (classes 2006–2021) held their 1st Holiday Meet-ups and they were a great success! A wide range of classes and people who hadn’t seen each other in many years attended the events. It was wonderful to bring everyone together for the holidays, catch up, and see who lives in the area. The group is looking forward to having more gatherings in the future.

Fort Lauderdale

Florida Gathering

It was wonderful to see alumni and alumnae at our Florida gathering in Fort Lauderdale on March 4 . Thank you to Cindy Caird for hosting the event!

New

The road to success starts here.

In just about any field, you’ll find our graduates leading the way.

There are no speed limits on the road to success and often it’s under construction. Our alumni and alumnae have achieved success in many areas of their professional careers in medicine, sports, service, finance, and research, and credit many of their accomplishments to their educational experience and important lessons learned while a student at The Albany Academies. Here are just some of the inspirational stories of alumni and alumnae who continue to achieve great things in their professional and personal lives and who share advice of how deal with challenges along the way.

Alydaar Rangwala ’11 Investing around the globe

Alydaar Ranwala’s connection to The Albany Academy has been a long one, a connection that began when he was just five and entered kindergarten. Alydaar is what we call a “lifer,” a graduate who spent his entire K-12 school career at The Albany Academy before graduating in 2011. Next, Alydaar earned a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics at Harvard. His connection with the school remains strong and he currently serves on the Institutional Advancement Committee. We sat down with him to talk about the paths he has taken since earning that degree.

What came after your graduation from Harvard?

After graduation I wanted to find a job that would provide me with a great learning opportunity to work as part of a team on a variety of projects. My interest in learning about the world and what it would look like in the future led me to the field of investing because I understood that investing involves trying to predict what a company or the world will look like in two, three, or five years. I found a summer internship at Bain Capital, a big investment firm that provided a structured training ground and then became a full-time employee for the next two years.

I had a great experience at Bain but eventually I looked for a job where I could utilize the apprenticeship model that existed there and apply it to a more entrepreneurial environment and

small team approach. I moved to Perry Creek Capital, where I still work five years later. At Perry Creek we invest in many different industries and companies around the world and so I could expand on the experience I gained at Bain, where I focused on oil and gas only. I wanted to make sure I had a skill set that allowed me to think about the world and how businesses across many different industries would evolve.

Did Academy have any influence your small team and entrepreneurial mindset?

I remember as an Academy student having many opportunities to take leadership roles, such as declamations in Middle School — getting up in front of the whole school was slightly terrifying but also gave me confidence in myself and an opportunity to take risks that maybe I wouldn’t normally take. In the Upper School, I had the chance to start a student organization, be involved with the student council, and conduct independent research that took me away from school for hours doing a project I was really interested in for four years. All of those elements and flexibilities, and the small school environment, were critical in building my confidence and pushing me to take risks and to think more independently about what I wanted and believed in. In a larger company or school, it's easy to get lost and not know what you want. I learned to navigate that and figure out what I wanted because of Academy.

What challenges did you face entering the workforce?

I needed to develop an appreciation for the fact that life is long and you don’t have to get where you are going tomorrow. When you are in college and right after college, it’s easy to get caught up in the rat race of what others are doing, and what people expect you to be doing. Everyone's path is different and the independence and flexibility I had at Academy helped me realize it’s okay to be different and not follow what everyone else is doing. That independence helped push me to pursue internships on campus and think about ways to get experience through entrepreneurial opportunities.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were graduating from high school?

There is a lot of discussion in high school and college about what you want to do for the rest of your life. What are you interested in? What is your career path? I definitely thought about things I wanted to do, which industries I wanted to work in. But I also thought about what I enjoy doing and less about what was the right career path for me. I believe you learn to love what you do. Be open minded and don’t feel like you have to plot your career path when you are 18 years old.

What advice would you give to a senior here at the Academies?

Take a chance in college to explore career paths that you might not have thought about or even knew about before entering college. Take risks; try something different. Be open minded, try lots of new things; it’s never too late to switch your path or major.

What has changed in the mindset of younger alums since the COVID pandemic? Do they approach work differently?

The concept of work has broadened. Remote work has resulted in a mingling of our work and personal lives. With more flexibility, people now prioritize work time differently; there is a shift to create a lifestyle that incorporates a work/ life balance. I encourage young professionals to work hard while they are young and still have the flexibility, the energy, and the drive to try new things. Be open minded and make self-development a priority.

What are some things we can do to actively engage our young alums?

Younger alums are more tied to engagement; they are living more in the now. Create engagement and touch points to interact with their piers from the Academies. Starting with local gatherings, the Academies should try to build community at the geographic level, with an ultimate goal that they begin to happen organically. Engagement is a primary way to drive people to want to be involved and want to give back. It helps them remember their experiences at the Academies. Also, helping students have more access to alums will not only set the example and expectation for seniors after they graduate, but also gives alums a chance to give back with their time and talents.

How can we get alums more interested in philanthropy?

You could create a pledge for seniors, maybe a five-year pledge associated with their class year, so graduates of 2023 would give $20.23 for the next five years. That would result in creating a habit of giving so when they do have more resources to give they’ll not only know how but will be more willing to do so (it’s like a muscle that needs to be worked out to get stronger). Developing a habit of giving at an early age, having tangible reasons to give, and establishing a connection with current students help alums feel their donations make a difference. Once giving is a part of their routine, it establishes a two-way relationship with the school. Being more present helps foster this relationship. Donors love thank you letters from students; that touchpoint is important.

Another thing that can help is including profiles of teachers and staff in the Happenings newsletter. Articles highlighting teachers, staff, and coaches tap into the personal aspect of the school. Faculty and the community were a big part of the experience for many alums, and relationships are strong at our school.

What are your thoughts on the future of the school?

All institutions need to adapt or die; that’s the way the world works. A school doesn’t make it 200 years without making changes along the way. It’s always hard to verbalize culture, but the small classroom setting and the small, close-knit community open the doors to opportunities to create your own experience that doesn’t exist at other schools at the high school level. The next 30-plus years will be very computer science/technology driven and the school needs to be prepared for that environment and to prepare our students for the world to come. The school needs to dedicate resources towards this initiative because this is where the future is heading.

Richard Ward ’85 Bytes of advice

Richard Ward ’85 has had a long and successful career at Microsoft for nearly 35 years now, beginning soon after his graduation from Williams College. He recently shared some thoughts about his time at The Albany Academy and what the education he received means to him.

What do you value most about your education at The Albany Academy?

The way Academy treated us as almost-adults rather than barely constrained troublemakers turned out to pay dividends. The Academy gave us authority and agency, balanced with responsibility and, while we didn’t always recognize it at the time, that trust deeply engrained lessons of responsibility.

Is there a specific teacher who stands out for you from your time as a student at Academy?

There were so many memorable teachers, from math teachers like Robert Olcott and Peter Wells, to art teacher Jim Reed who taught me how to use a camera, to Robert Leach, the first computer science teacher, back when the Academy was an early adopter of the AP Computer Science program. But Frank “Raven” Schmertz was the single most influential teacher. He taught English and prepared us uniquely well to succeed at the college level by making us think outside the “normal” five paragraph model. He really pushed our boundaries regarding how to think broadly about both what we were reading and how we were composing our papers.

What specific skills did you learn at Academy that helped you be successful in college and in your professional career?

The leadership opportunities afforded by the Academy were profoundly useful. We were given plenty of free rein to create our own results, certainly within the cadet battalion back in the day but, more importantly, through all sorts of other activities. Figuring out how to get all the groups scheduled for photographs in the Cue, for example, gave me a lot of practice and skills for driving projects later in college. Being responsible and accountable for anything sharpens one’s ability to plan better for the next thing, either in college or in a career. The Academy was always more than willing to give me the freedom to make something happen, and left it up to me to figure out how.

“If there aren’t challenges, then you likely haven’t selected the right path.” .

Tell us about your career path. When I was finishing college, I wanted to stay in the Northeast, but there was a tech downturn around Boston at the time. So I ended up taking a job on the other side of the country in Seattle, with a pre-dotcom-boom Microsoft. Instead of the twoor three-year stint I’d planned, I stayed and found incredible opportunities at Microsoft during a sustained period of growth and innovation. I started as a typical developer hired out of college, working on a team with several others, typing into a computer late into the evening. A few years in, I led a team, and at various stages I’ve led teams of hundreds, as well as dropping all management and serving in an individual architect role. When things slow down, I shift roles and technology areas, but the breadth of the field always keeps me connected to the company.

Were there challenges along the way? If so, how did you overcome them?

If there aren’t challenges, then you likely haven’t selected the right path. My first big challenge was settling into a completely new city where I knew no one. If you can do that, you’re well on your way to meeting whatever life throws at you. With career challenges, most technical or business issues end up being straightforward; I have found mentors along the way who gave me the guidance to look at the problem in a new way and find a solution. People and relationship challenges are far more involved and nuanced; learning to listen with empathy helped me understand peoples’ concerns more completely.

What advice do you have for future students?

You have more in common with the people around you than you have differences; don’t be afraid to open up and talk more. You’ll know more about yourself the more you talk to others.

What do you like to do for fun?

Travel gives the best opportunity for growth, through experiencing a new place, new culture, new sights. And it gives me a chance to break out the camera.

Taylor West ’14 Exploring the evolution of shopping

Taylor has remained engaged with the Academies since graduating from the College of Holy Cross. She shares her journey with us here.

What do you value the most about the education you received at Academy?

The elements of my experience that I find myself talking about the most are the unique traditions, the intimate learning experience, the lifelong friendships and the network they created, the encouragement I received to lean into my interests as a student (and integrate those interests into my learning), and the structure implemented into our days.

Was there a specific teacher that stands out for you?

I can’t possibly say just one but Mr. Zabinski was and still is one of my greatest mentors. I took every photography class he had, and then made up my own when those were exhausted. Then there is Mr. Bishoff, whose teaching style was the reason I went to school for economics. And of course, my friend and advisor, Mr. Fitz. In addition to being an inspiring teacher, his brutal honesty

about how things are is something I copied myself and will never forget!

What specific skills did you learn that helped you be successful in college and in your professional career?

The consistent emphasis on balancing my school work, my sports/health, interests, and family life has helped me immensely in the early stages of my career and in college where it’s so easy to get overwhelmed with ambition and workload, which can lead to burnout. I’d also have to say I developed a sense of “I can learn how to do anything” at AAG that’s followed me ever since and brings a “yes” attitude to every table where I have a seat.

Tell us about your career path and your current job.

I graduated from The College of the Holy Cross in 2018, studying economics and studio art with a focus in photography and participating in a year-long study abroad program at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. While I had no idea what I wanted to do, I thought securing a balance

between the right and left sides of the brain (every creative endeavor points back to business, after all!) at a liberal arts school would be a safe bet while I figured things out. After college, I joined WS Development, a national development firm based in Boston, Mass. Today I am their senior manager of retail experience and incubation, focused on providing dedicated, best-in-class retail strategy to the tenant mix from brand conception to design, all the way to opening day. I also run and host The Retail Darwin Podcast—available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts—exploring the evolution of retail alongside thought leaders, colleagues, and industry professionals.

Were there challenges along the way? If so, how did you overcome them?

There are challenges every day! It would almost be weird without them. I think challenges big and small force you to reflect on your goals, your purpose, and more importantly ground yourself in the foundational skills you must lean on. I tend to overcome my challenges by doing just that.

“I developed a sense of I can do anything at AAG that has followed me ever since and brings a ’yes’ attitude to every table where I have a seat.”

home run

Rob Coughlin ’03 is entering his 16th season with the Cincinnati Reds and his second as Senior Director of Professional Scouting for the team. He spent the previous three seasons as director of the scouting team. Rob manages a staff of professional scouts and is responsible for the collection and dissemination of information on all players at the major league and minor league levels. He manages the process for and provides recommendations on all potential professional player acquisitions and also oversees the Reds’ Pacific Rim and independent league scouting operations. Before his promotion to director, he served two seasons as Assistant Director of Professional Scouting and seven seasons as Manager, Video Scouting. Rob originally was hired by the Reds in 2008 as a baseball operations intern.

A native of Saratoga Springs, New York, Rob attended Wesleyan University after his graduation from The Albany Academy and earned a degree in economics. While at Wesleyan, he was captain of the baseball team.

Rob treasures his time at AA and recently shared that what he values most is the personal nature of the education and the sense of community he experienced here. “Teachers and students knew each other very well and, as a result, it was comfortable to engage in debate and challenging conversation,” Rob said. “In addition, the tight-knit nature of the community allowed teachers to push students when they were ready to be pushed, and support them in areas where they needed help. That type of personal attention is invaluable and doesn’t happen everywhere.”

He notes several specific skills he learned at Academy that helped him be successful in college and in his professional career in sports management. “Speaking in front of a group, whether formally in declamation competitions or on the mock trial team, or informally during the normal course of class discussion, is some-

Robert Coughlin ’03 Scouting for a

“The ability to communicate with a group of people is something that has been very important in my career and my time at Academy helped me develop those skills.”

thing I developed a comfort level with at Academy,” he said. “Also, the opportunity to seek out leadership positions in sports, student government, and (the now defunct) battalion provided great experiences in what goes into being responsible for groups of people. The ability to manage and/or communicate with a group of people is something that has been very important in my career and my time at Academy helped me develop those skills.”

Of course there have been challenges along the way in his career but Rob has the skills to overcome them.

“As part of my previous role, I was responsible for calling the dugout from the video room during games and advising our manager as to whether he should use one of his instant replay ‘challenges’ on close plays. This was demanding and intense, as I could not take my eyes off the game for even a second, and my recommendations had to come in a matter of seconds. Over the course of a long season it was inevitable that, on occasion, my recommendation was going to be wrong. When that was the case I would have a really terrible feeling, like I let the team and the organization down. But it was also fulfilling, and a great learning experience having to make quick decisions in real time with thousands of people watching. It taught me to live with the decision I make even if it turns out to be wrong. While I do chalk it up as a positive experience, it’s one responsibility I’m glad I don’t have anymore.”

His advice for future students is to take advantage of the opportunities that Academy provides. “I think it’s rare to find the combination of high-end facilities and a (relatively) small population, which allows students to get involved with any number of activities, whether that be clubs, sports, journalism, or student government. You may be able to deepen your involvement in something you already had some level of interest in, or discover that you are passionate about something that you weren’t even aware of.

Benjamin Williams ’99 Breaking the cycle of poverty

As executive director of the Connect Center for Youth in Cohoes, New York, Ben Williams ’99 knows the importance of helping youth connect with their full potential in order to break the cycle of poverty. His organization’s vision is to be a community hub for connection and empowerment, providing programming for youth and community aid initiatives and support in a holistic manner.

We asked him recently to share some thoughts about his time at The Albany Academy.

Ben points to the small class sizes and the faculty and staff as most valuable to him. “These things created an intimate and caring learning environment in which I flourished. I really needed a hands-on experience to fit my learning style,” he said.

Specifically, Ben cites Mr. Nicome, a former teacher, as having had a huge impact. “He would not accept mediocrity from me under any circumstances. He held me to a higher standard and showed me that as a Black man I needed to hold myself to a higher standard in order to survive in this environment.”

At Academy, Ben says, he learned a skill that has helped him throughout his life—load management. During his senior year, a time he calls the most challenging year of his life, he learned to manage being a varsity sports captain and battalion captain, completing college applications, and taking multiple AP classes. “It was a formative experience that I carried for the rest of my life.”

“My career path has taken many twists and turns throughout the years but it has all come full circle to the work that I am doing now at the Connect Center,” Ben said.” My former careers in music, business, sales, marketing, and culinary have all helped me accelerate the growth of the organization. Besides organizational growth, my experiences have helped me mentor and instruct the students enrolled in our wide range of STEAM-based workshops.”

Connect Center offers after school workshops free of charge to students in middle and high school in order to give them exposure to careers in the STEAM fields. In addition to these programs, the organization also runs multiple community support initiatives such as a food pantry, backpack program, community closet, little free libraries, and a free laundromat that is coming soon. Of course, he has encountered challenges along the way, but Ben said he overcame many of them with his “patented three Ps: planning, patience, persistence.”

His advice to current and future students?

“Stay networked with the Academies after graduation. Stay in touch with your classmates, coaches, and favorite teachers. Join the alumni board, attend events, and stay connected. You never know where life might bring you, and having such a powerful support network behind you can give you access to possibilities you may have never considered. Academy grads are world changers!

“My career path has taken many twists and turns throughout the years but it has all come full circle to the work that I am doing now at the Connect Center.”

As a retina surgeon at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai based in Manhattan, Dr. Meenakashi Gupta ’99 continues to fulfill her dream of curing vision loss through retinal surgery and research. Her work focuses on restoring eyesight, as well as hope and quality of life to her patients. Dr. Gupta and her team are working together to implement cutting-edge retinal imaging to provide new treatments for retinal diseases. She is inspired to provide each patient with the best care and latest treatments.

Dr. Gupta also directs the Telemedicine Program for Diabetic Retinopathy at Mount Sinai, which aims to prevent blindness by expanding access to innovative eye care in the primary care setting. An active participant in research activities and national clinical trials, Dr. Gupta has authored several publications and presented her work at national and international conferences. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Gupta trains medical students, residents and fellows. Dr. Gupta is committed to her community, educating the public on eye health through lectures and conducting vision screenings. She attributes her road to success and her inner strength and confidence that women can fulfill their dreams to the nurturing mentorship she received during her K-12 experiences at Albany Academy for Girls.

Dr. Gupta is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a member of the American Society of Retina Specialists. She is the recipient of the Harvard Ophthalmology Department Clinical Research Award, Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship and Albert Schweitzer Service Fellowship. She was awarded the Outstanding Young Alumna Award in 2019 during Reunion.

Dr. Gupta graduated from Harvard University, Magna Cum Laude in Neurobiology and received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School. She completed residency in Ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary/Harvard Medical School and fellowship in Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. Dr. Gupta’s brother, Sachin Gupta ’07, is a Managing Director at Fir Tree Partners, a hedge fund in New York City.

MEDICINE

Dr. Meenakashi Gupta ’99

Seeing a cure for vision loss

Armen Garo ’73

Acting on the big stage

Armen Garo ’73—well known member of the casts of the acclaimed 2022 movie CODA and HBO’s megahit The Sopranos—spoke to those who gathered for the Alumni Association’s Mid-Winter Gathering in February about his recollections and impressions of Albany Academy. We offer some excerpts here.

Armen shared that during his Middle School years participation in the annual Declamation Contest was mandatory, something he found quite intimidating. Students had to memorize a piece of prose, poetry, or even a song and present it in English class. The stakes got higher in ninth grade when it was required that the piece had to be an original work and the minimum length went from three minutes to five. Despite his trepidation, Armen won the ninth grade competition with a performance of his original piece “Happiness Is.”

“I was approached by faculty member Frank Nash, one of the most extraordinary individuals on the faculty,” Armen said. “He recommended that I look into joining the Drama Club because of my abilities on stage. I was just happy to do something that I enjoyed, but he was the one that made the connection to theater and acting. The nexus never once occurred to me. Had it not been for Frank Nash, I would’ve never recognized the bridge to theater.”

Armen remembers Frank as “a guidepost, holding up a dimly lit lamp… allowing me to follow a path made by others, or to cut my own. Frank Nash did that. Not me. I never asked him for any advice. He offered it because he recognized something in me… I laughed it off, but he insisted that I should consider it and so I did. I am forever grateful.”

“The Academy was filled with many similar guideposts, which included alumni, upperclassmen, coaches, administrators, staff, maintenance workers and, of course, faculty members. Whether or not they knew it, they were each a guidepost for us all, the Academy Family,” he recalled.

He went on to remind those gathered that “this is not just some private school. This is an institution of higher learning founded to procure leaders and contributors to society as our city, state, and country were rapidly developing and advancing. The Albany Academy is deeply woven into the fabric of this country’s origins and accomplishments. It is the private school and is like no other.” He listed several illustrious alumni and alumnae, including Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Rufus Peckham; acclaimed novelist Herman Melville; Jane Stanford, founder of Stanford University; and several others as examples of the caliber of students the Academies attracts.

“All of these alumni, as well as the tens of thousands of other alumni who have made important contributions to medicine, academia, literature, journalism, science, technology, arts, government, sports, entertainment, military, and theology are one of us, and we are one of them,” Armen said. “And it’s just as important to have had a positive influence on one single individual in our lifetime as it is to have a positive influence on millions. That’s the club we are in.”

He stressed that “this is not just some private school looking to enhance its reputation with scholarly achievements, championship trophies, plaques, and banners. What we do is memorialize the names and images of students who move onward to influence the world around them in the most positive manner.

Jeannine Blanco ’89

Giving back

Tell us about your career path and the non-profit work you are involved in. I moved into the insurance industry out of college and held various positions in management, as well as in multicultural business development and public affairs in New York City. Also, I have a consulting business focused on assisting non-profits with their fundraising needs, including event management and execution.

My passion is my consulting business in which I focus on managing fundraising events for non-profits. One of my favorite events to manage is Party on the Green which is one of the largest fundraisers for the East Lake Foundation. Typically, over 400 people attend this event in Atlanta at the East Lake Golf Club each year. As part of my responsibilities, I must lead their fundraising efforts as well as implement event plans and concepts, negotiating vendors and handling the overall logistics of the event. To date, I have assisted in raising over $2 million dollars for this organization. The proceeds for this particular fundraiser support childhood education in the East Lake community.

Also, I am involved with the East Lake Women’s Alliance where I manage a group of women who focus on golf, networking and community service. It has been very fulfilling for me to connect with this diverse group of women and continue to give back to the community.

What do you value most about your education at the Academies?

I enjoyed being educated in a small, intimate environment in which my classmates were able to form a lifetime bond with each other. If I call or message anyone in my class, we are able to pick up where we left off, even if it’s been years since we were last in touch! Also, our teachers appeared to really care about our education.

What advice do you have for current and future students?

It is important to take advantage of all the opportunities that you have at the Academies. Also, make sure to stay connected to the school. The Academies are a special place and you would be surprised how many alumni/ae there are all over the country. I have formed relationships even with recent graduates and it is always a positive experience.

What do you like to do for fun?

I enjoy spending time with my family. My 13- year-old daughter and 11-year-old son both keep me busy with their activities. Also, I enjoy traveling, dancing, reading, and staying healthy. It is my goal to enjoy life and live it to its fullest!

“It’s important to take advantage of all the opportunities that you have at the Academies.”

Dr. Rufus Burlingame ’70 Good science takes time

Perseverance was the most important trait for Rufus’ two professional careers, one in academics and one in the biotech industry. From working as a technician in a biochemistry laboratory in Boston he learned that he wanted to be in charge of a lab, and the only way to do that was to get a Ph.D. Good transcripts and references paved the way for him to be accepted into the graduate biology program at Johns Hopkins University. Once there, the hard part was learning enough about a particular field to know what questions were unanswered, and then performing the experiments to elucidate the answer to one of them. That takes hard work, skill, luck, and perseverance. “Controlling gene expression, i.e., how skin, liver, muscle cells, etc. express different proteins even thought they all have the same DNA, was and still is an active area of research. In humans, and all eukaryotes, DNA is wrapped around an octamer of proteins called histones, to form a structure called a nucleosome. Nucleosomes and the DNA linking to the next nucleosome organize the DNA so that it looks like a string of pearls. It is thought that to keep the DNA silent it stays compacted, and to express a gene the DNA opens up. A basic tenet of molecular biology is that the structure of a molecule can tell us about its function”, said Rufus. Using x-ray crystallography he determined the structure of the histone octamer, hopefully giving insight into how the DNA is controlled.

Once he had his Ph.D. in hand, getting a post-doctoral position (or 2 or 3) turned out to be straightforward. Rufus actually changed fields from biophysics to immunology,

studying the antibody markers that are found in autoimmune diseases. He was an expert in the biochemistry of histones and nucleosomes and used that expertise to make new substrates for studying autoantibodies. It turned out that antibodies against the nucleosome was an excellent marker for people with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

The most difficult part came next, getting to oversee my his lab. The two options were to apply to universities and write grants to NIH and NSF or to apply to biotech companies in my field of immunology. After a couple years of unsuccessfully applying for academic and industrial jobs, he found a company that specialized in manufacturing kits to help diagnose autoimmune diseases. Their business model was to be the first company in the world to get FDA approval for a new clinically useful autoantibody marker.

“I was a perfect fit at that company. My first project was to commercialize the anti-nucleosome antibody assay that I had discovered while in academia. The perseverance to find the right job paid off, as I worked there happily and productively for 15 years”, said Rufus.

Just about everyone in my class at The Albany Academy has had a successful career. We feel the lessons we learned and the experiences we had while at the Academy helped us persevere in pursuing life’s challenges. When we learned that the Academy could use a permanent pavilion for outdoor gatherings, it was an honor that our class could get together to donate the funds for that structure.

1985: Determined the structure of the histone octamer.

2010: Successfully commercialized an anti-nuclesome for treating Systemic Lupus.

Inspired by his students

What motivated you to become an upper school teacher?

When I was in college and graduate school, I worked as a tutor and a teaching assistant, and discovered that I really enjoyed working with students and helping them understand physics and astronomy better. At the same time I also worked on research projects and found that aspect of science much less engaging for me. As I earned my doctorate I always assumed I’d look for a college-level teaching position— but once I started actively searching for jobs, it quickly became clear that collegelevel positions that focused on teaching are very rare, especially in the sciences, and if I ever wanted to get a tenured position I’d be competing against people who really enjoyed doing research. That made it a no-brainer to make the shift to upper school level teaching, and the fact that I

still love doing this 30 years later tells me I made the right choice.

I ended up at the Academies in the fall of 1999 because a position opened up right at the start of the school year, I had a good friend working here who encouraged me to apply, and once I learned more about the school I really liked the opportunities that working here offered—a great group of students to work with, supportive colleagues, and a chance to focus on the areas I’d studied in college and graduate school (my previous school was very small so I was teaching every science class and all of the advanced math!).

Develop a metaphor to describe your philosophy of teaching and learning

I don’t know about a metaphor, but my philosophy of teaching and learning comes down to four main points:

(1) Always be clear through my actions and words that I really enjoy working with my students and that I care about them as people, not just as potential grades in a gradebook.

(2) Present and explain what I expect the students to learn in the simplest ways possible. Not by “dumbing down” anything but rather by remembering that my students in many cases are learning the material for the first time and so a complicated explanation that’s clear to me will most likely just overwhelm and intimidate them—and no one learns well when they’re overwhelmed and intimidated.

(3) Provide opportunities for students to do easy things (which helps them build confidence) but also plenty of challenging things (because tackling challenges is how we all grow).

(4) Create a supportive environment where it’s okay to make mistakes and get things wrong and where students feel encouraged to ask questions and ask for help.

In your opinion, what is the most powerful indicator of student success?

A willingness to work hard, ask questions, get help when needed, and the persistence to keep doing those things even if they aren’t getting the results they want—yet. A sense of humor and perspective (“no that B+ you got on the quiz is not the death of your academic future…”) also helps.

How do you stay current with emerging trends in the field of education?

I’m going to approach this question from a different direction, both because I have almost no formal education training and because in the 30 years I’ve been teaching at the high school level I’ve seen “trends” come, go, come back again, and on and on, and that’s left me with very little patience for educational “trends” and pedagogy created by people who have either never been a classroom teacher or who have forgotten what it’s like to work with students

Dr. Jamie Howard | science

every day. What I do have is 30 years of practical experience in the classroom, and 30 years of constantly reflecting on what I’m doing that’s working and what I could be doing to make it work better. One technique I find especially useful is to observe what my colleagues are doing and when I see something that I think might work for me and my classes (because we’re all different people with different strengths and skills and styles, and what works for one teacher with a particular group of students might not work for me or my students), shamelessly borrow what they’re doing (giving credit where due of course!) and adapt it as necessary to help it work best for my classes.

How do you build a positive school culture?

By building a positive culture in my classroom—by making my little corner of the world a better place. Some ways to do this include accepting students for who they are while encouraging them to grow and improve, creating an environment where students feel respected and cared about as people, and creating a space where it’s safe to ask questions and make mistakes, especially if a student is willing to learn from those mistakes. Owning up to my own mistakes and holding myself to the same standards I hold my students to is a big part of that.

It’s also essential to let students (and my colleagues!) know when I think they’ve done something exceptional or just plain done something well. It’s important to know when we’ve made a mistake or done something wrong, so that we can learn and grow from that—but knowing that we’ve done something right can be a really important part of having the strength and energy to keep moving forward, especially when life is busy and challenging.

How do you define self-esteem and how do you build and enhance that in upper school students?

I think the most important parts of self-esteem are being comfortable in your own skin and recognizing the value you bring to the lives of the people around you.

I think this is especially tough for many teens who are constantly bombarded with conflicting messages about what they should think is important and what makes their lives successful and/or worthwhile. I try to make my classroom a place where students are accepted and valued for who they are and where it’s safe to struggle and ask questions. Everyone is interested in different things, so it’s okay if a student isn’t especially enthused about physics. Many students come into physics having had a rough time with chemistry— but hopefully by the time they finish my class, every student recognizes that they can do at least basic physics, that it isn’t something that only “those smart people” can do. Knowing that with enough work and a willingness to ask for help as needed, they can do hard things can go a long way toward helping a student feel successful and worthwhile.

How do you relate to the Upper School students to help bring out their strengths?

This can be tough to do, because every student is different and it’s important to recognize that some have very different priorities and interests from mine. Getting to know each student, even if only in small ways, is important, and showing them that I care about them and have their best interests at heart through my actions helps build the trust that’s needed for me to help them grow and succeed. I try to constantly encourage them to pursue the things they’re passionate about, even when they’re different from what I enjoy. I also try to let them see that I’m a real person just like them, with my own strengths and weaknesses and perhaps occasional insight earned through years of experience. And as I’ve mentioned previously, it’s important that my classroom is a space where it’s safe to make mistakes and try new things, because often those offer the greatest opportunity for growth.

What advice do you have for students?

(1) Work hard and always try to do your best, while recognizing that your best will change depending on the

circumstances. It’s not necessarily tough to ace one test, but when you have four tests in one day just surviving might be a major accomplishment! At the end of the day, the important thing is knowing that you put in all the effort you realistically could. Regardless of what anyone says, you can’t give more than 100%.

(2) Make time to relax and do things you enjoy—it’s important to recharge your batteries, plus life is too short to spend all of your time working.

(3) Never be afraid to ask for help. None of us can do everything that comes our way, and we all need help at times.

(4) Be kind. It doesn’t cost you anything and you never know how much it might mean to someone who’s struggling (or even someone who isn’t).

(5) Let the people who are important to you know how much you value what they bring to your life and how much you care. You never know how long they’ll be there for you to do that.

(6) Always own up to your mistakes and do what you can to make things right. Everyone makes mistakes; the important thing is to learn from them and make new and different mistakes next time.

What inspires you?

My students inspire me. They take challenging courses and spend the school day going from one class to the next, often with major shifts in what they’re learning from class to class and few breaks beyond moving between those classes and lunch. After school they spend hours engaged in sports, the arts, and other activities—and then when they finally get home for the evening they have homework to do. When I get home after a day like theirs, all I want to do is relax and fall asleep! Students do this day in and day out, and in most cases manage to maintain their interest and enthusiasm for what they’re learning and successfully complete their work. My students are amazing young men and women and they continue to inspire me to do my best to help them be as successful as they can be every day.

Seeing potential

What motivated you to become a lower school teacher, and now a literacy specialist?

I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. Perhaps it was because I am the oldest of three and enjoyed leading my siblings, but I’d like to think it’s because I enjoy helping others and knowing I have an opportunity to positively impact lives.

In terms of why I chose to take on a different role as a Literacy Specialist... reading and writing are something that I have always enjoyed. When I was earning my degrees and working with children in school settings, I always found it almost magical when they learned to put sounds, letters, and words together to make meaning. As a first grade teacher, so much of literacy instruction is teaching students how to read and write, so when the opportunity arose at the end of last year to become the Literacy Specialist, it was just something I

couldn’t pass up. It was an exciting prospect to spend my time exploring these magical moments all day long!

What do you think is missing in lower school in public schools? Unfortunately, I think public school teachers in the lower school grades are getting burnt out. There are so many regulations and standards, and pressure to meet benchmarks that the joy of teaching gets lost. I think public school teachers are put under a microscope and expected to do so much with lack of support, resources, time, etc.

In your opinion, what is the most powerful indicator of student success?

When a child can see themselves as a learner and recognizes that mistakes are proof, they are trying, working towards a goal, and are okay, I know they will be

successful in whatever it is they want to do because it means they have faith in themselves.

How do you stay current with emerging trends in the field of education?

Online professional learning networks, books, and podcasts! There is a lot of buzz around literacy education right now so keeping current is imperative so that I can provide the best for the students.

How do you build a positive school culture?

I think mindset is extremely important. My dad always used to tell me, “Don’t worry about what you can’t do, worry about what you can do.” It’s really something that I live by. I think staying focused on those “can do” opportunities, no matter how small, can completely change your whole outlook.

I also wholeheartedly believe in community. When your community includes people who are dependable, supportive and kind, it breeds positivity. I know I’m biased, but The Albany Academy Lower School is truly the best work community. We are our own family unit and I know that I can count on my Lower School colleagues for absolutely anything.

How do you define self-esteem and how do you build and enhance that in the students you work with?

To me, self-esteem is how one views themselves in their environment. I think it’s so important to celebrate small wins and recognize growth. Part of my job includes working with struggling students who often don’t always see themselves as capable of doing something, whether it be read or write. I believe that everyone is capable of change and growth. It may be small steps in the beginning, but helping students recognize this growth is important. Self-esteem is something that is built over time, so providing support, genuine praise, and the assurance that they are a reader, writer, or learner is important in that process.

Meaghan See P’35 | literacy

How do you relate to the students to help bring out their strengths?

I think building trust and an authentic relationship is key. I think when kids learn that their teachers are human and have experienced similar situations as them it makes the student feel more comfortable. Just like any other positive relationship, connections can be made when conversation is natural and genuine. It also helps that I have a three- and five-year-old who often end up being a topic of conversation.

What advice do you have for students?

You are amazing. Don’t ever give up on yourself because you matter.

What inspires you?

It sounds cliché, but the kids inspire me! Their enthusiasm for learning (and life), perseverance through challenges, and willingness to jump in to almost any situation keeps me excited about teaching. It motivates me to continue to find ways to keep their interests piqued, to continue my path as a lifelong learner, and to bring them the very best instruction. There’s nothing better than being present when a child experiences their “aha” moment and a concept clicks for them! Being able to experience life through their lens is inspiring.

During his 38-year tenure at The Albany Academy, history teacher Vince Zabinski has taught 7th and 8th graders in the Middle School (his current role), as well as 11th and 12th graders in the Upper School. “I really enjoy the subject that I teach, and in history there’s always some new, unexplored area to dive into.

Zabinski believes that the one-on-one attention Academy teachers provide sets the school apart from public schools. “We have an advising period that gives teachers the opportunity to really connect with the students. We provide a safe and productive environment for learning, and individual attention with extra help sessions when needed,” he said.

That individual attention and the way students interact with each other during lessons help students succeed, he believes. “If I’m able to generate enough interest in the subject I teach, students will remain focused. Allowing them to interact in the classroom helps develop their critical thinking skills… all of which leads to success,” he explained. He likens teaching students to planting a seed: “With care and diligence, a beautiful crop will grow.”

“My method of teaching has worked very well for me,” he added. “When I question new

students about how they were taught history, their responses startle me. If those are examples of ‘new wave’ instruction, then I’m not interested.”

Zabinksi recognizes that creating a positive school culture is an important part of setting students up for success. “We can provide and support a positive school culture by promoting school initiatives with enthusiasm and setting good examples as role models,” he said. “Students need to know that we care and will respond accordingly.”

Middle school years can be awkward; it’s a known fact. So how does Zabinksi relate to students to help bring out their strengths? “Interacting with students in informal settings, letting them know that you are more than just a teacher or coach, and showing interest in what they have to say and do all help create a bond of trust and confidence which promotes success.”

“Whether it’s in the classroom, on the playing fields, or on the stage, giving students positive feedback and constructive criticism, and reassuring them when they doubt themselves, goes a long way in promoting self-esteem,” according to Zabinski.

His advice to students at any level? “Keep your mind open to new ideas and experiences.”

Vincent Zabinski P’99, ’03, ’04, ’04 | history

With care and diligence a beautiful crop will grow

Botmen& Botwomen

Time on the Academies’ robotics team leads to success in college and careers.

In 2010, an Albany Academy Advanced Placement computer science student asked about starting a robotics team at the school and, after some exploration of the types of programs available, The Albany Academies’ FIRST Robotics Team was formed. That was the start of a successful 12 years (and counting!) of creativity, learning, and competition for the students involved. The robotics program at the Academies has evolved over time; what began with a small group of motivated students has turned into a booming program that continues to be competitive year after year. Students who have participated speak highly of the program and many credit what they learned from participating with preparing them for success in college and their first careers.

The team’s first coach, former faculty member Jeanette Langan, remembers the integrity the team displayed from the beginning and how hard team members worked. “The

academic program at The Albany Academies is demanding and, at first, team participation didn’t count toward one of the extra commitments,” she said. “It was amazing to see students’ discipline and commitment. It was also very gratifying to see the support they gave each other, which allowed members who were a bit shy or intimidated initially to thrive and become leaders.”

Alexei Buchanan ’13 was a member of the team in the early days when it got its name—Botman Team, which grew out of a joke about their practice room resembling the Bat Cave of Batman fame. Changing Batman to Botman seemed like a fitting progression. “I focused on the mechanical and design aspects of building the robot and working on our strategy for scoring points,” he remembered. “My favorite part of being on the team was actually putting the robot together and fabricating the elements for completing the tasks.” After getting a degree in welding and enrolling

Members of the Botman Team share a moment together

in commercial dive school, Alexei is currently working towards becoming an underwater welder.

From the start, the focus was on problem solving, time management, troubleshooting, and teamwork, according to Langan. “Documenting work and lessons learned in the engineering log was always a struggle, but it’s an important part of the program and a taste of expectations and practices in the professional world,” she said. “Team members were always responsible for the design and build—no parent or mentors building the bot for them! However, if they identified and could evaluate and articulate an issue that they needed help solving or needed advice on, I was always prepared to put them in touch with people who could help.”

In those early years, Aidan Clubb ’19 realized that the engineering notebook (where the design process, from inception to build, is documented) needed a lot of attention. Upper School Engineering Teacher and current Robotics Team Coach and STEM Coordinator John McNally P’37 said, “Aidan established a nice base for our protocols on improving our engineering notebook by documenting the design, sketching in daily journals that reflected all of our design modifications.”

Aidan, who now works as an operations analyst at an investment firm after graduating from Drexel University with a degree in economics, remembers, “I wanted to learn more about how

to build and code. The Robotics Team seemed like a good place to learn a lot of skills I wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to.”

He said he believes he gained some valuable skills as a result of his participation, especially “the ability to organize a lot of moving parts and stay on top of communication with a lot of different people. Organizing our pitches for the judges also strengthened my ability to speak confidently and concisely, which is very important for job interviews.”

When Kelsey Mallory-Winegard ’20 joined the team she already had a strong background in First Lego League. “Kelsey came in and deployed her incredible skill set to the engineering notebook,” said John. “She took what Aidan started and made it even better. Her notebooks were hands down some of the best notebooks in the state for many years. Other teams would frequent our pit table just to get a glimpse of our notebook to see what we were doing.”

Now a junior at Lafayette College majoring in computer science, where she is also a teaching assistant in the department, Kelsey said robotics taught her leadership, public speaking, teamwork, and time management skills. ”Balancing robotics, school work, and my personal life in high school made the transition to college easier,” she added. “Communicating between the software, hardware, and engineering notebook teams helped me learn to

communicate with the different divisions in the workforce, working as a software engineer intern at an engineering firm.”

Many former team members share similar comments about what they learned during their time on the team. Kendall Olszowka ’22, last year’s team captain, said, “In addition to the technical skills like CAD and building, I think the biggest skills I learned were how to work with a team and presentation skills. Many of the assignments we are expected to do in college are very collaborative and my time in Botman prepared me to be able to work with people with backgrounds in various areas.”

Now enrolled at Princeton University studying mechanical and aerospace engineering, Kendall said learning how to answer specific questions about their robot during competitions gave her experience and confidence to speak with college professors and guest lecturers about their own work.

Another recent graduate, Morgan Ford ’22, joined the team to get a glimpse into how to build. “I knew I wanted to go into engineering and thought that robotics would help give me a leg up before I entered college,” she said. She is now studying biomedical engineering with a concentration in biomaterials and tissue at the University of Miami.

Through her participation in robotics Morgan said she learned “plenty of engineering skills that I use in class, for example, brainstorming, the decision matrix, and collaboration. During my time on the team, I thought the decision matrix was someone only we used, but I just recently used it in class and that surprised me!”

For some students, including Jenny Ding ’20, being a member of the Botman team was an introduction into technology and led them to their major in college. “As the programmer on the team, I was able to understand basic coding skills and applications, which introduced me to the tech field. I also learned how to tackle problems in an intense competing environment and how to think about tasks thoroughly.”

“There is an incredible amount of communication that is required to solve problems and our students are really, really good at it,” said John, “I see that in action often on the Robotics Team where you’re trying to get 10-plus students to work together to design a robot to

complete tasks. This requires an incredible amount of communication. It’s oral communication, it’s written communication and then they need to stand in front of judges who are computer scientists, engineers, scientists, and college professors to communicate what makes them special, what makes their robot special. The way our team comes together is really special and very organic.”

John said it’s especially nice when professionals and parents tell him the environment that has been created around the Botman Team is one they wish the professionals they work with could emulate, coming together to communicate. His response to those comments: “It’s not me, it’s these student leaders who have taken it upon themselves to bring the team together to solve these problems, to communicate their ideas.”

Erik Payton ’21 said he gained tremendous leadership experience and general engineering intuition while on the team. “I was captain of the team my senior year, and learning how to manage the team and make sure our robot did well has served me well so many times during college. One of the main things that I realized Botman taught me was understanding engineering systems.” He said he believes that he and other Botman alumni and alumnae have had a real advantage in these areas.

Erik is now a sophomore mechanical engineering student at Cornell University and is involved in an Aerospace Research Lab on campus doing research on methods of interplanetary travel.

Amanda Horne ’17 joined the Botman team to explore her interest in robotics and computer science after watching a FIRST competition and thinking robots competing in games was “the coolest thing ever.” A recent graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science and a master’s degree in computer systems, Amanda said she gained many skills while on the Botman team, including competitive strategy analysis, programming, technical system design, partnerships with alliances, leadership, and decision-making in the face of uncertainty. Today, she lives in Seattle and works at the Microsoft headquarters as a project manager.

The team’s success is due in part to the coaching style that’s employed. The coaches are hands off and while they give advice, guide, and

facilitate, they will not write code or build the robots, which requires the students to solve problems themselves and to work with each other.

Amanda said, “They had a really great balance between empowering us to make our own decisions when designing, programming, or building the robots vs. providing us with advice and feedback (whether solicited or unsolicited). It ultimately helped us have the best learning experience possible.”

“At competitions I find my spot in the bleachers with the spectators and step down only on occasion to go into the pit. I relay some advice every now and then, but our coaching style is very much student driven and I’m really proud of that.” John said. “I think that at times our teammates are frustrated with what they see from other teams, how much other coaches are hands on with their teams’ robots.”

Without the countless hours that volunteers contribute to the team and the competitions, there would be no program, according to Jeannette. “It’s important for team members to give as well get. We were grateful for help from more established teams as we got started, and over the years we were able to assist other teams when they had questions or problems. We were asked to host a tournament about three years into the program and that tournament continues to this day. Tournaments can’t happen without volunteers; they participate in all aspects, from check-in and scheduling to judging and refereeing.”

Robotics is a sport of the mind. New challenges are presented each season, and the tournament series is structured very similarly to physical athletic events with opportunities to advance to regional competitions and culminates in a national championship. As with any team, the members are able to “specialize” in a position, such as builder, coder, outreach, and more while working together to brainstorm and solve the challenge. Teamwork and cooperation are critically important, especially when competing. There are two drivers who control different functions of the robot, and a driving coach who is responsible for assessing the game play and directing them in real time during a match; they must all be in sync and work together towards a positive outcome.

The performance of the robot on the field is the culmination of weeks of building and

coding that the drivers are relying on to work. Every member of the team has some impact on the robot’s performance. “There has to be a lot of trust in what others designed and built,” said Jeannette. “Seeing the stronger members support and develop the more hesitant members is especially gratifying.”

“What I’m most proud of with this team is the way we moved from a complete focus on the robot and programming. Previously, we spent all our energy on the robot, but we realized after a while that a model robotics team does a lot more than just build and program robots,” said John. “Coach Walter Keeley (another Academy coach and faculty member) always said ‘you can’t rely on robot performance’ and many of our teammates took that to heart. They started to move their energy into what we do have control over and what we can rely on, and that is our notebook.”

“In the early years of the Botman Team, none of us really knew what we were doing, and there was as much time spent determining what resources we needed and finding those as there was building the robot,” said Noah Dropkin ’14 who went on to RPI after graduating from The Albany Academy. “Mrs. Langan and Mr. Keeley gave us an incredible amount of freedom in how we wanted to organize the team and build the robot, and simply made sure we were being safe while they worked on finding the resources.”

“The Robotics Team offered me the opportunity to creatively solve problems with my friends, and the freedom to tackle those problems however we thought best,” he added. Like all of the other former Botman Team members who spoke to us for this article, Noah remembers his time on the team very fondly. “Building one of these robots is not something my team and I did in our free time; it was something we did all of the time. In every class, during every lunch hour and free period, if we weren’t working on the robot it was always in the back of our minds. It’s rare to find a project that is so captivating, and I really miss that feeling.”

STEAM Coordinator and Faculty Member

John McNally P’37

the A-Teams

2022-23

AA Varsity Swimming & Diving

It was an outstanding season for Albany Academy Swimming & Diving, ending with competing at the NYSPHSAA Championship in Ithaca. Divers Andrew C. ’23 and James G. 23’ finished 10th and 20th, respectively. The 200 Medley Relay Team of Ethan R. ’24, Brayden H. ’23, Dhev J. 24’ and William V. ’23 finished 28th. Brayden H. ’23, tied for second in the 50-yard freestyle. His time of 20.86 is a new school record and an All-American Consideration time. Brayden repeated as State Champion in the 100-yard breaststroke. His time of 54.33 earned him Automatic All-American status by over a second and is a new Section 2 and school record. Congratulations to our divers and swimmers!

AA Basketball

Congratulations to the Boys’ Varsity Basketball Team on a great season! The team played in the championship game of the NYS Federation State Championship on March 26 and lost by four points in a heartbreaker. A huge congratulations to Coach Driggs on an amazing first season as head coach of the team! Although it was not the outcome we wanted, we are so proud of our student-athletes and coaches.

A huge congratulations to Alumnus Andre Jackson ’20 and the UConn Huskies for their victory over San Diego State to win the 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship title.

Boys & Girls Indoor Track

Congratulations to Isabel C. ’23, and Bashir P. ’23 who earned berths in the State Meet held on March 4. Isabel earned a silver medal as a member of the intersectional relay team and Bashir won the state title in the long jump and was second in the 55m hurdles. Both accomplishments are also new school record marks, and Bashir’s hurdle time is ranked in the top 10 in the country. He was also recognized with the Section 2 Sportsmanship Award. Congratulations to all of our indoor track studentathletes on a great season!

For teams and schedules go to: albanyacademies.org

AAG Basketball

Congratulations to the Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team on their stellar season! On March 17, the team played in the NYSPHSAA State Tournament Final Four at Hudson Valley Community College. Middle and Upper School students had the privilege to go to the game and cheer on the Bears as they played Putnam Valley Senior High School. Our Lower School students cheered at a watch party held in our auditorium. The Bears did not have the outcome they would have liked, but their grit throughout the season was amazing! We are very proud of all the student-athletes and coaches who made this an historic season.

Ms. Veronica Harris ’84 8/9/21

Mrs. Lillian M. Jones ’41 8/14/21

LTC Franklin C. Haskins USA(Ret.) ’53 8/21/21

Ms. Pauline Mason ’63 8/22/21

Mrs. Kate Kristine Osborn ’50 8/23/21

Mrs. Alice Schrade ’48 9/1/21

Ms. Patricia Repp ’61 9/6/21

Mr. Thornton Jenkins ’51 9/24/21

Mr. Raymond J. Castellani ’52 10/18/21

Mr. Clifford D. Fordyce Jr. ’65 10/20/21

Mr. Clarke M. Burke ’63 10/24/21

Mr. William D. Ging ’93 10/28/21

Dr. Kenneth F. Mott ’57 10/30/21

Mrs. Catherine Creble McCarraher ’44 Nov-21

Mr. Austin A. Woodward ’43

Mr. David F. Boring ’75

Mr. Thomas E. Dewey Jr. ’50

Mr. Bruce C. Craig ’42 12/9/21

Mrs. Joan Braun Rosenstein ’46 P’68 ’73 12/9/21

Mr. Ten Eyck B. Powell Jr. ’46 P’74 ’75 ’82 GP’05 ’07 ’09 12/29/21

Mrs. Mary Gray Rosenfeld ’43 12/31/21

Mrs. Anne Curtin ’47 1/9/22

Mrs. Gretchen Fitz ’55 1/10/22

Commander Anthony T. Fleishman ’53 1/12/22

Mr. John F. Dearstyne Jr. ’57 P’84 ’88 1/17/22

Mrs. Elizabeth Kingdon-Greuenwald ’44 1/22/22

Mr. Evan R. Collins Jr. ’55 2/1/22

Mr. John J. Gamble Jr. ’61

Dr. Walter Jaworski DVM ’68

Mr. Hollis T. Hurd ’67

Mr. Daniel M. Hogan ’08

Mr. Edwin P. Dewing

Mrs. Barbara Levinson ’56

Dr. John F. Mosher Jr. ’51

Mr. Charles M. Liddle III ’48

Mr. Peter F. Fingar

beginning on May 1.

If you have notes to include, please send them to Nancy Palluti, Marketing and Communications Manager, directly at: pallutin@albanyacademies.org or submit online at albanyacademies.org/class-notes. Thank you!

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We are not including class notes in this issue of the A2 Magazine but be on the lookout for a dedicated class notes section in Happenings