DAYS IN THE LIFE #PINGREESCHOOL
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Alumna Emily Meldon ’09 reconnects us with nature
16 CONTENTS FALL 2016 | WINTER 2017 VOLUME 3
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From the Head of School
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In the House
16 Partners in Learning 22 Sacred Lessons 26 Pursue Your Passions 30 The Hedge Garden 48 Q&A with Len Williamson
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On the cover: Prep@Pingree celebrates 15 years and first of its kind public-private school partnership with Lawrence Abbott Academy
LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
A LIVING LEGACY We learn most by observing the behaviors of others. Two years ago, I sat with Richard (Dick) Harte, our founding Board President, in his Beverly Farms home. In his early 90s, Mr. Harte’s eyesight and body were unable to keep up with his sharp mind and warm smile. He asked me what kind of bread I wanted for my sandwich and whether I wanted the crust cut off. “However you’re having it,” I replied. We spent two hours talking about the early years at Pingree, and what he and founding Head of School Robin Rogers had to do to make payroll and keep the lights on. Mr. Harte visited the school almost daily in the early 1960s, supporting faculty, welcoming families, and encouraging our initial classes of students. Mr. Harte passed away on October 15, and it was only while Richard Harte, right sitting in the back row of his memorial service that I learned about the qualities of a man who embodies the very best of our school and mission. Mr. Harte was a soldier, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and family man. He served proudly in World War II, dedicated years to his family’s shovel manufacturing business, and made waves as an investment banker in Boston. His passion for education and community development was evident in his tireless efforts as a member of numerous local leadership boards, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston and the Schepens Eye Research Institute. We thank Dick Harte for having the vision, courage, and selfless spirit of generosity that made the Pingree we know and love today possible. He will be missed, and yet his indelible mark shines brightly in all we do today at Pingree. At a recent celebration of his life, S. Melvin Rines, a longtime colleague and friend said of Harte, “He lived by doing, not by telling people what to do.” May we all do something bigger than ourselves in honor of the legacy of Dick Harte. His mission lives on in the stories about Prep@Pingree marking its fifteenth anniversary (p.16), our connection with Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota (p.22) and our young alumni who make an impact in their communities (p.26) in this issue of Pingree magazine. — Dr. Timothy M. Johnson
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PINGREE MAGAZINE EDITOR Melody Komyerov ASSISTANT EDITOR Emma Fedor CONTRIBUTORS Jared Charney David Goff Anna McCoy Nate Olson ’04 Reid Smith ’17 Grace Talusan DESIGN
2COMMUNIQUÉ
PRINTING Hannaford and Dumas Pingree magazine is published twice a year for alumni, parents, and friends. We welcome your letters, story ideas, and suggestions. Please send correspondence to: Melody Komyerov Director of Marketing and Communications mkomyerov@pingree.org For alumni updates, please e-mail: Kenneth Aboagye-Adinkra ’12 Alumni Relations Officer kadinkra@pingree.org Diana Batchelder Mathey P’01, ’04, ’09, ’11 Interim Director of Advancement dmathey@pingree.org Pingree is a coeducational independent day school for grades 9-12. Dedicated to academic excellence and development of high personal standards, Pingree believes that a love of learning flourishes best in a diverse community that respects truth, curiosity, creativity, humor, and independent and imaginative thinking. Above all, Pingree strives to instill in its students integrity, decency, compassion, self-esteem and commitment to one another and to the world at large. Pingree School does not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, marital status, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, age, disability, status as a veteran or being a member of the Reserves or National Guard, or any other classification protected under state or federal law.
“I would not be the same student without the resources that Pingree’s Makerspace provides." — Nick Wiles, Pingree Class of 2017
Support your favorite program today with a gift to the Pingree Fund! WWW.PINGREE.ORG/GIVE | THE 2016-2017 PINGREE FUND CLOSES ON JUNE 30, 2017.
Students perform a piece from the Fall Dance Concert.
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IN THE HOUSE NEWS FROM CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY
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IN THE HOUSE
NEWS ROUND-UP Education and Religion Journalist and author Linda K. Wertheimer visited Pingree this fall to lead an assembly discussion on the teaching of religion in schools and educational institutions.
InventTeam The Pingree InvenTeam is working to design and build an electronic pedal extender that will fit universally onto all motor vehicles for use by the thousands of people with achondroplasia.
PINGREE WAS AWARDED
1 OF 15
LEMELSON-MIT INVENTEAM GRANTS.
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Singing for Peace On Friday, September 30, members of the Pingree community, led by vocal music director Thom Smoker, came together to perform “Ukuthula,” a traditional African Peace Hymn, as part of the AVoice4Peace organization’s “A Song for Peace” movement.
Theater Al Fresco The cast and crew of the fall theater production braved the elements this November for their performance of Qui Nguyen’s She Kills Monsters, which they performed on a custom-built outdoor stage constructed entirely by students.
Hedge Garden Makeover The Hedge Garden has a new look! The garden’s original hedges were removed over the summer and replaced with updated flowers and greenery.
Schedule Change Pingree moved from semesters to trimesters this fall, while also instituting a brand new daily schedule. The new schedule offers an improved daily pace with built-in community time, protected break time, early-release Wednesdays, and late-start Thursdays.
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GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER WON THEIR THIRD NEW ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE IN FOUR YEARS!
ST
Shot All to Hell Work by illustrator, artist, and Pingree art teacher Nathan Olson ’04 was displayed in the Bertolon Gallery this fall. The exhibit featured drawings and illustrations from Olson’s current graphic novel project “Shot All to Hell,” a historical account of the James-Younger gang from post-American Civil War. The graphic novel is based on the book written by author Mark L. Gardner.
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IN THE HOUSE
THE MATCH ITH W S FACE CTS THE FA
1. Ken Aboagye-Adinkra
2. Lacey Alex
3. Allison Angelico
4. Owen Carpino
Alumni Relations
School Counselor
Spanish
Spanish
5. Elizabeth CooperMullin History
6. Max De La Cruz
7. Abby Goettler
8. Keith Mazzeo
Technology
Math
Rink
9. Eric McCollom
10. Nick Soodik
11. James Williams
12. Nate Olson
English
College Counseling/English
Math
Visual Art
NEW FACES
D. n Is a classically trained opera singer n Can blindly identify all tomato varieties
by taste
A.
C.
n Can make cheese out of cashews
n Holds the unofficial Ocean City, NJ
E.
n Has lived in the three biggest cities
town record for most blue claw crabs consumed in a single seating (source: his in-laws) n Won the Overall at the J3 Eastern Division Junior Olympic Ski Racing Championships at age 14
n Has been driving the Zamboni since he
in the US
B.
n Rowed collegiate crew for four years n Used to be a competitive drummer n Hopes to be on Survivor one day
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was able to drive a car n Married his high school sweetheart,
who he’s been with for the past 11 years n Has worked as a letter carrier, commer-
cial plumber, and private investigator
F. n Co-captained a Division III Hockey
National Championship winning team at Norwich University n Taught and coached for four years at the Cardigan Mountain School
G. n Was a member of the Penn Sirens,
Penn’s premier vocal ensemble n Taught for two years in the West
Philadelphia Tutoring Project
H. n Has been a basketball referee for 30
years n Practices Bikram Yoga in a 105-degree
room for 90 minutes every day
I. n Is a nine-year army veteran and Bronze
Star Medal recipient n Lived in the Dominican Republic for
five years n Played five varsity sports in high school
and is now an avid rugby player
J. n Is fluent in Twi (Ghanaian language) n Couldn’t beat his mother in a foot race
until seventh grade n Only lost three football games in his
entire Amherst Football career
K. n Loves to dance Salsa, Bachata, and
HITTING THE LINKS On Monday, September 29, 2016 Pingree hosted the James C. Deveney Golf Classic at Myopia Hunt Club. This was the school’s 26th year hosting this event. Over 100 golfers enjoyed a wonderful day of golf, raising $30,000 for financial aid and access funding for transportation, books, school supplies, and extra-curricular activities. Pingree would like to thank all the sponsors, supporters, and volunteers who helped make this such a success. Special thanks to co-chairs, Jeff Kruck P’05, ’06, ’13; Ted Ober P’12, ’16; Tom Strickler P’19, ’19; and Jim Deveney.
Merengue n Is an avid Monty Python fan n Has successfully played the name
game out of state and country L. n Is a nationally ranked table tennis
competitor n Wrote and illustrated the graphic
novel, Shot All to Hell
KEY 1, J; 2, B; 3, K; 4, F; 5, D; 6, I; 7, G; 8, E; 9, C; 10, A; 11, H; 12, L
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IN THE HOUSE
THE CHILVAXX PACK A REVOLUTION IN VACCINE TRANSPORT
Over the summer, Pingree junior Abhi Sambangi participated in the TiE Young Entrepreneurs business competition, an event sponsored by TiE Global, a non-profit organization focused on fostering youth entrepreneurship. “The competition involves forming a team, creating a novel product, building a business plan and model around that product, and then pitching the business in front of judges,” explains Sambangi. Sambangi was a part of the Chilvaxx team that created a lightweight, cost effective prototype for a vaccine carrier that can prevent spoilage in third world countries and rural areas without access to modern refrigeration. The Chilvaxx system consists of a transportable, multi-
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layered, insulated bag with a temperature sensing sticker, and an insulating “cool box” that maintains an interior temperature of two degrees celsius. The Chilvaxx team took home first prize in the Boston regional competition, qualifying them for the global finals. Sambangi and his team members ultimately came in third place out of 21 finalists, willing $1000 in prize money. “The best part for me,” says Sambangi, “is that along the way of product development, I may have invented a new frozen chemical mixture that actually prevents vaccine spoilage, which I prototyped for use in our competition vaccine carrier model. I look forward to testing it further since
the lab results so far are very promising.” Sambangi continues to test his material under the supervision of chemistry teacher Dr. Hamilton, who has been a key advisor to Sambangi and the Chilvaxx mission. In addition to his Chilvaxx accolades, Sambangi was recently presented with the India Association of Greater Boston’s (IABG) Youth Excellence Award. In 2015, he was the winner of the MIT Boston Brain Bee and 2nd place winner of the US National Brain Bee. He is a two-time semifinalist in Biology Olympiad (2015 and 2016), and was an official invitee of the 2014 White House Science Fair hosted by President Barack Obama.
SCENES FROM FALL SPORTS
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IN THE HOUSE
SPECIAL VISITORS On Friday, October 7, Pingree opened its doors to over 200 guests for its annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day. Loved ones visited classes with students, enjoyed lunch in the Athletics Center, and were treated to dance, music, and theater performances at a special assembly. New this year, guests and students also had the option of taking a guided tour of the Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit or participating in an art project led by artist Jen Groeber.
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WELCOME, NEW TRUSTEES
1.
1. Valerie Gilman
3. James Kellogg III ’85
6. Justin Parker ’02
2.
Val Gilman currently serves on several boards, including the Gloucester Education Foundation and Annisquam Village Players. This past fall, Val was elected to the Gloucester City Council. Her professional background includes a 25-year career in human resources management working in both high technology and manufacturing companies. In addition to her HR roles, she was also a Malcolm Baldrige Quality Auditor and has extensive experience in customer satisfaction, management training, and strategic planning.
Jamie Kellogg is managing director at Sankaty Advisors. Jamie is a member of the Risk & Oversight Committee and is the head of Sankaty’s Trading Desk. Jamie is married to Katherine (Kate) Cairns Kellogg ’86. Their oldest child, Jay, is in the Class of 2019. The family lives in Marblehead, MA.
Justin is an associate director of global technology services for Eze Castle Software, a financial technology company. Justin joined the Pingree Alumni Leadership Board in 2007, most recently serving as vice president and co-chair of the annual ALB Alumni Networking event. Justin is married to his Pingree sweetheart, Kathleen (Dyer) Parker ’02 and they live in Boston, MA.
3.
2. Cara McCarthy Hutchins Cara McCarthy Hutchins is principal and founder of Communications, Ink, an award-winning marketing company based in Beverly, MA. She has also served on the boards of Planned Parenthood, Glen Urquhart School, and Beverly Historical Society. Prior to founding Communications, Ink, Cara worked at Holland, Mark, Martin, State Street Bank & Trust Company, Presidio Oil, Salomon Brothers and Mark Boyer & Company. Her daughter, Lilia, joined the class of 2019 after attending Shore Country Day School. Cara lives in Prides Crossing with her family and incorrigible dog.
4. Kristen Krogh Kristen Krohg is managing director of Cambridge Associates, LLC. Cambridge Associates is the leading investment advisor to foundations and endowments, private wealth, and corporate and government entities. Kristen has two sons at Pingree, Christian in the Class of 2018 and Will in the Class of 2019. Her family lives in South Hamilton, MA.
5. Bianka Mejia ’09 Bianka Mejia attended Prep@Pingree for two summers before entering Pingree. Bianka currently works as an engineering psychologist in Human Factors at the Volpe National Transportation Center for the Department of Transportation while pursuing her PhD. Bianka lives in Andover, MA.
4.
7. Alan Ray From 2008 through 2015, Alan Ray served as president and professor of religion and society at Elmhurst College, near Chicago. Prior to 2008, Alan headed academic affairs for Harvard Law School and the University of New Hampshire, and in a previous life, practiced public law. Alan, whose academic work concerns federal Indian law, is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and, by appointment of President Obama, a member of the National Advisory Council on Indian Education. During 2015-16, he was a visiting scholar at Harvard Law School. He lives in Rockport with his spouse, Angela Katsos Ray ’82, and their three children, Stephen (12), and twins Charles and Helen (9).
5.
6.
7.
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PARTNE LEARN
W
THE MALCOLM COATES PREP@PINGREE PROGRAM CELEBRATES 15 YEARS OF LEARNING AND ENRICHMENT WITH A GROUNDBREAKING PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH LAWRENCE ABBOTT ACADEMY. BY GRACE TALUSAN PHOTOGRAPHS BY JARED CHARNEY
We are not in a Pingree classroom in the summer of 2016, but in a
Massachusetts Bay Colony courtroom at the end of the 17th century. Students in Cesar Batista’s English class have become John Proctor, Abigail Williams, Judge Hathorne, and other Salem residents in 1692 for a mock trial based on Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible. The students speak and hold themselves in ways that belie their identities as 21st century teens. For them to play these roles so convincingly, students have not only read the play in preparation, but consumed the language to the point that it sounds like their own tongue. They follow court procedures expertly, rarely glancing at their notes. Several times, the room erupts after hearing from the witnesses. The
lawyers object and the judge hammers his gavel against the desk to bring order to the court. Only the voices from the classroom next door and the sight of the electric green fields through the windows remind us that we are in Cesar Batista’s English class, not 1692 Salem.
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RS IN ING
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PARTNERS IN LEARNING
Prep@Pingree teacher Cesar Batista says that his students are so passionate about The Crucible that they don’t want to stop talking about it. When class is over, he has to gently nudge them towards the hallway, where he can hear them still arguing about the play as they walk to lunch. One student says that she already read The Crucible earlier in the school year, but barely remembered it until Batista brought the play to life by connecting the concerns of 1692 Salem to contemporary issues. After 14 years of strong community partnerships with schools and organizations for middle school students, Prep@Pingree expanded its reach this year by partnering with Lawrence Abbott Academy, an accelerated academic program for high-achieving students at Lawrence High School. It is the first public-private partnership of its kind. “It’s a new experience,” a tenth
Students admit that initially, the idea of attending school in the summer goes against the very idea of summer break, but once they arrive onto campus, they understand the benefits. One young woman says, “I hated getting up at first, but now I’m not in bed all day and doing nothing.” Another student was hit by a car halfway through the summer while she was home, but that did not stop her from getting on the bus every morning. The reputation of Prep@Pingree’s summer program is so strong that a few students, outside of the target population, participate with full tuition. Steve Filosa, founding director of the Malcolm Coates Prep@Pingree Program, remembers when 14 students from 3 Lawrence schools participated in the first Prep@Pingree summer program. They fit in one classroom on campus and studied math and English. Fifteen years later, those same three Lawrence schools continue to partner with Prep@Pingree and the program now serves 75 students from 9 different communities. Filosa has worked in independent schools for over 25 years and with Prep@Pingree for 15. There was a time when he worried about the program’s ability to survive beyond his own efforts, but he has since watched with pleasure as the Prep@Pingree family has grown. Paul Mayo now serves as program director, and increasingly more teachers and students have gotten involved over the years. “I don’t worry as much that the program will survive from year to year,” says Filosa. “Sustainability is within reach. Some endowment giving one day will mean that we are here to stay.” Filosa describes the feeling of watching the “virtuous cycle play out in a big way” as deeply satisfying. He’s seen those involved with Prep@Pingree as students, faculty, staff, and alumni magnetically cycle back into the Pingree community as members of the school’s faculty,
“PREP@PINGREE LETS ME TRY THINGS THAT I WOULDN’T NECESSARILY GET THE CHANCE TO TRY DURING THE REGULAR SCHOOL YEAR. grader with Abbott Academy states. “Prep@Pingree lets me try things that I wouldn’t necessarily get the chance to try during the regular school year. It’s good to do something over the summer.” Besides English class, over the five-week summer program, both Prep@Pingree and Abbott Lawrence Academy students study history, math, and engineering. They swim, have outdoor activities, and go on excursions to the Museum of Science, New England Aquarium, and a whale watch. They meet regularly in small advising groups to discuss academic concerns, play games, and build friendships. “This is such a boost,” one Prep@Pingree student says.
PREP@PINGREE THROUGH THE YEARS 2001 n
n
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Pingree Headmaster Chris Teare and Trustee Malcolm Coates establish Pingree School Diversity Committee Pingree’s Board unanimously approves proposal to launch P@P
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2002 n
n
P@P holds first summer session for 13 rising eighth graders from Lawrence P@P hires four Pingree students as summer instructors
2003 n
n
n
P@P enrollment increases to 20 students, with addition of eight rising ninth graders Pingree enrolls first two P@P alumni Six Pingree students work as P@P summer instructors
2004 n n
Enrollment increases to 20 Pingree enrolls two P@P alumni
2005 n n
n
Enrollment increases to 25 Pingree enrolls two P@P alumni First annual fall tour and nature walk with English Department Chair at Proctor Academy
2006 n
n
n
Pingree enrolls six P@P alumni Engineering and History courses added to P@P curriculum P@P hosts first-ever secondary school admission panel
2007 n
n
n
Enrollment expands to include Lynn First P@P alumni graduate from high school and enter college P@P receives first deferred gifts and endowment funds
2008 n n
Enrollment increases to 35 Pingree enrolls five P@P alumni
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PARTNERS IN LEARNING
staff, and Board of Trustees. He’s also proud of how Prep@Pingree has become a way to train future teachers and mentor young people who are interested in the teaching profession. “Everyone is growing and learning something every day,” Filosa says. “Everyone who connects with Prep@Pingree benefits from it.” At the end of the engineering course, students complete their final activity: an egg drop. They’ve brainstormed ideas and come up with creative solutions for how to drop an egg from the second story and protect it from cracking. Students gather around their contraptions made with recycled plastic shopping bags, balled up paper, cardboard boxes, even blown-up balloons, and make final adjustments. The room is full of their previous projects, towers made of straws, and their teacher, Maria Ronchi, an engineering student at Brown University, tells them it’s time. “I always really admired my teachers in high school and I plan to be an engineer, but eventually, I’ll probably teach,” says Ronchi. Her positive experiences as a student inspired her to pursue teaching and her time with Prep@Pingree has further reinforced this decision. The students tie string and wrap masking tape around their eggs. They draw happy faces on the balloons that are attached to the basket that their egg sits in. The room is alive with excitement and anticipation. Will their eggs survive the fall? It’s something that we all prepare for in some way, how to survive a setback, a disappointment or even a tragedy, and these students face this academic challenge with humor and enthusiasm. This is what a great learning experience can do, give us skills and information and allow us to practice in a safe environment. We try, fail, learn, and succeed. One by one, Prep@Pingree students climb the great stairs to the balcony. They stand at the bannister and let their eggs fall. P P
PREP@PINGREE THROUGH THE YEARS 2009 n
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Over 5% of Pingree students are P@P alumni
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2010 n n
Enrollment remains at 35 P@P alumni make up increasingly larger percentage of Pingree enrollment
2011 n n
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P@P receives $1 million gift Governor Deval Patrick speaks at P@P tenth anniversary celebration First P@P alumni graduate from college
2012 n
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Pingree formally institutionalizes P@P as school program P@P mission is revised to expand enrollment to two tuition-paying students
2013 n
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Enrollment increases to 50 students, with five full-pay students P@P adopts strategic plan focused on institutional growth and expansion
2014 n n
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Enrollment increases to 65 P@P hires full-time program director Summer program extends to 12 months
2015 n n
Enrollment increases to 70 P@P is formally named in honor of Malcolm Coates
2016 n
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P@P partners with Abbott Academy; offers programing to rising tenth graders Enrollment increases to 140
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PINGREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS LIVE AND SERVE IN A CULTURE WHOLLY DIFFERENT FROM THEIR OWN, RETURNING HOME WITH STRENGTHENED FRIENDSHIPS AND FRESH PERSPECTIVES.
BY EMMA FEDOR ILLUSTRATIONS BY NATE OLSON ’04
How well do you adapt to changes in plans? Are you comfortable putting community over self? What kinds of chores do you help with around the house? Would you describe yourself as self-motivated? These are some of the questions posed to students interested in participating in Pingree’s annual trip to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Todd County, South Dakota. Because the Rosebud visit isn’t just a high school service trip. It is an enduring partnership between the Pingree community and the members of the Sicangu band of the Lakota (Sioux) Tribe, who welcome Pingree students, faculty, staff, and alumni into their community each summer, teaching lessons and offering perspectives that simply cannot be attained at home in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. The program was launched in 2006 under the careful leadership of Alan McCoy, director of athletics, and Anna McCoy, history teacher, service coordinator, and ninth grade dean. That first visit, Valerian Three Irons, a Mandan Indian and Sun Dance Chief, conveyed a message that has formed the basis for the trip and for Pingree’s service and civic engagement efforts as a whole: “If you go to help, you assume they are helpless. If you go to fix, you assume they are broken. But if you go to learn and to serve, you assume they are whole.” Today’s participants stay on the reservation in pop-up tents at Sinte Gleska University, with shared bathrooms and kitchen facilities. Students cook for themselves, taking turns preparing family-style dinners to be eaten around a large round table each night. With the absence of a fixed “service agenda,” the daily schedule is loose, flexible, and at times, unpredictable; participants strive to support community efforts underway and do not engage in activities unless they are invited to do so.
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SACRED LESSONS
EXPOSURE
The Rosebud Reservation is one of the poorest places in the United States, with one of the lowest life expectancies. A majority of residents live below the poverty line in substandard housing, with few opportunities for advancement. It is an unfamiliar world for many Pingree students. “My first trip was definitely a culture shock,” shares alumna Emma Phippen ’11. Phippen has participated in the program a total of five times, with three of those visits occurring after graduation from Pingree. “You’re put into an entirely new cultural and socioeconomic setting and it’s eye-opening. You almost can’t believe that you’re still in the United States. It feels like you’re in a different country.” On Rosebud, students are exposed to a culture that is remarkably different from their own, but that is also very much an American culture, opening their eyes up to the fact that not everyone in America has the same beliefs, customs, or standards of living that they’ve come to expect. And while they may have heard this in class or seen it on the news, experiencing it in person is an entirely different thing. “The Rosebud trip made me so much more aware of a lot of social issues that really are not talked about in the mainstream discourse,” says alumnus Adam Logan ’08. Logan has been on the trip seven times, including the very first year. “Rosebud is a prime example of one of the most underserved communities in the United States, and being there really made me a lot more attuned to important social issues both locally and nationally. It certainly made me more mature.” Following his experiences at Rosebud in high school, Logan focused on American Indian history at Holy Cross, returning on his own to do oral history A Pingree student plays with children on the Rosebud Indian Reservation
research, and ultimately writing his thesis on the Lakota Language. He also participated in a pro-bono trip to an Indian reservation in Oklahoma while pursuing his J.D. at Boston University. DISCOMFORT
Pingree teachers consistently push students to take risks. Stretch. Step out of their comfort zones. And they do it because they know that from vulnerability and discomfort comes understanding, mindfulness, and personal growth. The Rosebud program supports this notion, compelling students to stretch themselves in ways that are foreign to them. “It feels a little uncomfortable to be on the reservation at first,” shares Pingree senior Meg Foye, who just went on her third trip to the reservation this past summer. “Suddenly, you are the minority, and that can be really uncomfortable for kids that aren’t used to that. But taking that step is really important.” It’s common for participants to feel a deep sense of guilt when they see the relative poverty in which many community members live. There is a natural inclination to want to “fix” the situation, and the McCoys and program leaders stress to students that these feelings are normal, and to be expected, but that there are appropriate ways of dealing with them. Simply feeling guilty inhibits one’s ability to engage, and ultimately doesn’t help anyone. Albert White Hat, a revered Rosebud elder who died two winters ago, put it this way: “They say the worst thing you can do to a person is to pity them. It’s a way of putting that person down, putting yourself above them… [and] the greatest gift you can give is time. Generosity is measured in the ways of respect and honor, not pity.” “Our role there isn’t to help them,” echoes senior Gabby Assad. “They don’t need our help. We’re there to learn. And that’s the best way we can contribute, by taking the time to get to know them and working to make each day we’re there a good day.” COMMUNITY VALUES
The Lakota have a tradition of tiospaye, which roughly translates to a small piece of a large family. It can also mean community, and Pingree visitors seek to live, work, and interact in keeping with this tradition while on the reservation. The idea is to put community over self and be accountable for the wellbeing of the group by whatever means possible. Students work together to complete daily chores, doing their own cooking and cleaning. At the end of every day, participants gather together for a discussion circle, during which each person says one thing they are thankful for and shares a moment or observation they had during the day. And just as the
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Alan McCoy tends the fire at a traditional sweat lodge ceremony
students convene in this way each evening, so too do they return each year, in doing so continuing the circle of trust that has been built between the Lakota and Pingree, thus expanding the Pingree family in a very unique way. “The real strength of our program has been its continuity, and the fact that we continue to go every year,” says Logan. “That engenders a lot of trust with the community. They trust that we’re there for the community and we’re not there to pat ourselves on the back. We do this because we genuinely enjoy it and derive a whole lot of value out of it.” The Rosebud trip has created, in Pingree, “a substantial investment in another community,” says Anna McCoy, “and I think it’s a pretty cool, healthy, amazing thing that this little school can be so connected to another part of the world.” P
ROSEBUD REFLECTIONS I am afraid of flying. For as long as I can remember, air travel has brought with it overpowering anxiety that for many years was so bad that I avoided it altogether. So when it came to doing a semester abroad in college, I had limited myself considerably— or so I thought. In my Work Study job at the University of Massachusetts I happened upon a pamphlet that advertised the opportunity to complete a semester of service on an Indian Reservation in South Dakota. I had very little background in American Indian affairs, and absolutely no desire to go to South Dakota, but somehow the following August I found myself driving across the country with my father, Alan McCoy, in my 1987 Volvo station wagon. The trip was memorable for many reasons, not the least of which was that the radio broke in Michigan and we spent the rest of the ride memorizing state nicknames. This type of “atlas fun” remains a big part of riding in my father’s car in South Dakota, along with enduring favorites such as “Let’s Memorize the Presidents” and “Who Knows What a Cattle Guard is?” That was in 2001. In 2006, after my first year as a Pingree history teacher, I proposed to my father that we return to South Dakota — this time with students in tow. He agreed. That June, accompanied by English teacher Jim MacLaughlin and twelve students, we made our first trip. In our history classes this year, most teachers have incorporated the TED Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie called “The Danger of a Single Story.” The message of this talk is about the danger of accepting a single story about a person or place, and allowing that story to serve as an absolute. Doing this creates stereotypes and as Adichie says, “The danger of a stereotype is not that it’s wrong, it’s that it’s incomplete.”
BY ANNA MCCOY
The Rosebud Reservation is one of the poorest places in the United States with one of the lowest life expectancies. To gloss over these realities would be to ignore the very real challenges faced by so many living there and to deny the privilege that we bring with us when we go. Just as dangerous, though, would be to create a vision of the reservation that is bleak, hopeless and sad. In the fifteen years since I began working with the Sioux Nation, however, I have become increasingly aware of the fact that — despite astounding and systemic challenges — hopelessness does not define this community. One of the most indelible memories I have of our journeys to South Dakota happened during our third summer. A group of us had the privilege of overseeing the day-to-day activities of a children’s emergency shelter for the week. For those five days, we provided activities for the children, cooked, cleaned, did the laundry, supervised naptime, mediated disputes, calmed babies, and put on a fashion show with donated clothing. We used a hose to create a backyard water park (later a mud puddle), ate our weight in oranges, and sang the same T-Pain song over and over. The last day was hard. Our every minute had been consumed with the joys, adventures and peaceful exhaustion that comes with caring for young children, and yet we had to leave knowing that, due to confidentiality, we might never know what happened to them. Waiting in line at a gas station and listening to Mika’s “Happy Ending,” I peered in the rear view mirror. The tears streaming down the faces of my passengers revealed that every single one of them had, in some way or another, thrown their lots in with those kids and would never, ever see the world the same.
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PURSUE YOUR PASSIONS YOUNG PINGREE ALUMNI SHARE HOW THEIR PASSIONS GUIDE THEIR PURSUIT TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Students are often reminded to follow their passions. Love what you do, and never work a day. No pressure, right? But even if a young person discovers what this is early on, what does a life in pursuit of a passion look like? Next in our young alumni series, we hear from four alumni actively finding a way to pursue their passions and make a difference in the world. No matter the twists and turns of life, they follow their dreams to careers and further study in politics, travel, education, and business.
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PURSUE YOUR PASSIONS
“A lot of things melt away once you start spending the day outside in a simpler environment.” EMILY MELDEN ’09
We are so disconnected from nature. We can reconnect with the wilder part of our human experience by being out in the world, by foraging and picking our own food and exploring untamed lands. A lot of things melt away once you start spending the day outside in a simpler environment. You realize that you are on this planet, and in the grand scheme of things, you are small. I am the co-founder and executive director of DNTUlimit, or Don’t Know Your Limit, an organization that leads educational programs for adults that brings together personal development and environmental health projects with permaculture design principles. We spend half the year in Latin America and the other half in the US. We have a plot of land where we grow food, medicinal herbs, and plants for pollinators. In addition to leading groups, we also coach clients and consult to organizations. We’ve worked on projects such as installing therapeutic gardens in hospitals and assessing the best environmental design for an animal shelter built partly on a floodplain. The world will continue its unsustainable path unless we change not only the societies we live in, but also the people living in them. I’ll never forget the first travel program we ran, way up in the Andes mountains. We were in a lagoon for a stand up paddleboard activity and there was one person who didn’t know how to swim. She had a fear of water, but at that moment, she put on her life jacket and stepped in for the first time. Three months later, she contacted me to tell me that she had started taking swimming lessons and was now swimming three times a week. Pingree was awesome. I started becoming interested in politics at Pingree and now that I own a business, I see how much politics intersects with my life. I need to be involved and participate in government because I see that it has a direct impact on my life. I have three pieces of advice for Pingree students. First, play an instrument, dance, do art or something creative. Second, play a sport, be part of a team or get involved closely in some other group that feels like a family. And finally, get out of your comfort zone and attend several meetings of clubs that you don’t necessarily identify with. You are so encouraged at Pingree. Teachers want you to succeed, but they also aren’t going to let you get away with anything. They expect a lot from us.
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CHRISTOPHER P. LANGE ’07
I’ve just started my first year at MIT Sloan where I’m an MBA candidate focusing on finance. Before that, I worked for US Senator Elizabeth Warren as the regional director. I’ve worked in the public sector for several years and now I am making the transition to trying to make a difference in the private sector. I became intrigued with finance, first on a personal finance level and now on a larger level—an institutional and governmental level. Even before I started at Pingree, I was interested in politics and finance. I also wanted to make a difference in people’s lives and this passion started to sink in towards the end of high school. At Pingree, my experience as head tour guide put me in touch with a lot of new people. As a tour guide, I learned to explain what was great about Pingree, but even more importantly, I learned how to build relationships with people. We are all connected in the end. While I was in college, I interned for Senator Ted Kennedy and then, Senator John Kerry. I really enjoyed the work. I was a big fan of Elizabeth Warren from what I’d seen of her on TV regarding the financial crisis. When I heard she was running for office, I reached out to people I knew who might know people in her campaign. In other words, I tapped into my network. I started volunteering for the campaign full-time and that turned into a job offer. It was lucky timing for me. I worked hard and my job as a field organizer for the campaign developed into regional field director and then regional director for Senator Warren. I don’t think of Pingree as just a place to go to class or to learn from teachers; it’s a place with resources available to pursue what you want. Pingree alumni are always helping each other and alumni can be an effective tool for gaining experience outside the academic world. I didn’t know how important this network was when I was a Pingree student. I recommend tapping into this alumni network no matter what your passion is.
CAITLIN SHELBURNE ’08
I am passionate about working in urban schools. After joining Teach for America, I was hired as a grade five English Language Arts Teacher at the FM Leahy School in Lawrence, MA. Three years later, I became the dean of curriculum and instruction. Most recently, I was hired as the director of English language development at Making Waves Academy in Richmond, CA. My passion is developing curriculum aligned with the common core and supporting teachers in their implementation of critical thinking, evidence-based writing, and note taking. I work in a school district with students who are chronically underperforming. I also work with a student population that has a high percentage of students with special needs and those whose second language is English. I tell students the story of my academic struggles so that they know that change is possible. I tell them that we are not static. If it’s possible for me to go from Cs to As, they can go from Ds to Bs. Until I went to Pingree, I struggled academically and earned average grades. Once I started at Pingree, I built relationships with teachers who put in extra work to help me get my grades up. Teachers were always willing to help. Mr. Olson put in many extra hours tutoring me in math, Ms. Lyons helped me with study skills and Ms. Dyer encouraged me to get involved with activities. When I became a teacher myself, I realized what a commitment this was because teachers work around the clock. I had a hard time writing my thoughts on the page, but a single history assignment changed the course of my academic career and reverberates today. I was faced with writing a ten page research paper, the longest one I’d ever attempted. It was through this process of finding a topic, researching independently, developing a thesis and completing each stage of the paper that I found my voice. I grasped reading and writing on a level that I had not experienced before. At Pingree, I learned to take ownership of my work and this is something I took with me later in my work in education and urban schools.
JAMES MURRAY ’04
My passion is for building things. I have an entrepreneurial spirit and passion for media, including journalism and news. I'm about to finish my MBA at Vanderbilt University and look forward to launching a new venture, which brings both those passions together. A few years ago, I founded DSRUPTISM, a digital platform for young professionals, which attracted viewers from over 100 countries. The content I produced created productive conversation around meaningful topics, ranging from diversity in business, to finding one’s passion. I realized how much of an impact that my voice could have in shaping the way people perceive important issues. I used my experiences with DSRUPTISM to develop an innovative enterprise technology for corporate communications teams. Our goal is to help companies deliver important industry news and insights to their employees. Our business-to-business content platform is currently in the process of raising capital. This project has allowed me to bridge my two passion points, entrepreneurship and media, together. I was on the varsity hockey team at Pingree and if I learned anything, it was to how to work hard. From the tryouts through the season, I learned that the human psyche and body is capable of going beyond its perceived limits. This is an attitude I took with me and applied to my academic life and then my career. I have a work ethic that I would not have if I hadn't spent those years on the ice. You get out of Pingree what you put in it. What I learned about life in general and about becoming an adult was from being involved in school. I played sports and joined clubs. I participated in the richness of the Pingree experience. It’s important to step outside of your boundaries, get to know classmates who are different from you, and embrace the full experience both in and outside the classroom. Pingree is a special place; immerse yourself in all it has to offer. P P
“I tell students the story of my academic struggles so that they know that change is possible. I tell them that we are not static.”
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THE HEDGE GARDEN NEWS FROM OUR ALUMNI COMMUNITY
Students from Operation Genesis, a precursor to Prep@Pingree offered by Pingree School in the mid-1960s.
THE HEDGE GARDEN: OUR NEWEST ALUMNI
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2016 Highlanders from the Class of 2016 now attend 57 different colleges and universities across the US and Canada, with 49 in New England, 21 in the Mid-Atlantic, 8 in the South, 4 in the Midwest, 4 in the West, and 1 in Canada. Thirteen students are members of Pingree’s Cum Laude Society and 7 were National Merit Commended Scholars.
Chelsea Claire Albano, Savannah College of Art and Design Cassidy Alana Assad, Fairfield University Justin William Assad, Assumption College Griffin C. Beal, Union College Parker Sylvie Beatrice, Texas Christian University Nicola Vickery Bothwick, Bowdoin College Emma Haven Brandt, St. Lawrence University Emily J. Broadhurst, Fairfield University Cara Jeanne Cahill, University of Vermont Connor Anthony Capozzi, University of Massachusetts, Lowell
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Matthew Richard Cavanaugh, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Kanika Chitnis, Boston University Cameron Louis Curley, College of the Holy Cross Michael Joseph Curley, Northeastern University Courtney Elizabeth Dowd, Villanova University Nikolaus David Dreher, Indiana University at Bloomington Eliza Appleton Eddy, University of Virginia Osarumen Joshua Edosomwan, Emmanuel College Charlotte Haswell Esty, Dartmouth College Michael Vincent Femia, Miami University, Ohio
Rachel Elizabeth Foster, Brown University Charlotte Ann Grinnell, Elon University Hadi Hazem Hamdan, Worcester Polytechnic Institute Alexander Frederik Hansen, Colgate University Kirby Margaret Heffrin, Connecticut College Alyssa Jaime Helman, Emerson College Isabelle Gloria Hoffman, University of Rochester SaeYoung Hong, Northeastern University Hunter Bryce Jacques, Massachusetts Maritime Academy Jennifer Lee Jenkins, Santa Clara University Nathaniel Yake Johnson, Amherst College Vanessa T. Jonah, Elon University Alexandre Fouad Kachouh, Worcester Polytechnic Institute Nicole Catherine Khachadourian, Providence College June Fitzpatrick Kiely, St. Lawrence University
Michael Steven Kouroubacalis, Berklee College of Music Jason Paul Lafortune, University of Rochester Jessica Jisoo Lee, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Nino Leone, University of Connecticut Betty Nerlande Louis, Bowdoin College Ryan W. Lovell, University of Hartford Ashley Louise Lucey, Davidson College Zachary Jon Lukegord, University of Rochester Evan A. Maravelis, Assumption College Daniel Ralph Massillon, Cornell University Corey Francis McGurn, Boston University Lauren Elizabeth Menzie, Tulane University Brady Leo Mokrzycki, Boston University Abigail Elizabeth Mosse, Drexel University Nicolas Jacques Nadeau, University of Toronto Miranda Vivian Nolan, Loyola University, Maryland Rachel Novack, Boston University Molly Grace O'Brien, Southern Methodist University Nicole Rose O'Connor, Bucknell University Samuel Hill Ober, Babson College Jeffrey Scott Oliveira, Salve Regina University Griffin Michael Patrican, University of Colorado, Boulder Calum Andrew Perry, St. Lawrence University Sara Jun Pisanelli, University of Michigan Susan B. Polese, Franklin & Marshall College Anirudh Pula, Brown University Nathan Forester Rawlins, University of Denver Sophia Noelle Ricciardelli, Boston College Michael Anthony Riley, Connecticut College Theodore James Rosen, Brown University Samuel Aaron Rotner, Trinity College Joshua Joseph Rucke, Curry College Cameron Maxwell Segal, Connecticut College Rishabh Ashish Shah, University of Michigan Shaleen Sheth, Babson College Danya Mykel Smith, Colby College Mollie Blount Smith, Middlebury College Timothy Francis Smith, Hobart and William Smith Colleges Hanna Elizabeth Stasiuk, Vassar College John William Stavros, Fordham University Arjen Raoul Steegstra, Union College Jasmine Tannoury, Boston University Maxx Kidde Trotsky, Connecticut College Rachel Lynn Trowbridge, Skidmore College Prashasti Upadhyay, Cornell University Amanda Morgan Uroskie, College of Charleston Ryan Michael Van Stry, Bentley University John Staltonstall VanTuyl, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute James Glenn Vassallo, Northeastern University Ryan Edward Waystack, University of Vermont Abbie MacKay Williams, Northeastern University Kerri Ann Zerfoss, Northeastern University
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THE HEDGE GARDEN: REUNION
COMMUNITY REUNION Alumni from classes ending in 1s, 2s, 6s, and 7s descended upon the Athletics Center on Saturday, October 15 for Community Reunion 2016. The late Richard (Dick) Kennedy (1931 – 2016), a Pingree pioneer, was honored at a ceremony at Kennedy House and Amanda Crawford Jackson '96 was presented with this year's Mimi Davis Emmons Alumni Association Award. Pingree also celebrated the 10-year anniversary of its football program with a tailgate and win against Hyde School. Other highlights included dance tunes spun by DJ Lenworth “Kip” Williamson — father of Dean of Students Len Williamson (see p. 48) — and a Pingree-themed photobooth. Over 200 alumni came out for the celebration, which lasted into the night.
Remembering Dick Kennedy Friends and alumni gathered at Kennedy House to toast and honor Dick and Nancy Kennedy, and there was no shortage of loving stories about their indelible impact on Pingree School. Kennedy House was constructed by the Kennedy family in 1964 and they lived there until Dick and Nancy’s retirement in 1981. The house then served as the Head’s Residence from 1982 to 2002 and has remained faculty housing from 2002 to the present. As the new plaque states: “The influence of the Kennedys continues well beyond the two decades they devoted to Pingree and lives on in the hearts of the alumni and faculty whose lives they touched.”
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Amanda Crawford Jackson '96 Receives the Mimi Davis Emmons '64 Alumni Association Award The Mimi Davis Emmons ’64 Alumni Association Award is presented each year to a Pingree graduate who has, through extraordinary effort and dedicated service, made a significant contribution to the quality of life of their school, community, or society as a whole. This year’s recipient is Amanda Crawford Jackson ’96. After attending the Danvers Public Schools through eighth grade, Amanda received the Pingree Scholar award and immediately fell in love with the school’s engaging academics and close, nurturing environment. At Pingree, Amanda was captain of the ice hockey team, played soccer and ran cross country, and participated in Social Concerns, College Bowl, and Math Team. Amanda is a proud member of the Pingree School Class of 1996. She served seven years on the Alumni Leadership Board, helping to establish an annual career development seminar for the senior class and also served on the Pingree School Board of Trustees from 2010 to 2016. As senior director, business development, for SRS Acquiom, Amanda builds relationships for the company with private equity, venture capital, legal and M&A communities in the Eastern US and Europe. Amanda works with prospective clients and outside counsel to streamline the process of engaging SRS Acquiom and provides guidance in handling post-closing issues such as purchase price adjustments, indemnification claims, escrow funds, and payments. Amanda brings more than 10 years of business experience from the financial printing industry, where she assisted clients with initial public offerings, merger and acquisition transactions and compliance filings at RR Donnelley and Bowne. Amanda graduated from the University of Richmond, where she was a Phi Beta Kappa scholar. Amanda and her husband, Ned (a former Pingree teacher and coach), live in Danvers with their two sons, Nate and Cole.
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THE HEDGE GARDEN: ALUMNI PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING EVENT
A NIGHT OF NETWORKING The Alumni Leadership Board hosted another successful networking event at District Hall in Boston this past spring. Nearly 100 alumni from over five decades of classes reconnected with old friends and expanded their professional networks. ESPN Radio Program Director II Louise Cornetta '88 delivered the keynote, electrifying the room with her inspirational message on the positive impact of her Pingree experience on both her professional and personal life. Louise models what it means to be a Pingree Highlander in every aspect of her life; we are grateful for her attendance and help in making this event so successful.
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SPONSOR A SENIOR PROJECT! LOOKING FOR THE CHANCE TO SHARE YOUR EXPERTISE WITH A PINGREE SENIOR? The Alumni Office seeks Pingree alums willing to serve as senior project sponsors for our graduating seniors during the period of May 22 – June 2, 2017. Previous projects have been varied and diverse with students working in art galleries, government policy offices, medical practices, and more! This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to gain invaluable experience and explore specific areas of interest. Help make an immediate difference in their lives. For more information, please contact Ken Adinkra, alumni relations officer at 978.468.4415, ext. 310 or kadinkra@pingree.org.
THE HEDGE GARDEN: CLASS NOTES
CLASS NOTES 1964
1968
Suzanne McAleer Morrison Wolski swolski@madriver.com
Ann Woodard awoodard7777@gmail.com
CLASS AGENT
CLASS AGENT
1965
CLASS AGENT
CLASS AGENTS
Susan Oliver Schneider susie.schneider@tower school.org Susanne Grant MacDonald sgmacdonald@aol.com
1966
CLASS AGENT
Christopher M. Sanders cmsanders99@hotmail.com Linda Carpenter Caffray writes, “Looking forward to seeing dear friends at our 50th. Enjoying retirement but busier than ever with volunteer work, children, grandchildren and travel with my husband, Larry.”
1967
CLASS AGENTS
Dale Grant Dick dalegdick@gmail.com Karen Durkee Heywood kheywood1221@gmail.com Pingree alumni Bebe Brown Nixon, Dale Grant Dick, Joie Mayo, Cathy MacKenna Greenough, Mara Cameron Lamstein, Judy Adamson, Sally Haug Murphy, Karen Durkee Heywood, and Barbara White Tilley got together for a pre-50th reunion gathering. (see photo 3)
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1969
Pingree
Katherine E. Bradford beaubrad@comcast.net
1970
CLASS AGENT
Sarah Darling Pruett sarahdarlingpru@gmail.com Deborah Livesey, shares, “As we get perilously close to 65, I’m enjoying hearing about retirement plans. I retired at the ripe old age of 34 when the unsteady gait and overwhelming fatigue of MS caused me to leave my post of executive director of the King County (Seattle) Democrats. In the following sixteen years, I did lots of gardening and personal interior decorating (nice work if you can get it). Then in 2002, my husband, Malcolm Cumming, and I moved north to Whidbey Island. MS has affected me more and more to the point that I can no longer speak. But, with the assistance of someone who has become a dear friend, I managed to write a book (The House on Round Hill Road is now available on Amazon; I stole the name from the road I looked out on from my Smith College bedroom). I see Helene Rogers Smart at least twice a year: we always celebrate our birthdays together since they are only four days apart. She also
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comes to help decorate our Christmas tree. I suspect that my husband’s shortbread doesn’t scare her away. She lives two ferry boats away (we live on separate islands), so a visit is by no means easy. For those of you who remember her silver voice, you’ll be happy to know she is doing a regular cabaret act in Bremerton and occasional ones in Seattle. Shades of bygone days. OK guys, this was meant to shake loose news. So get with it and write.” Catherine Ross Sherer writes, “With my husband, Jeff, recently retired we are spending half of the year in Savannah, GA and the other half in Little Compton, RI. It’s a great combination.”
1971
1972
CLASS AGENT
Kathleen Duff Kathleen_duff@post harvard.edu
1973
SEEKING CLASS AGENTS! Annually reach out to classmates and gather class notes for the fall magazine. E-mail kadinkra@ pingree.org if interested. Margaret Broaddus, Elizabeth Updike Cobblah and Liz Allen Taft met up in Maine in August 2016. (see photo 2)
1974
CLASS AGENTS
Emily Perkins Rees rees6pieces@comcast.net
1975
CLASS AGENTS
Frederick J. Fawcett III “Sean” sean@fawcettassociates.com Catherine Thenault cathenault@cox.net
CLASS AGENTS
Deborah von Rosenvinge debvonr@gmail.com Lisa Aronson Newmann lisanewmann@overthetop food.com Amanda Carey Hogan shares “I still have the pleasure of being the executive director at Windrush Farm in North Andover. We provide equine assisted activities and therapies to clients of all abilities. Mike and I live in Beverly. Our daughter Briana is now married and is an officer in the Navy and stationed in San Diego. I keep in touch with a number of Pingree friends and enjoy seeing how the school has grown. Keep it up!”
Dana Jordan shares, “I am enjoying my semi-retirement by fox hunting with the Myopia Hunt Club. All those lessons at Flying Horse Farm while I was a student at Pingree are now paying off! I also fox hunt with the Palm Beach Hounds in Juniper, Florida during the winter months.”
1976
CLASS AGENTS
Shelley McCloy Vassallo svassallo@pingree.org Gail Cushman Rose announces, “After 35 years in New York City, my husband and I are making Park City, Utah our primary residence! Let it snow!”
1: Jennifer Goldfinger ’81 with her new book, Hello My Name is Tiger; 2: Margaret Broaddus, Elizabeth Updike Cobblah and Liz Allen Taft, alumnae of the class of 1973, together in Maine in August 2016; 3: Pingree Alumnae of the Class of 1967 come together for a pre-50th reunion gathering. From left to right: Front row: Bebe Brown Nixon, Dale Grant Dick, Middle Row: Joie Mayo, Cathy MacKenna Greenough, Mara Cameron Lamstein, Judy Adamson; Back Row: Sally Haug Murphy, Karen Durkee Heywood, Barbara White Tilley; 4: Dylan Wack ’14 as Dr. Bruce Flaherty in "Blue/Orange;" 5: Kate Kellogg ’86 with Sally Wigglesworth Cioffi ’86, Meredith Goddard Stravato ’86, Ellen Cook ’86, Julie Clifford Small ’86, and Robin Olney Hutchinson ’86; 6: Jody Comins ’86 and her family; 7: Meaghan Souza ’11 and Chase Goodwin ’11 celebrate their engagement 2.
4.
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1977
SEEKING CLASS AGENTS! Annually reach out to classmates and gather class notes for the fall magazine. E-mail kadinkra@ pingree.org if interested. Nina Anderson writes, “We have moved back to Salem from San Francisco, but Tasha has stayed out west and is working in SF. She just found an apartment in the presidio and has been out with Jimmy O’Hare, who is living in the east bay and working in Oakland. Frazer is working on a master’s program in economics at McGill. I am looking forward to the reunion and hope that we get a good turnout! I have heard the new buildings are amazing, and look forward to my first tour of the school since Tasha graduated in 2011.”
3.
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Jane Riley announces, “We attended Caroline Kenerson’s ’05 wedding on January 16 on Sanibel Island. She married Jay Tebbens, a guy she met while she was working at The Latin School in Chicago. Bride and groom reside in Chicago where Caroline is enrolled at Northwestern working on her master’s in counseling. It was a beautiful wedding attended by some other beautiful Pingree alums. Page Riley ’05 was a bridesmaid, as was Jillian Price ’05. Hope Taft ’05 and Lauren Connelly ’05 were in attendance as well. Josh Molk ’02 was a groomsman. The old one in the blue dress is me... they insisted I qualified, Pingree class of 1977 aka very old!” (see photo 16)
1978
CLASS AGENTS
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THE HEDGE GARDEN: CLASS NOTES
8: Emma Gaquin ’12 (GWU) & Molly McSweeney ’12 (Richmond) swim their last dual meet against each other; 9: Haley Perry ’14 joins Delta Delta Delta; 10: Tina Wadwha ’00 with her husband; 11: Connie Glore ’69 on Mount Katahdin; 12: Andrew Vassallo ’06 on Channel 7 news; 13: Max Mathey ’09 is engaged to be married to Michelle Crisp on Sept. 30, 2017 in York, Maine, pictured with Peter Mathey ’01 and Alexa Sotis
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Marion Hewson Knowles mphknowles@gmail.com Tom Ellis TEllis@OHCDEV.com
1979
SEEKING CLASS AGENTS! Annually reach out to classmates and gather class notes for the fall magazine. E-mail kadinkra@ pingree.org if interested. Melissa Jeswald announces, “I’m thrilled to say I am now a realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in the Beverly office. Stop in and say hello! I am also continuing my tenure as board member and newsletter editor of the Boston Mineral Club, a non-profit educational organization based at the Harvard Mineral archive.”
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1980
SEEKING CLASS AGENTS! Annually reach out to classmates and gather class notes for the fall magazine. E-mail kadinkra@ pingree.org if interested.
1981
CLASS AGENTS
Elizabeth Dana Parker 1jparker@comcast.net Jennifer Pulver Goldfinger ’81, author & illustrator, has published another children’s book, Hello, My Name Is Tiger. Jennifer says, “This book started after I did a random illustration for Halloween of a boy wearing a catsuit. An editor saw it and asked if there was a story that went with it. I scrambled to write a book around this
character. It ended up taking years (as these things do) but it did eventually become a book!” You can purchase the book on Amazon. (see photo 1)
1982
CLASS AGENTS
Nanny Pope Noyes souleido@comcast.net Cid Johnson Rogers crogers@martinoflynn.com
1983
SEEKING CLASS AGENTS! Annually reach out to classmates and gather class notes for the fall magazine. E-mail kadinkra@ pingree.org if interested. Claudia Reshetiloff writes, “I’m now in year three of living full time on a boat in the Caribbean
with my family. We have been in the BVI for just over two years now and are loving it. After three years of homeschooling, my kids are now in local schools and I am health coaching full time (www.HealthThatFits.com). We love being down here and being able to dash off to gorgeous anchorages for the weekend and hike, scuba or snorkel or just enjoy the scenery. Last August, 2015, we sailed to Dominica for a week (our 3rd visit) and climbed to the Boiling Lake (seven hours of killer hiking). We can’t wait to go back again. Would love to see anyone who comes down this way for a visit!”
1984
CLASS AGENTS
Bill McGrath
billmcgrath11@gmail.com Sigrid Barton Orne orne.sig@gmail.com
1985
CLASS AGENTS
Christina Clifford Comparato Chris.comparato@comcast.net Marc A. Steinberg msteinberg@markinv.com Marc Steinberg writes, “Hi Class of ’85! I hope you are all well. Life in NYC continues to be fun and exciting. I am still developing real estate and Stephanie and I recently celebrated our 23rd anniversary. Our son, Alexander, is a freshman at Tufts. I will be very sad for him to leave the house but happy he is heading to my hometown. I hope to see you all soon.”
1986
CLASS AGENTS
Leah Cataldo leahcataldo@hotmail.com Julie Clifford Smail Chinook41@hotmail.com Shelley Bolman Woodberry shares, “Just thought I’d let Pingree folks know I’m doing a play at New Repertory Theatre in Watertown. Two person show of an imagined meeting between Freud and CS Lewis (I played Lewis). May 2016.” http:// www.newrep.org/productions/ freuds-last-session/ Jon Ward writes, “My wife Jennifer and boys Hooper (13) and Aidan (15) and I have been in Melrose since 1999 (I was dreaming when I wrote this... ha). I just took a new job as a marketing practice lead with CohnReznick in Boston. My wife also made a career change for the first time in 10 years and
now works in HR at Winchester Hospital. That’s the big news. It’s crazy that we’re starting to talk about colleges with my son Aidan. We joke that my younger son will likely end up at a Clown College on a ‘Professional Mascot’ scholarship! In reality, he so easily seems to have perfected life — so we’ll all end up living at his house later in life. Hope everyone at Pingree (and I mean everyone!) is doing well!” Jody Comins shares, “I’ve been working as a Divorce Mediator for the last 2 years and have a private practice in Newton and Framingham. I’m a mentor to mediators who volunteer in the Norfolk Family and Probate Court as well as a court approved facilitator for the required Parents Apart class for couples who are divorcing. I’m the creator of “Honor thy Children,” Jewish Parenting through a Divorced Lens. My girls are both attending Gann Academy, a Jewish prep school in Waltham. Elizabeth is a freshman and is playing varsity soccer (definitely not following in my footsteps, I was still on JV as a senior!) and Talia is a senior and applying to colleges. Mike and I will be celebrating 20 years of marriage next spring.” (see photo 6) Kate Kellogg shares, “It was fun getting together with Sally Wigglesworth Cioffi ’86, Meredith Goddard Stravato ’86, Ellen Cook ’86, Julie Clifford Smail ’86, and Robin Olney Hutchinson ’86 this summer! (see photo 5)
1987
CLASS AGENTS
Josh Sostek joshsostek@gmail.com Page Cogger Sostek psostek@yahoo.com Georgia Stokes Clarke (Jennifer Shuwall) and her husband, Philip, are living in Bali. They completed a year of scuba diving around the world which they called their, “scuba-moon!” Lydia Watts announces, “My partner, Maoti Gborkorquellie, and I welcomed our son, Sifa, into the world on July 4, 2015. Becoming a mom at 45 has been a wonderful adventure!”
1988
CLASS AGENT
Kerri Goddard Kinch Kerrikinch@comcast.net
1989
CLASS AGENTS
Rosette Cataldo rosette.m.cataldo@gmail.com Kelli Duggan Kellimduggan@aol.com
1990
CLASS AGENTS
Jennifer Riley Desmarais jdesmarais@comcast.net Molly Northrup Bloom molly@mollymac.net Kristyn Burtt Kris9094@sbcglobal.net
1991
CLASS AGENTS
Shannon Patti Yates shannonpyates@gmail.com Pam Torto Sinclair Pamelasinclair@gmail.com Seth Bartlett shares, “Living in Manchester, MA with my wife Wrenn and 12-year-old daughter Luli. I’ve been at Sapient for 21 years and recently joined the
board of Cabot.org in Beverly getting me back involved in the theater I spent so many years at growing up. Recently, I reconnected with Arthur Steinert ’88 who lives in town and his wife works at HBO with Chapman Downes ’90.”
1992
CLASS AGENTS
Diana Benton dianabenton@hotmail.com
1993
CLASS AGENTS
Jayne Seekins Lee gunnydo@yahoo.com Samantha Drislane Markowski s_drislane@hotmail.com
1994
CLASS AGENTS
Rebecca Symmes Lee rebeccasymmelee@gmail.com Marcel Faulring mfaulring15@gmail.com
1995
CLASS AGENTS
Allison DeNapoli Schill allisondenapoli@hotmail.com Michelle Marks Esaias michelle@invitingaffairs.com Heather M. Fisher hmfis@yahoo.com Elissa M. Torto etorto@gmail.com
1996
CLASS AGENTS
Kate Lockwood Bracken KLBracken@gmail.com Laura Winthrop laura_winthrop@yahoo.com
1997
CLASS AGENTS
Charles E. Crosby “Chaz” chazerinsky@hotmail.com Kasie Jacobs VanFaasen
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THE HEDGE GARDEN: CLASS NOTES
kvanfaasen@gmail.com Allison Charles allisonacharles@gmail.com Alumnus Chris Connolly ’97 is now the new head coach of the Pingree Boys’ Varsity Hockey Team!
CLASS AGENTS
Laura Coltin Ogden logden@gmail.com Kara Tanzer karatanzer@gmail.com
1999
CLASS AGENTS
Kimberly A. Baker KBaker03@gmail.com Heather Horne Fraelick hhfraelick@gmail.com
Pingree
2000
CLASS AGENTS
1998
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Patrick R. Lee “PJ” PJLee03@hotmail.com Jessica Lockwood Hyde jesslhyde@gmail.com Alicia A. Vitagliano Vitagliano_alicia@yahoo.com
FALL 2016 | WINTER 2017
Amy E. Briggs Briggs_amye@yahoo.com Walter Mears wally@junglestuff.com Tina Wadhwa tinaw2004@gmail.com Ryan Nugent Ryan_nugent@comcast.net
2001
CLASS AGENTS
Cara Angelopulos Lawler cangelopulos@gmail.com
Sarah Fitzgerald Fitzgerald.sarah@gmail.com Elsbeth Taft Flanagan and husband Ryan welcomed son Kevin on December 7, 2015. (see photo 15) Benjamin Zanfagna notes, “I am ecstatic about publishing music and although it is one facet of my professional life, I also work full-time for a California-based Superfood importer/exporter/ manufacturer as their East Coast Executive Bulk Sales person. That company is called Ultimate Superfoods. I work mainly with manufacturers of organic finished goods and organic food distributors, as well. In addition to that, I am
partnered with The Natural Grocer in Newburyport, MA where I produce Boocha Kombucha, a lightly fermented probiotic tea that since 2011, has become an exponent in the local health food community. I am letting you know all of this because, although music remains a central focus and one facet of my livelihood, my passions and professions overlap in all areas of life and I am grateful for that too! My band, Red Tail Hawk released our debut full-length album titled, “Night Soup.” As the songwriter and founder of Red Tail Hawk, I am over the moon about the way this album came out and would be honored to share it with our Pingree community.
The first single from the album, “Swimming” is available now on Apple, iTunes, Spotify and everywhere else online.
2002
CLASS AGENTS
Zachary B. Chase ZBChase@comcast.net Justin J. Parker Justinjparker@gmail.com Elizabeth L. Reichert Elizabeth.reichert@gmail.com Jessica Seymour Seymour.jessica@gmail.com Kate Cassella Kirk announces, “My husband, Pat, and I welcomed our daughter Olivia Blaine Kirk on October 7, 2015. Olivia joins her brother, Patrick, who was born June 1, 2014.” (see photo 19) Thomas Salter and his wife, Tess, are happy to announce the birth of their son, James Gershon Salter. Justin Parker ’02 and Kathleen (Dyer) Parker ’02 recently bought a condo in South Boston. Justin manages an implementation team at Eze Software Group and Kathleen is an attorney at K&L Gates. They are excited to explore their new neighborhood in Boston as well as to visit fellow alum Daniella (Irvine) Gates ’02 and her husband Jay at their place in Amsterdam in October. Daniella Irvine Gates ’02 has recently moved from Rome, Italy to Amsterdam, NL with her husband and dog. She is teaching language and literature at the International School of Amsterdam. She continues to work on her Italian fluency, enjoys working with a group of stu-
dents in the “Like A Girl” club, a group at the school that promotes female leadership, and she continues to enjoy traveling throughout Europe and beyond.
were in attendance as well. Josh Molk ’02 was a groomsman. (see photo 16)
amanda.nasser1024@gmail.com Michaela Colbert mcolbert@svb.com
2006
2010
2003
CLASS AGENTS
Sam Logan samjl45@gmail.com Jill Cappucci jtcappucci@gmail.com Andrew Vassallo andrew.vassallo1359@gmail.com Kathleen Whalen kewhalen25@gmail.com
CLASS AGENT(S)
CLASS AGENTS
Keri A. Barrett keribarrett1@gmail.com J. Bradford Currier jamesbcurrier@gmail.com Kate L. Hoenigsberg kate.leah@gmail.com Rowan (Michael) Meyer rowan.meyer@gmail.com
2004
CLASS AGENTS
Morgan R.H. Baird mb5669@gmail.com Jacob J. Marvelley jmarvelley@yahoo.com Elizabeth F. O’Hare elizohare@gmail.com Nicholas N. Pratt prattys@aol.com
2005
CLASS AGENTS
Alex Chase Alexjc@brandeis.edu Henrik F. Lampert henrik.lampert@gmail.com Johnna E. Marcus johnna.marcus@gmail.com Caroline Kenerson ’05 was married on January 16 on Sanibel Island. She married Jay Tebbens, a man she met while she was working at The Latin School in Chicago. Bride and groom reside in Chicago where Caroline is enrolled at Northwestern working on her master’s in counseling. It was a beautiful wedding attended by some other beautiful Pingree alums. Page Riley ’05 was a bridesmaid as was Jillian Price ’05. Hope Taft ’05 and Lauren Connelly ’05
Jillian Cappucci Gentilli married Alex Gentilli on September 26, 2015 in Orleans, MA. Fellow Pingree alumni Jaimie Cappucci ’10, Hope Taft ’05, and Lindsay Kruck ’06 were bridesmaids in the wedding. Jillian now works at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston and recently moved to Wenham, MA.
2007
WELCOME NEW
Nora McGinn noracathleenmcginn@gmail.com Cara Blackman kookabalae@gmail.com Lacey Allis lallis2377@gmail.com Kyle O’Donnell kylephilipodonnell@gmail.com Kyle O’Donnell shares, “After completing a summer at Late Night with Seth Meyers as their talent page, I joined the staff as a talent assistant. Our department is responsible for booking all guests that come on the show, from athletes to politicians, actors and musicians. It’s a small team but very fun and allows me to continue to follow my passions of pop culture!”
CLASS AGENTS
Elizabeth Barthelmes ebarthelmes@gmail.com Bridget McGinn Bridgethoi@gmail.com Jonathan Salter Jonsalter89@gmail.com
Charlie Taft ’10 and wife Sonia welcomed baby Charlie on May 7, 2016. (see photo 18)
2008
Chris Muise muisec@allegheny.edu Gabi Geiger Gabigirl103@gmail.com Jennifer Mannion mannioje@bc.edu
CLASS AGENTS
Dillon Vassallo dillon.vassallo@gmail.com Liza Richardson elizabethrichardson1@gmail.com Caitlin Shelburne caitlin.shelburne@gmail.com Sam Taylor samantha.taylor.3139@gmail.com
2009
CLASS AGENTS
Colin Desko cmdesko@comcast.net Amanda Nasser
2011
CLASS AGENTS
Max Mathey is engaged to be married to Michelle Crisp on September 30, 2017 in York, Maine. (see photo 13) Meaghan Souza ’11 and Chase Goodwin ’11 celebrated their engagement this past May! Chase is currently working as a consultant at Deloitte
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THE HEDGE GARDEN: CLASS NOTES
& Touche, while Meaghan is completing her doctorate of physical therapy. (see photo 7) Brian Rogers just landed a new job as an operations specialist at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. in Boston. Thomas Huynh, a former Assistant Project Manager at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is now a Consultant Pharmacy Intern at the hospital.
2012
CLASS AGENTS
Katie Ober ober.katie@gmail.com Olivia Miller oliviarosemiller@college. harvard.edu Rachael Burman berman_rach@bentley.edu Reinhold Willcox reinhold.willcox@yahoo.com Sami Halloul shalloul@yahoo.com Sami Halloul writes “I am entering my fifth and final year of lectures in pharmacy school, which is honestly mind-boggling. I didn’t think, when entering MCPHS University, that my experience would fly by so quickly. I currently work at Whitter Pavilion in Haverhill, MA, at their psychiatric hospital’s pharmacy part-time, and I hope to receive a full-time position after I graduate. In terms of my extra-curriculars at MCPHS University, I am very excited to announce that the school’s first ever a cappella group will be in full swing this fall of 2016! We are known as “Inherent Voice” and will be a coed group of students from all majors! We hope to get gigs in the Boston area, and we
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may even be able to visit and perform at Pingree! I also hope that we get to the quarterfinals of the ICCA (International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella) with plenty of hard work and determination. I am very excited with what’s to come, and hope all is well down in South Hamilton! GO HIGHLANDERS!” Katie Ober writes, “I am working at Brookwood School as the Assistant Director of Auxiliary Programs, teaching voice lessons, and doing some substitute teaching.”
2013
CLASS AGENTS
Emily Scott ecscott@email.sc.edu Maura Grady maura.grady3@gmail.com Arlin Baez abaez@friars.providence.edu
2014
CLASS AGENTS
Monica Manning monica.manning6@gmail.com Dylan Wack dwack@bu.edu Hailey Perry hmperry09@gmail.com Emma Campbell emmac8596@gmail.com Emma Campbell writes, “I just finished my sophomore year at Boston College, and this past year I got a job working at the BC Career Center and I started tutoring inner city children at the Commonwealth Tenants Association. I also just finished interning as a pricing intern at State Street Corporation, which was a great experience. This coming semester I will be studying economics and Hispanic
studies in Madrid. I’m planning to travel around Europe and I have a school trip to Marrakesh, Morocco already planned. I also hope to tutor some Spanish children in English if I have time while abroad.” Chad Tokowicz writes, “I was deemed the House Manager (RA more or less) of the Leaders of Sustainability house at Hobart. I was also inducted into the Chimera Honor Society at HWS which is the Junior class honor society. Additionally I have joined a fraternity called Theta Delta Chi or (TDX) for short. I am also studying abroad at Curtin University in Perth Western Australia. I will send some pictures of my travels and possibly of the induction ceremony for the Chimera Society. I was also able to intern at RedCurve Solutions in Beverly, MA, which is a campaign finance firm. One last thing, my friends and I have also started the Hobart and William Smith Fly Fishing Club. We are focused on environmental preservation as well as teaching people the philosophy and techniques of fly fishing.” Alex Bernardi writes, “I am headed to the University of Auckland in Auckland, New Zealand to continue studying my major of biomedical engineering that I study at George Washington University here in America.” Hailey Perry had a great year at Union. She is now a proud sister of Delta Delta Delta and became an economics major, something she has found she has a great amount of passion for. Hailey spent her summer
interning with the wealth management group at Salem Five Financial and is looking forward to an exciting junior year. Cheers to Pingree! (see photo 9) Dylan Wack writes: “I very happily finished my sophomore year at Boston University’s School of Theatre, where I was cast in the school’s productions of “Blue/Orange” by Joe Penhall and “Parade” by Alfred Uhry and Jason Robert Brown. I continue to perform with SponCom, the school’s resident improv troupe and in March was named the runner up in “BU’s Funniest,” a standup comedy competition held annually on campus. Over the summer I studied Argentine culture, literature, politics, and journalism in Buenos Aires to pursue my Spanish minor, while also travelling around Argentina and Uruguay. At home, I am a teacher and actor at Theater in the Open, a Newburyport children’s theater, where I also help with their social media and marketing. I look forward to studying acting, playwriting and directing in the fall, and spending the semester at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in the spring. The photo is of myself as Dr. Bruce Flaherty during a performance of "Blue/Orange" by Joe Penhall. (see photo 4) Jessie Rucker is spending the semester in Florence, Italy!
2015 & 2016
SEEKING CLASS AGENTS! Annually reach out to classmates and gather class notes for the fall magazine. E-mail kadinkra@ pingree.org if interested.
14.
14: Angele Sophia Deussom's (’99) daughter; 15: Elsbeth Taft Flanagan ’01 and husband Ryan with son, Kevin born on December 7, 2015; 16: Alumni at Caroline Kenerson's wedding. L-R: Lauren Connelly ’05, Page Riley ’05, Josh Molk ’02, Caroline Kenerson ’05, Jillian Price ’05, Hope Taft ’05, and Jane Riley ’77. 17: Debbie Nagler Pourati’s (’97) sons; 18: Charlie Taft ’10 and wife Sonia with baby Charlie born on May 7, 2016; 19: Kate Cassella Kirk's (’02) daughter, Olivia Blaine Kirk; 20: Pingree Class of 2002 alumni attend Tom Salter's (’02) wedding: Back row: Justin Parker, Kathleen (Dyer) Parker, Elizabeth Reishert, Jess Corvinus, Michael Nelligan Jr., Front row: Kristen Hambrecht Avallon, Tom Salter and his wife, Tess, Daniella Irvine, and Jeff Avallon; 21: Alumni attend Sam Mathey's (’04) June 25 wedding to Megan Kelly Mathey. L-R: Liz Allen Taft ’73, Shelley McCloy Vassallo ’76, Lisa Mathey Landry ’72, Peter Mathey ’01, Laurie Harding Polese ’84.
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THE HEDGE GARDEN: IN MEMORIAM
IN MEMORIAM Elise Ballou Caswell ’70 died peacefully
in Bethel, Maine on June 29, 2016. Elise attended Pingree before heading to college at UMass Boston where she received her BA in psychology, graduating magna cum laude in 1978. She also studied elementary education at the University of Maine-Orono. In her adult life, Elise was a healer. She had a passion for helping others and worked in mental health as a home health aide; special needs tutor; case manager for mental health services; and children’s librarian. Elise felt the world with such sensitivity. She was a prolific writer, an avid skier, a thinker, a birder, and a philosopher who looked at the world with childlike wonder and enthusiasm. She enjoyed traveling
Richard (Dick) Harte Jr. of Beverly
with her loving Stevo, experiencing life’s endless variety, and laughter. Martha (Stasio) Maffeo ’77 of Peabody MA passed on Tuesday, August 9, 2016. Martha was born in Lynn, MA on December 7, 1958, the daughter of the late Vincent and Virginia (Pittman) Stasio and was a lifelong resident of Peabody. She graduated from Colby Sawyer College in NH and was a legal secretary for the law firm of Nutter, McLenan, and Fish of Boston. She is survived by her husband Rino, her brother, Michael and his wife Cindi Stasio of Peabody, a sister-in-law, Denise Stasio of Durham, S.C., her dear father and mother-in-law, Giuseppe and Consiglia
Maffeo of Italy, her brothers-in-law, Antonio Maffeo, Giuilio Maffeo and his daughter, Gilliam and his granddaughter Savannah, her sister-in-law, Sina Maffeo Luisa, Husband Vito and their sons Massimo and Gianluca, her nieces, Alyse, Amanda, Andrea, and Kimberly Stasio and a host of loving friends. Christopher P. McCarthy ’88 passed
away April 2, 2016. He was the devoted husband of Janet (Robertson) McCarthy with whom he shared over 12 years of marriage. Born in Salem, he was the son of Edward and Kathleen (Prokop) McCarthy. After attending Pingree, he continued his education at Providence College and his received his bachelor’s
Board. These groups are still retained Farms, MA died on October 15, today as local Advisory Boards. He had a 2016 at the age of 95. He was born long-term interest in education, believing in Boston on June 28, 1921 and that each child must be respected for grew up in Chestnut Hill, MA. He whatever talents he or she might have. graduated from Harvard University He was instrumental in bringing together with the Class of 1943 and became community members to found the a lieutenant in the US Marine Corps Brookwood and Pingree School Boards serving on the USS Enterprise in and was a member of the Myopia Hunt the Pacific until the end of WWII. Club, serving as president from 1988 to After the war he joined the family 1994. His dedication to the Schepens Eye business, The Ames Shovel Co. in Research Institute spanned 30 years. He Richard Harte Jr. North Easton, MA and later ran its will be deeply missed. large manufacturing plant in West Richard (Dick) Croft Kennedy had the courage to choose Virginia. He returned to the Boston area in 1955 and joined his life, and his death, in the place he loved the most: on the Kidder, Peabody & Co as an investment banker, running Damariscotta Lake in Nobleboro after a week surrounded by the Boston office until 1991. Being an avid Patriots fan, he was three generations of family and dogs. Born on March 23, 1931, instrumental in securing the 1970 funding that built Schaefer in Philadelphia, PA, to Harriet Walker Kennedy and Donald D. Stadium, the team's first permanent home. Richard was active Kennedy, he now joins his identical twin brother Don. Married in the greater Boston community and served on the boards of to Anne Sibley Kennedy for 59 years, together they made a many non-profit organizations including the Boys and Girls mark on thousands of lives as educators and mentors, offering Clubs of Boston, Pingree, Brookwood and the Schepens Eye as much inspiration in their work as they have in comic relief. Research Institute. He worked with the Boys and Girls Clubs An elementary graduate of Fessenden School, Dick also of Boston for 60 years beginning in 1956 when racial tensions attended Phillips Exeter Academy, Pomfret School, and Trinity were high. He was able to forge relationships with parents, College where he reported to have sometimes been a better clergy, and civic leaders forming a Community Executive
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degree in 1992. Chris was employed with the Edmonton Oiler’s professional hockey team as an amateur pro scout for over 19 years before attending law school in 2010. He received his JD degree from the Massachusetts School of Law in 2013. He later interned for various law firms. Chris enjoyed playing baseball, hockey, and later golf and was an avid football fan. He also enjoyed cooking for family and friends and was formerly the vice president of the AOH Club in Peabody. In addition to his devoted wife and parents, Chris is survived by his loving son, Cameron Patrick McCarthy, his brother Brian “Boo” McCarthy, and numerous other nieces, nephews, cousins, sistersin-law, brothers-in-law, and dear friends.
Patrick W. Murray ’82 passed away on April 24, 2016 in Portsmouth, RI. Born on September 10, 1963, he is the son of the late Cornelius J. Murray Jr. and Patricia (McCarthy) Murray. Patrick graduated from Pingree and later attended Roger Williams College where he captained the lacrosse team and held the Roger Williams Lacrosse high-scoring record for almost 10 years. For over 20 years Patrick was a staple of morning radio, entertaining listeners in Boston and beyond. He worked his way up from a news intern on Charles Laquidara's "The Big Mattress" show on WBCN, to writer, voice talent on comedy bits and commercials, traffic reporter, and weekend jock. On WZLX,
athlete than scholar. Serving in the US Army in Trieste (1951 – 1953) he counts this as his "best life-long lessons learned." Holding degrees from Columbia (graduate AB, 1956) and Stanford (MA, 1973), Dick taught at the Applewild School in Fitchburg, MA, and was the founding assistant headmaster at Pingree. As an educational entrepreneur and the director of Kieve in Nobleboro (1959 – 1990), he gave the family's camp in the mid1970s to found the non-profit Kieve Affective Education, Inc., now Kieve-Wavus Education, Inc. Thousands of lifelong learners continue to benefit from the initiatives he helped to create, such as The Leadership School, 9/11 Family Camp, Veterans Camp, and The Kennedy Learning Center, helping Mainers and beyond craft their lives to make a better world. Other well-placed efforts included years of service to the New England Forestry Foundation, Maine State Board of Education, Riley School, Lincoln Academy, The Artisan School, St. Timothy's School and the Sanibel Sea School. After writing a book called Choosing the Right Camp, several articles followed in Family Life Magazine and various other newspapers, magazines, and even the Today Show. In 2003, Dick was a recipient of a
he hosted his own evening program, "The Last Call." Patrick was an avid Patriots football fan, an extreme skier, a surfer, a skater, a lacrosse captain, a radio announcer, comedy writer, percussionist, Deadhead, steeplejack, outdoorsman and an all-around passionate and loving spirit. He provided a lifetime of love and laughs to family, classmates, friends, radio fans and to all who were fortunate enough to know him. His wry humor, distinctive voice, and charismatic personality will be missed by all. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in Patrick's memory via Pingree’s Patrick Murray ’82 Locker Room Fund. To donate, visit www.pingree.org/giving.
Jefferson Award for his work with youth. His life was lived with service and humor, wanting to give back to the state where he was raised in privilege as an accident of his birth, believing that by sharing his good fortune, indeed all boats would rise. His greatest challenge: a nagging fear of failure that goaded him to hard work and educational entrepreneurship. In his words, "After I am gone, I hope some will say, We never knew why education was his passion. Come to find out he lived with a crippling fear of failure throughout his school years. Because others helped him, he was able to overcome that fear. He wanted nothing more than to be a link in that chain of helpers so that fear of failure would take fewer hostages." His greatest accolade: a visiting four-year-old who turned to his parents on the way home and said, "Those are nice people, and Dick has Dick Kennedy very nice taste in people." Friends were enormously important to him. He learned from people from all over the world and from all walks of life, and got most of his pleasure from his friends. Perhaps his greatest friend was his identical twin Don, competitive in all things, including their love for each other. We thank him for his many gifts to this world.
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Q & A: LEN WILLIAMSON
Meet the Dean LEN WILLIAMSON '09 TAKES ON A NEW LEADERSHIP ROLE AT PINGREE
How have your experiences as an athlete impacted your methodology as an educator?
I’ve learned from playing hoops just how impactful it can be when a leader takes on tasks that are seen as less desirable. Like picking up cups under the bench after a game or grabbing the practice balls and putting them away. When you lead by example, people will follow. And it’s not about hierarchy, because ultimately, we are all on the same team. What was it like transitioning from playing basketball full-time overseas to working at Pingree?
It was a roller coaster and there were a lot of ups and downs. But those were character building moments. And to be honest, when I was abroad there was still a part of me that wasn’t completely fulfilled. I didn’t feel like I was contributing that much in the bigger scheme of things. I wanted to make a more significant impact with my profession, and I’ve found that now. There’s no other job in the world that I’d rather be doing. What kind of relationship do you hope to foster with the student body?
I want to connect with every single student, regardless of what their interests and talents may be. I think people tend to put me in the “athlete” category and I want to debunk that. I hope every student can say hi to me in the hallways and know that I recognize and appreciate who they are and what they do at this school. Why Pingree?
It sounds cliche, but students can be whoever they want to be here. Anyone can join the community and find a way to pursue the things that interest them, and there will always be other people around to support and encourage them. The value for me as a student here was being surrounded by brilliant peers in the classroom.
“I want to connect with every single student, regardless of what their interests and talents may be.”
Dean of Students Len Williamson graduated from Pingree in 2009 before going on to Amherst College where he captained a National Championship winning basketball team. After Amherst, Williamson spent time playing and coaching professional basketball overseas in Luxembourg and Kuwait. He joined the Pingree community as a coach, history teacher, and admission associate in 2014 and was appointed dean of students in 2016.
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