Pomfret Magazine | FALL 2023

Malik Ducard ’91

VISTA

TIM TALK

Contents

Head of School Tim Richards reflects on the trip of a lifetime. 02 50 04

CLASS NOTES

Updates from, in, and around the alumni community.

IN MEMORIAM

Remembering those we lost. Joan Strong Buell ’50 Obituary.

CHAPEL TALK

An awe(some) address delivered by Science Teacher Annie O’Sullivan.

Pomfret School

398 Pomfret Street • PO Box 128 Pomfret, CT 06258-0128 860.963.6100 www.pomfret.org

Editor Garry Dow gdow@pomfret.org

Head Writer

Corrine Szarkowicz

Copy Editor Tina Lefevre O’Connor

Class Notes Editor

Deb Thurston dthurston@pomfret.org

Design Jordan Kempain

Contributing Writers

Annie O’Sullivan

Tim Richards Kathryn Waite

72

32 68 ON THE HILLTOP Campus news, NEPSAC honors, college matriculation, new faculty, and more.

ICONOGRAPHY

A close look at our captains’ boards.

Photographers

Aiden Choi ’23

Grant Gibson (Creosote Affects)

Jim Gipe (Pivot Media)

Sasha Greene ’24

Lindsay Lehmann

Tina Lefevre O’Connor

Tim Richards

Corrine Szarkowicz

Jovan Tanasijevic (Above Summit)

Cover Photo: Arina Sinogeikina ’24

We Want to Hear from You

Really, we do. These are your stories and this is your magazine. If we’ve inspired, challenged, or disappointed you, please tell us about it.

Our Mission

Pomfret School empowers students to pursue lives of purpose and meaning.

Pomfret Magazine is published by Pomfret’s Communications Office © 2023

Printed on recycled stock by a facility that is both certified by the FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) and is an EPA Green Power partner.

Pomfret School does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, handicap, gender, sexual orientation, age, or national origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid, or other programs administered by the School.

We are giving students new ways to experience the world.

Spain

Destino Salamanca is a two-week intensive language course that offers a total immersion experience with four hours of daily language instruction, homestays with Spanish families, daily cultural activities, and weekend trips.

Maine

Students venture north to Hurricane Island in Penobscot Bay to get their feet wet during our Marine Ecology and Climate Change on the Maine Seacoast course.

France

Students set up shop in a French château to study painting and drawing or French language through a course called L'Atelier au Château.

Vermont

Students in a course called Rooted in Place have opportunities to deepen their connections to the land, to the people they meet, to one another, and to themselves.

Costa Rica

Students in the Global and Sustainable Development class spend two weeks in Costa Rica, surveying its jungles, beaches, and farms.

The American South Students in the American Studies: Criminal Justice class spend two weeks traveling to Philadelphia; Washington D.C.; Atlanta; and Montgomery, Alabama to visit museums, prisons, and courthouses.

Experiential Learning? Let me tell you.

BY TIM RICHARDS, HEAD OF SCHOOL

This summer, my wife Anne and I checked off a thirty-five-year-old item on our bucket list when we traveled to South Africa and Zambia with our best friends to go on safari. We left behind computers, television screens, and (except for photography) telephones. I am a believer in experiential learning; in fact, I wrote about its value in my “philosophy of education” that I submitted thirteen years ago when I was applying for this job. This summer’s trip reinforced its transformative power and increased my commitment to experiential learning at Pomfret.

However, for most of my career, classrooms were a place of intellectual exploration, filled with books, chalkboards, and posters of distant lands. I spent years in classrooms imparting knowledge and helping students develop fluency, but I didn’t leave the classroom bubble much. Experiential learning was something abstract, and for a long time, I naively saw it as a distraction from “real” teaching and learning. The trip this summer was the final nail in that coffin of naiveté.

"It struck me like a ton of bricks that what we were witnessing was not staged; it was real life unfolding as it does every day for these animals, and it was an educational experience that no textbook could replicate."

In the wilds of the South African bush, there was no syllabus to follow, no guarantee of what we would encounter, no known outcomes. It was volatile, uncertain, complex, and overwhelming. Yet as a result of really close contact with so many new things, our learning curves were incredibly steep. That immediacy deepened our knowledge and understanding of the “material” not in slow increments, but in relentless, exciting, and truly memorable waves.

On our first game drive, we witnessed a mother leopard and her adolescent son up in a tree with a fresh impala kill. The carcass was impressively wedged in the branches to keep it from falling to the trio of hyenas who were circling the tree in anticipation of a dropped morsel of flesh (preferably, intestine). It struck me like a ton of bricks that what we were witnessing was not staged; it was real life unfolding as it does every day for these animals, and it was an educational experience that no textbook could replicate.

Throughout our safari, we had the privilege of learning from brilliant local guides and unbelievably gifted trackers, each of whom brought his own expertise to the experience. Whether it was discussing the behaviors of elephants with our guide, Deiter, or listening to one of our trackers, Mfundo, speak about his family tradition in tracking, I so deeply appreciated the value of their new and different (for me) perspectives and understanding of the world. None of them attended college, and three of the four didn’t even go to high school.

These interactions added a rich layer of depth to my emerging understanding of their world that simply could not have come from a book or a YouTube video. It had never been more clear to me that some of the best learning happens outside of traditional educational structures, and at the hands of people who are not, in the traditional sense, “teachers.” I learned more in nine days from our two guides and two trackers than I ever could have imagined.

For our students, who are negotiating the challenges of peer relationships and social media, experiential learning provides the opportunity to step away, to develop meaningful connections with other people, their customs, and their ways of thinking. More often than not, these lucky students return transformed, and are excited to share what they have learned with others.

“Education is not preparation for life,” said John Dewey, the famous American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer. “Education is life itself.” Dewey believed that individuals grow and learn as they interact with the world. The time I spent in this unfamiliar place reinforced the idea that the power of experiential learning reveals itself in when our senses are truly awakened, when long-held assumptions are cast aside, and when we yearn to learn even more once that experience is over.

Leopard photo by Tim Richards

CAMPUS NEWS APRIL 2023 THROUGH OCTOBER 2023

In the Movies

Want to watch a movie but don’t know what to pick? Consult the cinephiles in Honors and Advanced Photography. They have compiled their recommendations into a twelve-month calendar, showcasing 365 films that are worth watching. Every month has a genre, and each daily recommendation for that month falls within its specific category. So, you can look to February for romantic comedies or December for holiday favorites!

The calendar also features student artwork in the form of iconic movie posters. With peers, teachers, and some special guests as models, students used their photography and Adobe Photoshop skills to create movie posters that could be mistaken for the originals. Some of the images are scary good, and some have their own unique twists. The Mean Girls poster by Julianna O’Brien ’23 features Arts Department Head and Photography Teacher Lindsay Lehmann as Cady Heron. Aiden Choi ’23 recreated the Stepbrothers poster with a new name — his reads Shepbrothers, a call out to one of his models and classmates, Shep Wilcox ’25.

“This project was a test of students’ attention to detail and control of lighting and environment,” said Lehmann. “In addition to the photography, each student participated in the planning, modeling, and post-processing of the calendar. The final result is something they should be proud of.”

Rock ’Em Sock ’Em

During the First Robotics New England District Hartford Event, members of the robotics team, PomTech, put their creation to the test against forty other teams. Using recycled parts from previous seasons and 3D printed materials, they built a robot that whirled magnificently around the competition arena. It balanced on charging platforms, moved game pieces, and blocked opponents in order to score points and win matches.

The competition tasked PomTech with twelve qualification matches in which they had to perform in alliance with two randomly selected schools against an opposing triad. With the goal of collecting and delivering cones and cubes to platforms of different heights, the robots had to perform both autonomously and by remote control. At the end of the rounds, PomTech had scored nineteen points, was part of five winning matches, and ranked twenty-sixth out of forty teams.

PomTech is looking forward to what the future holds for them.

“We are excited about next season,” shares Elva Qi ’24. “We want to add new sensors to improve the functionality of the robot’s arm, utilize the competition’s mentors, and set aside time for testing the completed machine. We can’t wait to get started.”

Photography and composite created by: Aiden Choi ’23

Research for Ukraine

Great research is often inspired by the need for great change. Alex Oh ’24 was inspired by her grandmother, who often told stories about the Korean War. Her halmeoni, the Korean word for grandmother, is the person Alex thought of when she heard about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She knew she wanted to help.

Alex reports, “The land is being heavily damaged with contaminants with the current warfare. The chemicals found in the soil are going to impact Ukraine’s economy long after the war if it is not remediated properly.” In the summer of 2022, Alex decided to engineer a robot that would allow contaminated soil to be located without risking human life, as war-polluted land can be littered with hidden explosives and firearms.

Alex built a machine made of robotic car parts from around her house, created an artificial war-polluted soil, and determined which bacteria could break down the chemicals.

Alex’s research caught the attention of scientists here in Connecticut and across the world. At the Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair in March, she earned the Infosys Foundation Computer Science Award, was a finalist in the Life Science Awards Competition, and won the National Geographic That’s Geography! — Cultivating Empathy for the Earth Award. Earlier this year, she also won the Silver Award in the Samsung Humantech Paper Award — one of the largest and most prestigious science research competitions in South Korea.

Streaming

Mashamoquet Day is a long-standing, all-school tradition. The name comes from the nearby Mashamoquet Brook State Park, where the annual field day was held for decades. The park’s name is derived from the Native American word “Mashamoquet,” roughly translated as “stream of good fishing.” Mashamoquet Day is now held on the Hilltop. Instead of a “stream of good fishing,” there are streams of laughter, smiles, and happy tears.

The student-led event included more than twenty-five games. From three-legged and sack races to water balloons and egg tosses, the teams went head-to-head in traditional games as well as some contests that are unique to the Hilltop. There was T-Rex tag — always a Griffin favorite — which is a game of freeze tag involving a senior dressed up in an inflatable dinosaur costume; and fruit bowling, where pineapples replaced the pins and melons were used instead of a bowling ball. No matter the event, students and faculty enjoyed an afternoon of friendly competition.

“Every year I enjoy Mashamoquet Day, however, during this year’s event, I felt the vibrant energy,” said Daniel Lutts ’24. “In every direction I looked, I saw smiles on people’s faces.”

A New Kind of QUEST

Small groups of freshmen guided by student leaders traversed the Hilltop on a quest to learn about their new community. The stops they made along the way revealed the story of Pomfret — who we are, what we do, and why it matters to us. During the ninetyminute program, participants met with seniors and faculty, who shared stories that implored the new freshmen to embrace one another, to care for one another, and to never underestimate the power they have to make a difference.

Their walk is one of ten QUEST sessions this year. The signature program is at the heart of our students’ social and emotional learning and is an integral component of their growth and development. The curriculum has four pillars, two of which (Character and Community) remain unchanged. The other two pillars (Being and Belonging) have been reimagined, and replace the former Wellbeing and DEI pillars, respectively.

“The revitalization of the pillars allows us to emphasize the program goals of enabling our students to learn more about who they are, who they are becoming, and how we can be and belong together in this community,” says Director of Wellbeing Erin Fisher, who is also the QUEST program director.

The reimagined QUEST programming includes the addition of service and stewardship activities. Each class will complete at least one service project during QUEST this year.

Uncovering Hidden Treasure

On the first day of Trace Evidence & Disasters class, Pomfret became the setting for a treasure hunt. From Morse code to maritime signal flags, students worked to decipher messages all over campus.

After learning about different methods of coded emergency communication, students began the hunt in Parsons Lodge with a clue written in Morse code. The riddle within suggested students should head to the Victory Bell — the location of the next clue. This pattern repeated through several clues and locations before students uncovered the final clue in du Pont Library. With books around every corner, the class finally located the one that revealed where a treasure chest filled with candy was hidden.

“The scavenger hunt is a great hands-on activity to introduce the class to distress signals used in disaster situations and get them excited about the term ahead,” says Science Teacher Dr. Sandy Chase.

After the first-day fun, students spent the term learning more about codes and cipher systems, forensic toxicology, glass evidence, arson residue, and forensic entomology. Class time was filled with historical case exploration and hands-on, simulated disaster labs.

129 thCommencement Ceremony Class of 2023

Graduates of the Class of 2023, faculty, classmates, alumni, trustees, family, and friends gathered on the Hilltop for the 129th Commencement of Pomfret School.

Geno Rovero opened the ceremony with remarks on behalf of the Class, in which he compared his four years at Pomfret to the four quarters of a game. His speech was followed by the presentation of select commencement awards and the commencement address by Walrus advertising agency’s CEO Frances Lumpkin-Webster ’91. She told the class, “You can do anything you put your mind to.

Push yourself. Don’t be afraid to fail. If it scares you a little and gives you butterflies in your stomach, you are on the right track.”

Members of the Class of 2023 then received their Pomfret School diplomas — which they had worked so hard to earn. Each was called to the stage and had their moment in the spotlight before letting out one final cheer to celebrate their accomplishment of becoming the newest members of the Pomfret School alumni community.

SELECT COMMENCEMENT AWARDS

Second in Class: Miles Burrello

First in Class: Aiden Choi

The Pomfret Bowl: Grace Long and Nate Watson

The Chick Cole Cup: Owen Johnston

The Cowperthwait Award: Grace Long

The Edward J. Kelley Award: Anna Kahl

The Halleck Lefferts Award: Geno Rovero and Mary-Aliya Turay

The Richard H. Randall, Jr. ’44 Award: Finn Diakite

The Paul M. Rosenfield ’67 Award: Laisha Escalante

The Wendell D. Mansfield Cup: Linda Done

The Founder’s Medal: Maya Bullied

Head of School Tim Richards presenting Maya Bullied with the Founder’s Medal, the School’s highest honor.

College Bound

very year, the senior class poses for a photo wearing apparel from their chosen college or university. Students don their new merch and pose as a group to showcase their accomplishments. This year, the image proudly features a variety of colors, logos, and mascots.

Even through a fiercely competitive landscape, the Class of 2023 gained admission to a strong list of colleges and universities, including Bucknell, Harvard, John Hopkins, Northeastern, NYU, Purdue, and Wesleyan, among others. In this class of 103 students, three have committed to universities outside of the United States and fifteen are recruited student athletes!

Derek Smith, one of two members of the class attending Harvard this fall, says “I felt very ready for college. This is largely due to the leadership roles I held at Pomfret and the independent work I did there.”

In their senior year, students are encouraged to apply early to between nine and fifteen schools. This way, they will have a variety of choices when deciding where they will spend the next four years. The Class of 2023 submitted sixty-nine Early Decision 1, four Restrictive Early Action, and eighteen Early Decision 2 applications. Approximately 85 percent of students did not submit an ACT or SAT score to any college.

Director of College Counseling Bruce Wolanin says, “We are proud of the Class of 2023’s resolve and results.”

— Derek Smith ’23

Jamón y Queso

Cuisine is an important part of understanding different cultures. World Languages Department Head Dr. Pablo Montoro Alonso, who grew up in Salamanca, and Spanish Teacher Sara Villalba, who was raised in Zaragoza, decided to share their customs with the Pomfret community. They came together to serve cheese and a traditional jamón with students and faculty.

“In Spain, jamón and cheese are staples at any gathering of friends and families,” says Pablo. “To not serve jamón at a community gathering would be inconceivable!”

Jamón is made from pigs native to the Iberian Peninsula. It requires a specific curing process that can take anywhere from eighteen months to five years. Pablo said it was not easy, but he was able to secure a jamón with the stand and knife — tools that are crucial to the serving process. The cheese varieties, including Mahón, smoked San Simón, and queso Payoyo, were purchased from award-winning Chef José Andrés’ store, Mercado Little Spain.

“By sharing the samples with the community, we achieved the goal of food in Spain — to bring everyone together,” says Sara. “I think we also might have created a couple of foodies.”

NEPSAC Honors

Throughout the winter and spring athletic seasons, twenty-two Pomfret students were awarded NEPSAC Honors for their efforts on the fields, courts, rink, and track. In basketball, Nathan Lapham ’24 earned Class B All-NEPSAC, while Seth Anderson ’23 and Nika Horvath ’25 received honorable mention recognition. For her ability on the hockey rink, Tara Valas ’23 earned small school honorable mention.

Talent on the baseball field as a shortstop got Carson Ames ’25 a Class B honorable mention. He also won Second Team All-League under Western New England Prep Baseball League alongside Matt McClure ’25.

Both boys and girls lacrosse teams earned awards with Cam Geary ’23 making Class B All-NEPSAC, and Owen Johnston ’23 and Bridget Fallon ’23 gaining honorable mention recognition.

Pomfret’s track and field teams gathered quite a few NEPSAC accolades in the Division III category. Recognized members of the boys team include Jack Heroux ’23 for one All-NEPSAC award and one honorable mention, Gerald Gao ’24 with two All-NEPSAC accomplishments, Daniel Onwuka ’24 for an All-NEPSAC award, Adam Tillinghast ’24 for three honorable mentions, Dolan Pols ’23 for an honorable mention, and Jerry Da ’24 for an honorable mention. The girls team added to this recognition with one All-NEPSAC award and one honorable mention for Julianna O’Brien ’23, and one All-NEPSAC award each for Simiao Li ’24 and Mer Bergendahl ’23. Pomfret’s tennis teams finished off the list of accomplishments with a Class B AllNEPSAC title for Jacky Wu ’25 and honorable mention recognitions for Ross Gramley ’23 and Claire Wille ’23.

Science and Math Teacher Ellen Browne uses TI Innovator Rovers and graphic calculators to bring math to life for her students.

Filter This

In Science Teacher Steve VanHoesen’s chemistry and geology classes, students are taking filters seriously — and not the appearance-altering ones on social media. They are researching and designing prototypes of water filtration systems.

The class explored different filtration methods, including activated carbon, reverse osmosis, and distillation. They then designed and constructed filters using carbon, sand, gravel, coffee filters, cheesecloth, and plastic tubing and bottles. Throughout the design process, they considered the efficiency and cost of their filtration system, keeping in mind the volume of water produced over time and the daily water needs of a family of four.

When it came time to pitch their designs, faculty members posed as town officials. Each group explained why their design was the most effective and cost-efficient option. Science Teacher Brian Geyer and Science Department Head Josh Lake dove deep into their roles as officials, testing the systems against solutions contaminated with soap, salt, and rubbing alcohol.

Giving Voice

In 2017, the NAACP — the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People — was reactivated in the Northeast corner of Connecticut. On April 30, 2023, more than twenty-five Griffins joined the Windham/Willimantic branch in the installation ceremony of a new youth subgroup. Named after the second vice president of the branch, the Gary Ralls Willimantic NAACP Youth Council allows Pomfret students to connect with young people from neighboring towns and work together to further civil rights across Eastern Connecticut.

Since the Council became official in the spring, two Pomfret students have taken up leadership positions. Daniel Onwuka ’24 is the group’s secretary and Kalkidan Birhanu ’26 is the assistant treasurer. In addition to their regular meetings, the youth council was invited to the Windham/Willimantic NAACP’s Juneteenth celebration and the National NAACP Convention in Boston this past summer. The council says their goals for the 2023-2024 academic year are to recruit more members from neighboring schools and to hold a Kwanzaa celebration.

“The youth council is important to me because it allows young people to voice their concerns,” says Kalkidan. “I’m looking forward to finding ways to implement better opportunities for Blackidentifying students at Pomfret.”

Meet: WORM

Meet WORM. No, not the worm you might find crawling around in your flower beds and vegetable gardens. This WORM, made by Delia Bousquet ’24, Lucas Canavan ’24, and Simiao Li ’24, is a Waste Obliterating Recycling Machine! Made entirely of recycled materials and TI products, their creation earned the student inventors second place in the 2023 TI Codes Contest.

The team was inspired to create WORM after seeing the food waste in the dining hall and observing leatherback turtles on their experiential learning trip to Costa Rica. Their invention is equipped with shredding technology that breaks down waste, and a heating and stirring system to speed up the composting process. Users only need to choose an amount of time for the food to be shredded, and WORM takes care of the rest.

SUNDAY NIGHT LECTURE SERIES

Hosted by the du Pont Library

The World Is Changing

For years, researchers have been experimenting with neural networks, machine learning, and the prospect of true artificial intelligence. Its capabilities have been unleashed for the public and opened wide for experimentation. Science Department Head Josh Lake has enjoyed experimenting and recently shared his knowledge with students in a Sunday Night Lecture Series hosted by the du Pont Library. Through a series of demos, experiments, and ‘prompt crafting,’ he opened students’ eyes to the world of AI.

Over the summer, Michael McCabe and Todd Milanese spent four weeks restoring the external doors of Clark Memorial Chapel. It took six additional members of the Facilities Services team to remove the more than 400 pound doors. Behind one of the hinges they found a metal shim with carvings detailing past restoration efforts. This year’s restoration included sand blasting the hardware and a custom stain that shows off the grain pattern. The next phase of the project includes refurbishment of the doors to the Chapel’s tower and rectory.

Going Out with a Bang

This spring, Pomfret sports teams went out with a bang as playoff and championship games brought the season to a close.

The boys varsity tennis team competed in the NEITA Team Class B Championships. Although they lost in the quarterfinals, Jacky Wu ’25 was one of fifteen players selected to play in the New England Prep School Invitational Tennis Tournament.

Another highlight of the spring season occurred on the track. At the NEPSTA DIII Championships, the team earned three top-three finishes. There was also a series of school record-

breaking performances. Julianna O’Brien ’23 secured the record for the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.93 seconds. Dolan Pols ’23 set a new school record for the 3,000 with a time of 10:28.25. Shortly thereafter, Adam Tillinghast ’24 first beat Dolan’s record by thirteen seconds and ultimately finished with a season-best of 9:54.06!

Nate Watson ’23 really shined on the turf this year, winning USA Lacrosse All-American honors for the second time. He helped the boys varsity lacrosse team finish second in the Colonial Tournament and set records for single-season and career points.

Sasha Green ’24

A Checkup

This spring, Pomfret participated in a anonymous survey designed by the National Association of Independent Schools — the Independent School Health Check. The survey went out to students and parents with no obligation for them to fill it out.

The analysis that Pomfret received from the survey data compares the school to the 26,000 students who have participated in the health check in 73 independent schools over the last four years. It provides critical insight into the health and well-being of students so that the proper resources and support can be available.

Upon receiving the report from the health check, Pomfret was able to look at several key topics, including sleep hygiene, emotional well-being, and school culture. This information was used to determine how the School can adjust to the needs of the community and better enhance the lives of our students.

Travel and Training

Over Spring Break, the baseball and boys and girls lacrosse teams attended spring training trips to develop strength, endurance, skills, and team bonding.

The lacrosse teams made their way to Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, to experience NXT Sports’ Spring Training. They participated in practices and scrimmages in elite training facilities both indoors and out. Both teams faced off against our rival, Millbrook, in scrimmages.

The baseball team traveled to St. Petersburg, Florida, where they participated in Baseball City’s Tampa Bay Spring Training program. Complete with scrimmages against teams from Minnesota, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, the team honed their skills in the Tampa Bay Rays’ former spring training facility.

Not only did the athletes spend their time playing their respective sports, they also experienced some memorable outings together. The lacrosse teams watched college games, discovered their favorite cheesesteaks, played paintball, and ran the Rocky Steps. The baseball team watched some World Baseball Classic games and attended an MLB spring training game.

Director of Athletics and Afternoon Programs Mo Gaitán says, “The opportunity for a team to come together at the beginning of the season — with an immersive experience — is transformational and something our students will take with them for years to come.”

Spring of Arts

As spring sports wound down and classes came to a close, student performers took the stage to show off their artistic abilities. On May 11, Pomfret School Theater presented the first showing of the spring play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Based on the novel of the same name by Mark Haddon, the play was adapted for theater by English playwright Simon Stephens. Led by Theater Director and Arts Teacher Chip Lamb, the cast and crew produced an amazing show.

One week after the curtains closed on the play, Pomfret’s dance team wowed audiences with their Spring Dance Showcase. Organized by Director of Dance Nina Joly, the forty-minute show featured eighteen passionate dancers — many of whom also contributed their choreography skills.

Leadership Intensive

Effective departmental leadership is the key to implementing any curricular change initiative, yet many department chairs have little or no formal leadership training. Recognizing this need, the Grauer Family Institute for Excellence and Innovation in Education established the Departmental Leadership Summer Institute. For the third year running, Director of the Grauer Family Institute Gwyneth Connell led the five-day residential program, which provides opportunities for participants to learn and practice skills for using departmental time effectively, facilitating meaningful and productive feedback conversations, and guiding organizational change. At the end of the week, chairs emerged with a mission statement and a strategic plan that aligns with their schools’ mission and strategic vision.

The Grauer Family Institute for Excellence and Innovation in Education is made possible through a generous gift from former Board Chair Peter Grauer and his wife, Laurie.

Page Turner

Manuscripts is a magazine written, edited, designed, and published entirely by students. Every Pomfret student has an open invitation to submit a short story or poem to the Manuscripts Club to be considered for publication. The magazine provides a platform for students to express themselves, gain confidence as writers, and share their work with the community. The latest edition includes twenty-three pieces from talented student writers, including Sophia Zhang ’26, whose short story “Red” utilizes the motif of colors, comparing vibrant colors to the intensity of human feelings. “Ian’s favorite color became yellow,” she writes. “It was the color of autumn leaves, lemons, bees, sunflowers, taxi cars, and honey. It was what sprinkled into the night sky, giving life to an otherwise empty universe.” Each edition of Manuscripts is available for viewing in the du Pont Library. Be sure to check one out next time you’re on campus!

Form Olympics

Five games. Four teams. One winner. The energy was palpable as classes went head-to-head in five distinct contests during this fall’s Form Olympics. First up was the Tricycle Obstacle Course that had competitors trying to maintain their balance while racing the oh-so-small Radio Flyer trikes across Strong Field House. It was an exercise in agility that had the crowd roaring with laughter as they watched riders tumble to the floor. (We’re looking at you, Mr. Boyd!) Next, it was time to unpack Grandma’s Trunks. In this hilarious relay, students frantically unpacked their suitcases, dressed in all the items inside, and made a mad dash to a teammate to deliver the items

and repeat the process. A traditional hoop rolling race followed, in which students rolled hula hoops down the court in a race to the finish line. Hungry, Hungry Humans, a crowd favorite, had one member of each team on tummy scooters, while another held their ankles and maneuvered them as they collected colorful plastic balls with a laundry basket. The final event had everyone in stitches as teams stumbled to the finish line carrying one of their own atop an unwieldy mattress in Mattress Relay. When all the dust settled and the points were tallied, the juniors came out on top. And though their win didn’t result in the presentation of a gold medal, they received something even more precious — bragging rights!

Empty Bowls

Students in Topics in Food Insecuirty and ceramics classes teamed up to host the annual Empty Bowls fundraiser.

For sale were beautiful bowls handcrafted by the ceramics students. Once the perfect bowl was selected, it was filled with ice cream and toppings. All of the food was donated by local businesses and community members as a result of the solicitation letters written by students — a skill they learned in the service learning course.

The Pomfret Empty Bowls fundraiser was a spring twist from the one held nationwide. Traditionally, soup is served instead of ice cream. The proceeds from the event were donated to local food pantries that help feed food insecure families in the Pomfret area.

Silence

Students participated in the National Day of Silence to protest the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination of LGBTQ+ people in schools.

Before the silence, students were loud. In a Chapel service, they shared testimonies and stories. Hozier’s “Take Me to Church” and Coldplay’s “Yellow” were also sung. The service ended with participants taking the vow of silence, which included, “I choose the wellbeing of everyone, and I choose love.”

At the end of the day, the community gathered around the Victory Bell to break the silence, and students let out a cheer, celebrating the impact they’d made on the Hilltop.

Best Year Ever

At the start of the school year, students from twenty-seven countries and twenty-five states plus the District of Columbia arrived on the Hilltop. They were greeted by faculty who donned red and white tie-dye t-shirts with the message “Best. Year. Ever.”

After moving their belongings into their rooms or day student lockers, they greeted both old friends and new — eager to connect after the long summer. Between orientation activities and leadership training, there was an ice cream social, form bonding with s’mores, and an all-school cookout.

Head Start

Varsity student-athletes on the cross country, field hockey, soccer, and volleyball teams returned to the Hilltop a few days before the official start of the school year for pre-season training. During morning and afternoon sessions, they got a head start on the Bean Run, drills, and learning new plays. Evenings provided time for bonding in the dorms, dinners out, and trips to local college games.

“Preseason gave the team a lot of time to bond and get to know each other better,” said field hockey goalie Keira O’Brien ’25. “I loved meeting all the new players and enjoyed the time we spent together at night, which we would not have been able to do without rooming together. The team meals brought us together and helped set the tone for the rest of our season.”

Inspiring the Next Chapter

To begin the 130th academic year of Pomfret School, faculty and staff gathered for Convocation. Literally a “calling together,” the annual event recognized the academic achievements of last year’s top-performing students.

Seniors Chloe Orlich, Gerald Gao, and Gara De Alarcón Adamczyk delivered words of wisdom and guidance they had garnered during their time on the Hilltop. In her reflection, Chloe encouraged her classmates to be the authors of their own books, in which Pomfret is the setting of many chapters. “Pomfret gives us the ideas to write our own words in the many pages to come. So when we begin to write our next chapter, we have just a little more

insight into who we want to be, where we want to be, and where we want to continue to grow.”

Subject awards were presented to the students who received top marks in each discipline. For their achievement at the highest level in all of their courses in the previous years, Sophia Zhang ’26 and William Leary ’26 received the Third Form Excellence Award, and Sissi Chen ’25 and Charmaine Chinodakufa ’25 earned the Fourth Form Excellence Award. The Pomfret School chapter of the Cum Laude Society welcomed its newest members: Delia Bousquet ’24, Lucas Canavan ’24, Wonji Choi ’24, Simiao Li ’24, Emma Lian ’24, and Sean Lu ’24.

New Faculty

1. Jake Gabriele, Assistant Director of Admissions 2. Meera Ratté, Admissions Counselor, Girls Varsity Basketball Head Coach 3. Michaela Vitagliano, English Teacher 4. Mike Waller, Assistant Athletic Trainer

5. Ben Wilson, School Counselor 6. Gavin Flood, History Teacher 7. Cooper Hemphill, Mathematics Teacher

8. Greg Fischer, Science Teacher 9. Nicole Wilson, Mathematics Teacher 10. Tory Dobbin, French Teacher 11. Leslie Kendig, Learning Support Specialist 12. Sandra Piña De Stewart, Spanish Teacher 13. Andrew Bub, History Teacher, Boys Varsity Lacrosse Head Coach Not pictured: Steven Ouellette, Girls Varsity Crew Assistant Coach; David Peltz, Girls Varsity Hockey Head Coach; and Indu Poonja, Academic Support Specialist

NEW STAFF

IN ADDITION TO THE NEW TEACHING FACULTY, THE FOLLOWING STAFF HAVE JOINED THE GRIFFIN PRIDE.

Abby Anderson Nurse - RN

Theresa Denaro Assistant Controller

Cole Johnson Grounds Staff

Kris Johnston Admissions Office Coordinator

Michael McCabe Campus Services Staff

Linda Ring Dorm Affiliate

Morgan VanFlatern Nurse - RN

Evie Vieria-Fleming Nurse - RN

Stacy Williams Facilities Office Coordinator

NEW ROLES

THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE STEPPED INTO NEW ROLES ON THE HILLTOP.

Kathleen Burdick-LaChance Interim Director of Nursing/Health Services

Lauren Griffin Director of Learning Support

Billy Harrington Assistant Athletic Director & ATC

Stephanie Kerensky Grounds Staff

Doug Litowitz Director of Experiential Learning

Doug MacLeod Dean of Academics

Karen Marshall Form Dean

Stephen VanHoesen Form Dean

Alyssa Walker History and Social Sciences Department Head

Katie Watkins Administrative Process and Collaboration Manager

RETIREMENT

AFTER FIFTEEN YEARS OF SERVICE TO POMFRET SCHOOL, ADMISSIONS OFFICE COORDINATOR JUDY SMITH RETIRED THIS PAST SUMMER. SHE AND HER HUSBAND PAUL (FACILITIES 1998–2022) MOVED TO THE ROCHESTER, NEW YORK AREA, WHERE THEY ENJOY BIKE RIDING, WALKING, VOLUNTEERING, AND SPENDING TIME WITH THEIR GRANDCHILDREN.

BABIES R US

TANYA NONGERA-NICKERSON (MATHEMATICS 2021–PRESENT) AND HER HUSBAND, HENRY, WELCOMED THEIR FIRST CHILD NALEDI RAIN NONGERA-NICKERSON ON APRIL 28, 2023.

CORRINE SZARKOWICZ (COMMUNICATIONS 2021–PRESENT) AND HER HUSBAND, JOEL, BECAME THE PROUD PARENTS OF GREGORY MATTHEW SZARKOWICZ ON JUNE 17, 2023.

Rain

Naledi

Nongera-Nickerson

Gregory Matthew Szarkowicz

Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Dr. Cory McCarter walking and talking with Jacky Wu ’25.

It Was Awe(some)

By Annie O’Sullivan, Science Teacher

Photo supplied by Annie O'Sullivan

"When you walk out onto the salt flats it feels like you are walking on a crystal lake of sky."

Iconsider myself to be a pretty joyful person, and while that’s definitely the result of many different factors, one of them is that I strive to experience a moment of awe every single day.

Most of us associate awe with those once-in-a-lifetime moments. Those moments you’ve dreamed about experiencing and then finally, you get there and see the place and it is AWESOME and you can’t stop taking pictures and posting those pictures out into the universe. Like that time a couple of years ago, when Mary Screen and I traveled down to Bolivia for spring break and we went to the salt flats. That place is insane. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a picture from there, but when you walk out onto the salt flats it feels like you are walking on a crystal lake of sky. Everything reflects perfectly and if you took a picture of your friend and spun it around a couple of times, you wouldn’t be able to tell which part is real and which is the reflection. I felt such deep awe in that moment at the staggering beauty possible on this earth.

It ’s hard to describe what awe is, it’s one of those things where you know it when you feel it. So I guess I can only describe how I feel when I’m experiencing these moments. Usually, something catches my eye, or my ear, or my nose, or my taste buds. I can’t help but stop, frozen in my tracks. I always lose my breath and usually end up holding it. I forget whatever it was I was just thinking about and lose myself completely in the moment, just letting that sight pierce my retina or that sound ring my ear or that bite linger on my tongue for as long as I can stay still.

Sure it’s easier for me to feel awe while on spring break trips in remote destinations or when trail running through the mountains of Idaho, but if you believe that you can only experience awe in those once-in-a-lifetime moments, chasing some viral TikTok place to the ends of the earth, you are most definitely going to miss out on a whole lot that’s right in front of your own eyes.

I make it a point to experience a moment of awe every single day here at Pomfret. Since it feels hard for me to explain what awe is, here are some moments of awe that I’ve experienced recently.

I felt awe when I stumbled upon the first fiddlehead of the year, popping its head through the soil to announce its presence.

I felt awe when I came upon one of those sugar maples we foresters call wolf trees because of how long they’ve looked after the land.

I felt awe that time when I made prolonged eye contact with that deer and she decided if she didn’t move, then I probably couldn’t see her, even though I was making direct eye contact with her, and I decided that I would try to get as close as possible until she broke eye contact and dashed away.

I feel awe once a month when I see the full moon rising over Route 44, looking impossibly big over the horizon.

I felt awe that time I stalked the bobcat for three minutes and twenty-one seconds, according to the video.

I felt awe when I spotted my first trillium of the spring along our trails and I felt awe when I biked to the one place I knew I’d find a pink lady slipper finally emerging in May.

I felt awe when I cracked the window in the spring and heard the ethereal music of the veery, announcing its arrival back from Colombia, and when I first spotted the beautiful black and white warbler, fresh from its journey from Jamaica, just like Ashleigh Facey.

I feel awe when the light filters through the autumn leaves just so.

I felt awe just yesterday morning when I biked up the hill towards campus, through the thick, thick fog, watching trees apparate from rough shapes to silhouettes to true trees. Paisley and I both had to stop and take a picture because it was so startlingly beautiful. And then in the afternoon when I went running, I felt awe when I spooked a big red-tailed hawk from its perch and it sailed right in front of me. According to my calculations, that means that yesterday, I had a double awe day and you know that means I was feeling a whole lot of joy.

Your sense of awe might not be just like mine, maybe because you don’t spend at least an hour in the woods each day, but that’s ok. There are moments all around our campus when I hope you feel this sense of awe I’m trying to describe. Like when you wander onto the math floor toward JP’s room and you gaze up at the ceiling. Or when you enter your advisor’s house and smell what’s for dinner. And of course, when you catch that perfect Pomfret sunset.

A lot of moments of awe actually happen right here in this space. The way the light enters from those high windows and illuminates the stone. The sound of someone’s miraculously pure voice.

The moments I’ve felt most in awe while working at Pomfret have come as seniors have shared their words from behind this podium. The bravery and care with which some folks have told their stories over the years has left me in awe at how much wisdom an eighteen-year-old can impart.

Of course, to experience awe in these simple occasions around our campus, you’ve got to be ready to open your ears, and your eyes, and your heart to take it in, to become breathless, and to lose yourself.

W hen those moments of awe happen and we’re really paying attention, we can’t help but feel lucky to be in THIS exact place, experiencing THIS exact moment, feeling our veins course with gratitude and joy.

Artists in Residence

Inside the Pomfret Arts Department, where faculty practice what they teach.

STORY BY Kathryn Waite

As the sun pushes up through the clouds and lights up the morning, a loud alarm sounds in the home of Pomfret’s Director of Music Ryan Burns. Its screaming pierces the quiet and rings in his ears.

In this situation, most people would jam a finger on the snooze button and go back to sleep. Burns, however, swings his feet over the side of the bed and grabs a notebook. With a steaming cup of coffee in hand, he takes a seat at the piano, the makings of a song already swirling in his mind.

A singer by training, Burns has carved out an impressive career for himself in the world of opera, performing shows with companies such as Opera Boston, Connecticut Lyric Opera, and Opera Providence. Some of his most recent performances include the role of Mr. More in The Séance with Hartford Opera Theater and Il Conte in Le nozze di Figaro with UConn Opera Theater. Burns, who holds a doctorate of musical arts in vocal performance, has also been named The National Winner of the American Prize in Vocal Performance in the professional opera division of The Friedrich and Virginia Schorr Memorial Award.

“ I don’t know how many songs I’ve written at this point, but I’m writing music every morning as part of my routine,” he says. “I’m so happy that I have opened this creative door for myself.”

DR. RYAN BURNS DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

WHEN THE SCHOOL DAY is over, Ceramic Arts and Sculpture teacher Sarah MacLeod can often be found tucked away in the Centennial building pottery studio. With a passion for art and a deep understanding of the medium, MacLeod brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the job, inspiring and guiding her students in their creative journeys.

MacLeod’s love for ceramics began at the University of Tampa, where she discovered the transformative power of clay. Her artwork reflects her fascination with nature, organic forms, and the interplay of textures and colors. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that art is not only a means of personal expression, but also a powerful tool for self-discovery and growth. “Each student possesses their own creative potential,” she says. “As an educator, I strive to create opportunities for them to express themselves authentically.”

W hile MacLeod spends her free time absorbed in the ceramics studio, Director of Dance Nina Joly can often be found across campus in the Shoppe Dance Studio. Though she got her start in a traditional dance studio, Joly’s career has been far from typical. After performing throughout her schooling, she had the opportunity to tour the world with the rock band Foxygen under Jagjaguwar Records. For two years, she choreographed, danced, and sang backup vocals for the band. She even performed with them at Coachella Music and Arts Festival and the Late Show with David Letterman. Most recently, Joly toured the nation with musician Molly Raney as a member of her experimental music project titled Poppet. “Whether its the emotional content, transitions between pieces, or the whole arc of the show, I try to provide a fully immersive experience for the audience that is both sensory and visceral.”

SARAH MACLEOD

CERAMICS ARTS AND SCULPTURE TEACHER

NINA JOLY DIRECTOR OF DANCE

“I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but I had a choice. I could stick to the traditional painting and drawing lessons that preached technique and color schemes. Or, I could explore creativity.”

— JP Jacquet

Before settling in Pomfret, Painting and Drawing Teacher JP Jacquet traveled the world, spending time in Norway; Paris; New York City; and Providence, Rhode Island, drawing inspiration from the scenes he experienced. Once, he even created sculptures for the rock band Phish. Since then, he has shown at many galleries, and his pieces appear in both public and private collections. Recently, the Pomfret community turned out for his newest showcase titled, Influencers, a collection of papier-mâché and acrylic paints.

It has now been twenty-three years since Jacquet began his teaching career at Pomfret. When he was first offered the position, he says, “I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but I had a choice. I could stick to the traditional painting and drawing lessons that preached technique and color schemes. Or, I could explore creativity.” Two decades later, JP Jacquet is still encouraging his students to exercise their creativity.

Chr is Rogers ’01, a student in JP Jacquet’s first class at Pomfret, is living proof. Today, Rogers is an independent artist who creates and sells his amazing pieces. He has made a name for himself in the world of murals, live painting, and artistic freelance. Rogers expressed that he’d always dreamed of becoming a professional artist, but it was Jacquet who proved to him every day that it was actually possible.

“His passion was contagious,” Rogers explained, “He helped me begin to understand that it’s about letting your creativity bleed beyond your work into every facet of your life. It’s about conveying yourself as honestly as humanly possible, and ultimately, letting your life be your masterpiece.”

JP JACQUET

PAINTING AND DRAWING TEACHER, ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

“It’s about conveying yourself as honestly as humanly possible, and ultimately, letting your life be your masterpiece.”

— Chris Rogers ’01

CHRIS ROGERS ’01 PAINTING IN

STORY BY Corrine Szarkowicz

When Pomfret’s newest building, VISTA, opens in the fall of 2024, it will give Pomfret a whole new outlook on science education.

The name VISTA is easy to say, descriptive of the location, and a useful acronym all in one,” said Science Department Head Josh Lake. “The gorgeous sunsets to the west are an iconic Pomfret sight, and the observation platform built off the Hamilton Hub will offer a wide, panoramic view. It’s a perfect match for the new building’s place in the campus skyline.”

The name VISTA, which stands for Venue for Innovation, Science, Technology, and Academics, was suggested by the Science Building Naming Advisory Committee. Made up of Pomfret faculty and staff, the Committee met this past spring. They proposed a number of recommendations to the school community, and VISTA was ranked the highest in a school-wide poll. Head of School Tim Richards approved the selection at the beginning of the academic year.

VISTA was recommended for its dual purpose — as an acronym for the descriptor of the space where the community will gather, and as a play on words for what lies beyond the beautiful facility.

The ne w building will follow the sloping gradient of the hill, sitting on roughly the same footprint as its predecessor. Shifted slightly to the south, VISTA offers more expansive views of Pomfret’s sports fields and the valley beyond. With the setting sun as a backdrop, towering walls of glass are juxtaposed against vertical slats of multi-tonal metal siding, exuding warm tones of red and brown.

VISTA also evokes a forward-looking sense of the world. In comments he delivered during Reunion Weekend, Lake described the former science building as “a magnet, repelling all but the most determined to use it. With the new building,

we have the chance to flip that magnet, convert it into an electromagnet, turn up the power, and attract a whole new generation of STEM-minded students!”

L ake drew a comparison between the building and some of the equipment it will house once it is open. He pointed out that VISTA will act as a microscope, allowing for our deepest and most focused scientific studies yet. It will be a spectroscope, a place where our scholars sample across the spectrum of scientific fields. It can be a telescope for our most passionate students to look far into their futures. It will be an expansive whiteboard on which students will record their ideas, hypotheses, graphs, and conclusions for all to see. It will also be a modern 3D Printer, a generative space where student designs will be built up and made real. And it will be a humble lab bench, an open surface for equipment, notebooks, computers, and measurement tools, where so many students in the coming generations will have their first key spark to become scientists.

Faculty and students are eager to begin teaching and learning in VISTA. Despite two large-scale remodels, the former science center — Ambrose Monell III Science Building — no longer fit the needs of the Pomfret community. With more than thirty unique offerings, many students elect to enroll in more than one science class each academic year, making science the most subscribed subject at Pomfret. With space in high demand, some classes, including physics and engineering, were forced to relocate to the basement of the Centennial Academic & Arts Center. When the makerspace was created in 2018, it also found a temporary home there.

A LOOK AT THE MAIN ENTRANCE COMMON AREA.

WITH THE PLAN OF OPENING in the fall of 2024, Shawmut Design and Construction is making significant headway in the building of VISTA. Demolition of the former academic facility began in early March, and construction began later that month. By May, the foundation was being poured.

O ver summer break, the steel structure was completed. A traditional topping out ceremony was held to celebrate the construction milestone. Those in attendance watched as a giant crane lifted the final external steel beam into place. The white beam, embellished with the Pomfret logo, proudly featured a Pomfret flag as well as the traditional small evergreen tree and an American flag.

W hen the students and faculty returned to the Hilltop this fall, they were invited to sign a second ceremonial beam, which will be installed inside the building. They were excited to literally leave their mark on VISTA.

VISTA WILL BE DOUBLE THE SIZE of Monell. The $22 million, three-story, 22,000-square-foot facility will house classrooms, state-of-the-art labs, and community gathering spaces. It is designed so that every square inch of the building will be used efficiently. On the uppermost level of the building, state-of-the-art lab spaces are paired with the roof mechanicals necessary to support them. At the ground

level, a door in the environmental science classroom provides students direct access to the outdoors. Steel reinforced beams allow physics students to measure the trajectory of heavy objects as they swing. Oversized hallways called “commons” are extensions of the classrooms themselves. Everywhere, glass walls create an atmosphere of openness and transparency.

Just to the nor th, a grassy hill has been left open for students to gather and relax. Across the landscape, a large door connects the indoor Makerspace to the outdoor Makeryard, giving student-engineers ample room to assemble their creations and store oversized materials.

The center piece of VISTA is an airy space called the Hamilton Hub. Windows stretching two stories bathe the space in natural light. The floors are polished cement, and the walls are accented with natural wood. The funds for the construction of the Hub were generously donated by Gray P. R. Hamilton ’11 and Miles N. P. Hamilton ’13 and The Hamilton Family Charitable Trust.

The open design of VISTA is the brainchild of the Boston-based, award-winning, minority-owned firm Annum Architects. The design and construction of VISTA were made possible through the generous financial commitment of Amplify campaign donors.

A VIEW TO THE WEST FROM THE HAMILTON HUB.

Pinterest’s first chief content officer is on a mission to inspire you — one pin at a time.

STORY BY Garry Dow and Kathryn Waite

INTERVIEW BY Corrine Szarkowicz

In 2011, Malik Ducard ’91 was standing in his living room in the shadow of the Hollywood Hills when he noticed something unusual. His three kids were strolling right past the living room television to watch YouTube videos on their computer.

YouTube was a little more than five years old in 2011, but the platform had already grown by leaps and bounds. On the day Ducard first noticed his television gathering dust, Google reported that users were uploading forty-eight hours of footage to YouTube every minute.

As a veteran television and film executive, this both excited and terrified Ducard. And the more social media bled into the lives of his children, the more he came to understand the drastic change about to roil his industry. “I realized I had to make a choice,” he says. “I could stick with what I knew, or I could try something new, something unknown. I decided to plow headfirst into something new.”

That’s Very interest-ing

MALIK DUCARD WAS BORN on January 24, 1973. Growing up in the Bronx, he loved football, baseball, and board games. But storytelling was his true passion.

D ucard remembers sitting on his mother’s lap as a tenyear-old boy, listening to her bedtime stories. “As she voiced the details of the tale aloud, I was picturing it all in my mind and cherishing every minute,” he told Pomfret last year. Asleep, the young boy would dream of his mother’s stories, and in the morning, he would wake eager to jot them down in the shape of handmade flip books.

As a teen, Ducard was selected to attend Pomfret by A Better Chance Program, a non-profit that finds and places high-performing students of color in top schools. On the Hilltop, he remembers spending countless hours lugging around film equipment, all the while learning how to tell stories through the lens of a camera.

D ucard also spent a lot of time in the woodshop. “At Pomfret, I learned that I love visual design and composition. Now, I’m an avid 3-D printing fan,” he says. “I was just awarded my first patent for one of my designs — a mechanical, nonbattery-operated tic-tac-toe game. It can’t be beaten.” Ducard is also the author of two children’s books, Henry’s Big Win and Daddy’s Car, and one science fiction book, Legion of the Last Space Shuttle

Af ter graduating from Pomfret in 1991, Ducard went on to earn a BA in Film and African American Studies from Columbia and an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. After a brief stint as an account executive with the New Yorkbased marketing firm Young & Rubicam, Ducard took a job on the West Coast at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in the home entertainment acquisitions and business development

“Inspiration is a universal need. At Pinterest, we are building an ecosystem of the most inspiring content and stories from the most inspiring people around the world.”

division. Later, he worked at Lions Gate Entertainment, before eventually moving to Paramount Pictures as the senior vice president of digital distribution.

In 2011, Ducard left Paramount to join YouTube, which Google had bought in 2006 for $1.65 billion. During his decade with the company, he served as the global head of family and learning and the vice president of content partnerships. In particular, he spearheaded the creation of YouTube’s highestprofile content development funds, including the $100 million Kids and Family Content Fund, the $100 million YouTube Black Voices Fund, and the $20 million Learning Fund. He also helped lead YouTube’s response to Covid-19, racial justice, and kids’ privacy.

In November 2021, Ducard was named Pinterest’s first chief content officer. In a statement at the time, Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s chief business officer, said: “Malik Ducard has been at the forefront of many of our most challenging and complex initiatives … and we are all the better for having had the chance to work alongside him. We wish him every success as he steps into this new role at Pinterest.”

PINTEREST

IS

UNIQUE

among social media platforms, because — at its core — Pinterest isn’t very social. Most users aren’t looking for followers or likes. They are looking for ideas. They are looking for inspiration.

Through Pinterest, people share and discover new interests by “pinning” images and videos to “pinboards” in categories such as home décor, DIY and crafts, food and drink, women’s fashion, health and wellness, beauty, travel, parenting, gardening, and weddings, among many others.

Today, the company has a market cap of $18 billion, with $2.5 billion in annual revenue. According to the most recent available data, Pinterest has nearly 500 million monthly active users, of which 84.6 million are located in the US. Pinterest also has a strong following in Brazil, Mexico, Germany, and France. More than three in four users are women, mostly between the age of twenty-five and thirty-four. Every month, five billion searches occur on the platform, making it one of the most popular websites in the world.

At Pinterest, Ducard leads the content and creator team. Since taking the reins in late 2021, he has worked tirelessly to make the image-sharing juggernaut a force for social good. “Inspiration is a universal need,” he says. “At Pinterest, we are building an ecosystem of the most inspiring content and stories from the most inspiring people around the world.”

To help keep the momentum, Ducard has invested heavily in Pinterest’s Creator Fund, a program built to empower creators from underrepresented groups to share their ideas and stories on the platform and to inspire others. And it seems to be working.

The vast major ity of its users, 80 percent, say Pinterest “makes them feel positive.” Nine in ten users call Pinterest “a social media oasis” — whereas only three in ten users say that about other social media platforms. Moreover, from July 2021 to June 2022, Pinterest had the highest score of any social media company on the American Customer Satisfaction Index, tied only with YouTube.

“ There is a lot of noise in the world — what trends to follow, how to do something — but have patience,” he says. “Sometimes you might be ahead of the trends, but the world will catch up.”

1953

John Fiske survived his 70th Pomfret reunion and decided to celebrate by visiting his son, Harold Parker Fiske, who lives in Brisbane, Australia. While there they had a fascinating time visiting the Australian Zoo, established by Steve Irwin of “The Crocodile Hunter” fame.

1958

On March 15, 2023 members of the Class of 1958 had a call via Zoom to visit and share notes:

Herman “Bink” Smith lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and owns forty acres twenty miles north of town. The large property has a sixteen-foot diameter yurt. He leases some of the land for grazing.

Andre Daniel-Dreyfus recounted spending three summers as a counselor at a girls’ camp in Steamboat Springs starting in 1959. He lives in the bayside town of Altona, ten miles west of Melbourne, Australia. He has been playing serious croquet for twenty years and was ranked seventh in Victoria.

50s 60s

Dave Sage lives in the center of Story, Wyoming, winter population 600. He has a small cabin set right on the edge of a river with excellent fishing out the front door. His children are desperate for time to use it. He still keeps busy storytelling and writing books (seven and counting since their 50th reunion).

Jeff Hopkins recounted being interviewed the prior day for a TV program about a particular Buddhist system. Jeff re-read the book he wrote on that subject long ago and remarked how much he had forgotten.

Andy Kerr, Ed Johnson, and George Shaw were also in attendance. In addition to Andy noting how many classmates had passed on, there were several comments reminiscing about how Pomfret in their days gave more freedom to students to govern themselves. Ed reminded the group of the early 1990s book, The Spirit That Is Pomfret, which recounts the Twichell era, and of which the School has a few copies in storage.

Chip Wadhams ’61 (left) and George Morgan ’61 stand on the Pomfret sundial on Saturday, May 13, 2023 of Reunion Weekend. This was Chip’s first return to Pomfret since their 50th reunion in 2011 and they both had a really good time bringing each other up to date.

1961

Rob Fates passed away peacefully on June 16, 2023, as reported by his brother, Dick Fates ’63. Rob had lung surgery last year and never fully recovered from the after-effects of the follow-up treatment. Recently he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer which he chose not to treat. His brother Dick, sister Cricket, and his sons, Miles and Tim, were all with Rob for his last few days. He had many friends at Pomfret whom he spoke about often.

Class notes featured in this issue were received prior to August 4, 2023. Notes received after this date will be published in the next issue. Class notes are appreciated and may be submitted via your Class Agent, the Pomfret School website, or by e-mail to:

Deb Thurston, Class Notes

Editor,

at dthurston@pomfret.org.

We encourage and welcome appropriate news items and photographs from all alumni and friends. Please note that not all submissions are guaranteed to appear based upon subject matter, photo reproduction quality, and space availability. Also, we reserve the right to edit for consistency and style but we will give every consideration to each author’s individual writing style.

’61

Route 44 connection: Paul Fowler ’64 with Dillon McDean, Millbrook ’24, who is a lifeguard at the Georgica Association Beach in Wainscott, Long Island, where Paul has been going all his life. ’64

1969

Jim Edwards wrote, “I retired from ministry in the United Church of Christ in 2012, after 31 years [of service]. I’ve been retired for eleven years now, and I continue to find retirement very satisfying. After a long period of growing dissatisfaction with the UCC, I gave up my ministerial standing, and converted to the Orthodox Church in America (formerly the Russian Orthodox Church) in September, 2021. For the last three years, I’ve taken very stimulating courses by Zoom at the Orthodox School of Theology at the University of Toronto. I hope to complete a certificate in Eastern Orthodox Studies in the next two years. Father Time has been good to me, although I had a knee replacement at the start of May. I’m looking forward to getting back to riding my bicycle and sailing. Deb’s two grandchildren are often at our home, and they are a great delight to both of us.”

Rick Levin announced, “Ronna and I are thrilled to introduce our first grandchild, Simona Bryn Alterman, born on March 6, 2023. She is a keeper! [Our daughter] Dana, husband Rob, and baby are doing well.”

Doug Baldwin ’67 and Andrew Sereysky ’67 with their longboard preparing to "hang ten" off the northeast waters.

Robert Shasha ’69 (far right) with his children and their spouses.

(L-R): Classmates Dan Poor, Owen Williams, Dick Fates, and John Griswold celebrated their 60th reunion.

Trustee Greg Melville and Peter Canby celebrated their 55th Pomfret reunion together.

Griff Inn

Else (Ross) Griffin ’07 and Brady Griffin ’06 first met in Spanish class on the Hilltop in 2003 and fell in love. They called Boston home for ten years before moving to Vermont. After spending a year in the Adirondacks, they achieved their longtime dream of owning an inn.

Else and Brady bought the former Mountain View Inn in Waitsfield, Vermont in December 2021. The now solar-powered building was originally a farmhouse built in 1826. They named their lodge “The Griff Inn,” paying homage to their last name and Pomfret’s mascot.

70s

1970

Ginny and Marshall Eaton attended a “Celebration of Life” service for Eleanore Arvonen (mother of Janet Arvonen Kniffin and former Pomfret alumni office secretary) on Saturday, June 3, 2023 in Simsbury, Connecticut. There was also a gathering of friends and family at the Drake Hill Flower Bridge in Simsbury, a place that Eleanore loved. After the gathering, Jeremy Kniffin ’88 and his brother, Dan Kniffin, hosted a “Celebration of Life” at Eleanore’s favorite dining spot, Antonio’s Restaurant in Simsbury.

1972

Harry Fisher wrote, “I am back on the Greenwich, Connecticut Board of Estimate and Taxation for my third stint. It is the board that crafts and controls the town’s budget. I was on it in the 1990s until my daughter Morgan was born, then again for seven months in 2021, and now since July 2022 – the last two being to fill vacancies. I will be running for election in November. I’m still working with my grammar school classmate, Frank Murray, at the company we own, so it all keeps me active.”

1973

More than a dozen alumni from the class of 1973 attended their 50th Pomfret reunion this past May, and thoroughly enjoyed the event. They reflected, “The campus is much changed from the 1970’s, but

(L-R) Marshall Eaton ’70, Ginny Eaton, Dan Kniffin and Jeremy Kniffin ’88

is still beautiful and inviting. The food and entertainment were great, and we were thrilled to visit with retired headmaster and honorary class of ’73 member Jay Milnor, who is still going strong at 99. He attended our class luncheon at Head of School Tim Richards’ home. We also visited with [former faculty member] Hagop Merjian at his home after the luncheon; he was happy to see us all. Thank you, Pomfret faculty and staff for a lovely event! PS 1973 class members are welcome to join our Signal App group! Contact Pete, Andy, or John M. for details.”

Rob Michaels added, “I really enjoyed attending my 50th class reunion May 12–14, 2023. The School was very welcoming and the events were fun. It was really nice to see Jay Milnor who came back to join us, and Hagop Merjian at his home. Thanks to Pomfret School for organizing this event. A special thanks to classmates Andy Teichner, Pete de Treville, and John Matthews, who reached out to our classmates to encourage attendance.”

Members of the Class of 1973 reunited at Pomfret to celebrate their 50th reunion. Front row, (L-R): Westy Kent, Rob Michaels, Ilse Bailey, Lori Heidelberger, Pete de Treville, Allison Bayer, Mike Solis. Back row, (L-R): David Rosen, Chris Stockdale, Charlie Reyburn, Andy Teichner, John Matthews, Robert Hendel, and Randy Bell. Missing from photo: John Winer

’70

Ben Bensen ’70 (right) visited with former Pomfret headmaster Jay Milnor at his home on August 13, 2023.

80s

1980

David Hall wrote, “After thirty years traveling the world as a military officer, we finally settled down in Virginia and did what we always talked about — raise purebred dogs! We now breed Afghan hounds, and if you watch Westminster, Philadelphia, the AKC National, or even a local Conformation show, you just may see one of them!”

The Diaz family gathered in August 2023 for a family reunion in Westport, Massachusetts. Back row (L-R): David Diaz ’88, Lydia Brents Diaz ’12, former trustee and CFO Arthur Diaz ’78, former staff member Eileen Diaz, Bruce Diaz ’80, former trustee Susan Diaz Killenberg ’83. Front row (L-R): Alex Diaz ’12, Amy Diaz ’10, Dana Diaz ’14, and past parent, grandparent, and honorary life trustee Frances Diaz

Ginny and Marshall Eaton ’70 pictured with: 1. Telena Bolding’s mother, Mamie, and Telena Bolding ’87 2. Telena Bolding’s mother, Mamie; James Alston ’86; and Telena Bolding ’87 3. Telena Bolding ’87 and James Alston ‘86 4. Rafael James ’70; Rafael’s wife, Susan; Rafael’s mother-in-law, Nancy; and Rafael’s daughter, Sarah Beth 5. Rafael James ’70 6. Yaw “Papa” Sekyere ’16 and Geoffrey “Geoff” Falk ‘93 7. Parents of Daryle Bost ‘89, Shirley and Harold 8. Akinwale “Wale” Elegbe ’95 9. Scott Baker’s wife, Corinne; Michael Davis’ wife, Briana; James Snyder ’82; Dacque Tirado ’92; Michael Davis ’81; Jeffrey Dennis ’82; Jeffrey’s wife, Jackie; and Scott Baker ’87 10. Steve and Ellie Davis 11. Rebecca and James Seamon ’88; and their grandson, Issac. 12. Son of Hugo Serraty ’92, Danny; partner of Hugo Serraty ’92, Elaine; Hugo Serrarty ’92; and Brande Fulgencio ’93

David Hall ’80 with his family and Afghan hounds Brooke Toni ’86 surfing at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware in September 2022.

1983

Glenn Mandigo wrote, “I spent the entire summer paddling (in my kayak) and camping in Northern Ontario. At one point, I paddled out to Camp Wabun on Lake Temagami, where I spent some time with Mr. [Walter] Hinchman and Julie Hinchman ’81, who have both worked at that camp for many years. I also met John Hinchman’s daughter, who is also working at Wabun this summer. It was great to see them.”

1984

Rob DeFreitas wrote, “In late June 2023, several ‘Pomfret hockey boys’ from the early 1980s had a wonderful get-together in Cataumet, Massachusetts (on Cape Cod). For this group ‘together as one,’ it was 40 years in the making! The special treat of the minireunion was the joining of former faculty/staff/coach/advisor(s) Ann and Tom Reid [1979-1988] for an evening. We had the great pleasure of sharing tons of laughs and lies on the boat of Dave Crompton throughout the weekend. What a weekend it was. Great seeing everyone!!”

Gathering on Cape Cod in June were (L-R): Rob DeFreitas ’84, Al Washco ’83, Eric Crane ’84, Brett Kane ’83, Alexander (Sander) Coxe ’83, former faculty members Tom and Ann Reid (holding puppy, Huckleberry), and Dave Crompton ’84, holding his two beautiful granddaughters Quinn (4) and Addie (2). ’80s

Celebrating their 40th reunion, the Class of 1983 mates are (L-R): Jim Enelow, Jessica

Enelow, Jane Speyer, Ned Hallowell, Mara

, and Glenn Mandigo. ’83

Benjamin, Wendy

(L-R) Ginny and Marshall Eaton ’70 hosted a gathering for alumni in Roswell, Georgia in February 2023. (L-R): Marshall Eaton, Carson Jeffries ’96, Malcolm Boyd ’90, Afia Sekyere ’15, Ginny Eaton, Damon Kimes, Jr. with his father, Damon Kimes ’88, and Telena Bolding ’87 ’80s

(Slosberg)

(Reeder)

Cushwa

90s

1999

Lieutenant Commander Joe Horton, U.S. Navy, graduated from the University of Hawai’i at Mãnoa William S. Richardson School of Law on May 15, 2022, receiving his LLM in both environmental law and ocean law and policy. He was honored by his classmates to serve as the 2022 LLM class commencement speaker. Joe currently serves in the national security and environmental law fields as the force judge advocate for commander, joint region marianas in Santa Rita, Guam. He and his wife, Commander Francine Segovia, USN, love the tropical breezes, panoramic Pacific Ocean views, and the hospitality of their Chomoru neighbors.

(L-R) Whit Cook ’95, Nick Mettler ’95, Rob Shuhy ’95, and Chris Bezamat ’94 celebrated Whit’s birthday with some skiing in Steamboat, Colorado, in February 2023.

(L-R) Nick Mettler ’95, Casey Bezamat ’97, and Chris Bezamat ’94 with his son, Bash, had a great day this summer floating down the Snake River in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. ’90s

Patrick Perez ’95 and his son, Heinrik (center), visited the Pomfret campus in June, and connected with former faculty (L-R) Jeremiah Jones, Ginny Eaton, Hagop Merjian, and Marshall Eaton ’70

Members of the Class of 1998 came out to celebrate their 25th reunion, (L-R): Myeicka Dudley Gittens, Toyin Moses, JD Rogers, Sue (Harris) Dalehite, Sarah Herklots, Paula Glasmann, Carolyn Shepherd, Meghan Kucher, Livia (Skelly-Dorn) Roustan, Kip Hale, Shawn Bacot, Thayer Whipple, and Conor O’Malley. Missing from photo: John “Buzz” Evans and Hollie Marinecz ’95

Sustainability Scholar

This spring, at Hamilton College, Ellie Sangree ’20 was named the Fillius Drown Scholarship recipient for her outstanding leadership and belief that she will make significant future contributions to society. As a junior majoring in biology and environmental studies, she continues to explore her love for biology and aquaponics, which she first discovered on the Hilltop.

Ellie has been a sustainability coordinator for three semesters and a summer sustainability intern at Hamilton. As a freshman, she created a solar-powered, floating treatment wetland system made from recycled materials that was anchored in Hamilton’s reservoir. This past winter, she presented her research at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting in Chicago, showing how a floating treatment system can remove nitrogen pollution from small ponds by taking advantage of microbial activity.

00s

2003

Laura (Keeler) Pierce, together with husband Vassar [former Pomfret staff member] and son Percy, have enjoyed the summer on Mount Desert Island, Maine, where their interior design shop, Rusticator, is in its fourth season. They love running into fellow Griffins on the island and recently enjoyed lunch with Julia and John Curtis ’58 Laura was also recently honored with the Five Under Forty Award by New England Home Magazine for her interior design work, and looks forward to celebrating the achievement when they return to Boston in the fall.

2005

Megan (Danyliw) Mulhern reported, “My husband Arthur and I had a baby in August of 2021. Eagan is now two years old! I also stepped into the role of Dean of Academics at the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Connecticut, where I have been living and working for the past four years.”

2006

Emily (Humes) Durst was accepted to the UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law, Class of 2026, on a Dean’s Scholarship. “My husband Zach and I are excited to do as much hiking in the Whites in the next three years as we can!” she said.

David Bowman wrote, “This past year has been a whirlwind. Last November, I was married in the Bahamas to my lovely wife, Erica. We are living in Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts, just off Cape Cod. In January, I began a new position in human services, while continuing to perform regularly as a musician. My next album will be released this September. Additionally, I have returned to academia to (finally!) complete my undergraduate degree online. I will be graduating from UMass Lowell in October, a Bachelor of Liberal Arts with concentrations in English and psychology. I have loved being back in school and am planning on pursuing a Masters in mental health counseling following my graduation. For anyone who may be on the Cape or in the greater Boston area, I would love to connect!”

2009

Max Hess has authored a book entitled Economic War: Ukraine and the Global Conflict between Russia and the West. It was released by Hurst Publishers in July 2023.

Heidi (Ruggeri) Umansky ’02 and her husband, Brian, welcomed their fourth child, McKenna Patricia Denyse, in May of this year. Her three big brothers are thrilled!

Mulhern, son of Arthur and Megan

’05

Micaela Long ’06 and her wife, Alex, welcomed their baby daughter, Madison Long, in January 2023.

Eagan

(Danyliw) Mulhern

Ali D'Agostino ’08 was married to Joe Pritchard at the Union Club in Boston on December 3, 2022. Pomfret friends Sarah Evans ’08 and Ted Cooke ’06, as well as Sarah Annicelli ’08, were in attendance.

A few Class of 2009 alumni met to watch Pat Loughlin coach football for Lawrenceville School this fall. (L-R): Zach Perreten, Chris Hole, Don Cortez, Patrick Loughlin, Marcus Sesin, and Ted Okamoto

(L-R): Classmates Colin Beauvais, Sarah (Ortiz-Elejalde) Vazquez, Kendra (Seaward) Sumner, Laura (Keeler) Pierce, Chelsea (Weiss) Baum, and Greg Osborne celebrated their 20th reunion.

A Perfect Match

More than a year after Pomfret Mathematics Department Head Josh Wildes ’04 donated stem cells through the Gift of Life Marrow Registry, thousands of Nashville Predators hockey fans witnessed the emotional introduction between Josh and stem cell recipient and leukemia survivor, Steve.

“I was lucky to be matched with someone and grateful I had this opportunity,” said Josh. “It is an amazing feeling to be the person who can help someone.” He held a donor registration drive on the Hilltop this spring and inspired over 100 students to register with Gift of Life. “Being a stem cell donor is not hard,” said Josh. “You are helping someone for the rest of their life, and that impacts more than just one person – they have family and friends.”

2012

Margaret Eshleman headed to London, UK in September. She was accepted into King’s College London for a Master’s degree in education, policy, and society.

2013

Dylan O’Hara was selected as a recipient of a Dissertation Fellowship by The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi in May 2023. The fellowships are designed to support active Society members in the dissertation writing stage of doctoral study. Dylan is one of fifteen recipients nationwide to receive the award. A PhD candidate in American History at the University of Maine, her research examines urban inequity and the rise of Black municipal secessionism in Boston.

2014

Emmeline Albright announced, “I was married to William Robert Carney on June 24, 2023 by my stepfather, Reverend Stu Boehmig, at the Martha-Mary Chapel in Sudbury, Massachusetts. The reception was at the Wayside Inn, also in Sudbury. Fellow classmates in attendance were Annie Zalon, Molly Mead, Katherine Pearson, Kate McNaughton, and Kelley Fitzpatrick.”

Class of 2014 classmates celebrating the wedding of Emmeline Albright were (clockwise from upper left); Kelley Fitzpatrick, Emmeline, Annie Zalon, Katherine Pearson, Kate McNaughton, and Molly Mead

(L-R): Classmates Alison Horst, Remy Hatfield, Alex Holloway, Dan Kellaway, and Peter Reimer celebrated their 10th Pomfret reunion together.

Members of the Class of 2018 reunited at Pomfret to celebrate their 5th reunion. Front row, (L-R): Kaela Thomson, Duun O’Hara, Leslie Rosario-Olivo. Back row, (L-R): Nathan Gentile, Toby Ketchum, Julia Gengras, Mariella Catalano, Abby Conway, Aubrey Benzing-Plourde, Uyen Dinh, Christine Giovannoli, Lyndsey Winick, Allie DiBiaso, and Olivia Ferrara

2015

Nick Fulchino is now the national finance director for Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware’s United States Senate campaign. If elected, Blunt Rochester would be the third Black woman in American history to serve in the US Senate. She is also a national co-chair of President Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign, and Nick has joined her (and the President) on the campaign trail.

2017

On Monday, April 17, 2023, Sydney Fisher, along with her parents, Bobby [Director of Spiritual Life 2002 – present] and Erin [Girls Varsity Soccer Coach/Director of Wellbeing 2008 – present] completed the Boston Marathon, one of the most difficult and grueling marathons in the world, to raise money for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Sydney was the first to cross the finish line with a time of 03:20:46. (Erin and Bobby finished about three minutes later.)

2018

Hayden Galusza graduated from Wesleyan University in May 2022 with a degree in economics and data analysis. While at Wesleyan he was a four-year member of the mens’ varsity crew team, and was a key member of the undefeated first varsity boat, which won the New England Championships in 2020. He went on to captain the team that was ranked No. 9 nationally, and earned both All-NESCAC and All-American honors in 2021 and 2022. Hayden currently works for Wells Fargo in their Fixed Income Currency and Commodities division in San Francisco, California.

Nick Fulchino ’15 (left) with President Joe Biden and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester ’15

BOSTON

NOVEMBER 30 DECEMBER 7

IN MEMORIAM

To request a printed copy of full-detail alumni obituaries, call the Advancement Office at 860.963.6129.

James A. Taylor, Jr. ’52 May 17, 2023

Peter S. Sweet ’60 April 1, 2023

Harold L. Fates, Jr. ’61 June 16, 2023

David B. Melville ’44 June 22, 2023

Joan Strong Buell ’50 August 19, 2023

David M. Gray ’51 June 29, 2022

Michael T. Chambers ’51 July 26, 2023

“Dear friends, we know that life is short and we do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel with us. So be swift to love, make haste to be kind.”

— HENRI-FRÉDÉRIC AMIEL

William P. Wingate ’61 June 18, 2023

John A. Bogardus III ’70 May 8, 2023

Gardner H. Post ’82 February 19, 2023

Gabrielle Bousquet August 27, 2023 Ben Williams March 6, 2023

Tiffany E. Thornton ’91 July 4, 2023

“Agnes” Merjian May 1, 2023 Development/Admissions

Joan Strong Buell ’50

November 11, 1932 – August 19, 2023

Joan Strong Buell, a pioneering teacher of young children who went on to found Hopewell House in Portland, one of the first residential hospice programs in the United States, died peacefully at home on August 19, 2023, at the age of 90.

Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, Joan attended Pomfret as the first female student, and where her father, Dexter K. Strong, was headmaster. Later she attended Putney School and Smith College.

Joan had two distinguished careers. First was as a teacher, starting out teaching English as a Second Language in Thailand with her husband, Thomas C. Buell, who died in April. Later they moved to Seattle where she worked in the University of Washington lab school while studying early child development.

In 1965, they moved to Portland where Joan began teaching at Catlin Gabel School’s kindergarten program. Soon after she was instrumental in creating The Beehive — an innovative beginning school program emphasizing art, music, and play.

In the late 1970s, Joan became interested in the work of Dame Cicely Saunders in the field of death and dying. During a sabbatical year in London, she volunteered at St. Christopher’s Hospice to provide compassionate end-of-life care to terminally ill patients and their families.

Upon her return to Portland, Joan launched her second career, seeking to bring British-style hospice care to Oregon. She spearheaded the complex planning and fundraising efforts to start the residential program, originally called Hospice House, which opened in 1987. She was its first executive director.

Ownership changed three times before Legacy Health announced plans to close the facility in 2019. In response, Joan returned to lead Friends of Hopewell House, a group of supporters, formed to reopen the house in a more collaborative and sustainable way. The group raised the millions of dollars necessary to purchase the property and update the building, which reopened in January 2023.

To date, Hopewell House has served more than 10,000 residents at the ends of their lives.

In recognition of her civic contributions, Joan was presented the Aubrey Watzek Award in 2002 and the Beth Wessinger Award in 1989.

Joan was a woman of many talents and interests. She was an accomplished singer and musician who as a member of the Smith College chamber singers’ tour of Europe, which included a performance for Pope Pius XII, was featured in Life magazine. She spoke several languages, was a skilled watercolorist, and kept a daily journal she illustrated and annotated. She was also known to skin and tan the hide of at least one raccoon she found dead by the side of the road.

Joan’s memory lives on in the hearts of legions of devoted friends, colleagues, former students, and extended family members. She is survived by son Tom (Jamie Elsbury) of Port Townsend, Washington; daughter Hester Carr (Leonard) of Portland; and son Dexter (Keri Butler) of Brooklyn, New York; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Arrangements are incomplete. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to Hopewell House.

On Display

In the early years, the Captains’ Boards were displayed in the original Lewis Gymnasium. Atop each board, a small wooden figure depicting a student engaged in that sport was displayed. The figures — as well as the original boards — were meticulously hand carved by famed woodcarver J. Gregory Wiggins, a 1908 graduate of the School.

Strength of a Lion, Tenacity of an Eagle

Wiggins, who carved the first Captains' Boards for the School, is best known for his work in the Trinity College Chapel in Hartford, Connecticut. Among his many works in the chapel are the exquisite carvings adorning the chapel’s pew-ends, as well as thirty-one medallions in the chancel depicting medieval bestiaries — one of which is a Griffin!

Playing Catch-up

In 1984, after more than a decade during which no names were added, the School commissioned Ham Martin, father of John Martin ’00 and Ike Martin ’94, to add the missing names. Each year since, Martin has faithfully and with great care hand carved the names of new captains.

Oh Captain, My Captain!

More Than One Way to Carve a Plaque

There are three flat-plaque carving methods — chip, relief, and incised. The names on the Captains' Boards are an example of incised carving, meaning the letters are cut below the surface of the wood creating a hollow, sunken effect.

From a Single Block

Though more difficult to find than a composite piece, each plaque blank is created from a single slab of solid mahogany, which yields a beautiful, natural look. Beyond aesthetics, the absence of joints and seams also results in a more durable piece that requires less maintenance than a composite.

What’s in a Name?

The names of more than 2,000 Pomfret School captains have been emblazoned on the 75 boards on display across campus, including professional ice hockey forward Brian Flynn ‘07, decorated Olympic rower Felice Mueller ‘08, and two-time Olympic gold medallist in ice hockey Sarah Vaillancourt ‘04.

DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF AUSTIN WHEELOCK ROCHE FROM THE CLASS OF 1924, THE CAPTAINS’ BOARDS SERVE TO IMMORTALIZE THE LEGACY OF POMFRET SCHOOL’S SPORTS TEAM LEADERS.

CLASS AGENTS & SECRETARIES

Anderson Bottomy

Hillary Lewis

Mike Newton

Rebecca (Holt) Squires

Wheeler (Simmons) Griffith

Katharine (Carnes) Petrycki

Hadley (Weiss) Rosen

Buzz Evans

Kip Hale

Toyin Moses

Livia (Skelly-Dorn) Roustan 1999

Lindsey (Boardman) Duerr

TJ Patrick 2001

Caitlin (Rogers) Connelly

Cooper Hastings

Libby Wood

Christina (Galanti) Dickson

Jo Anna (Galanti) Fellon

Colton Riley

Chris Watkins

Bill Wentworth

Saleem Ahmed

Chelsea (Weiss) Baum

Laura (Keeler) Pierce

Chris Pike

Mackie (Pilsbury) Spadaccini

(Dunn) Cona

LaBonte-Campbell Davinia (Buckley) Selfridge

Yoo

Michelle (Gilmore) Castiglione

Caroline (McLoughlin) Davis

Young Hoon Hahn

Greg Jones

Katy (Winogradow) Munno

James Pinkham

Erin (Wolchesky) Schnare

Chris Golden

(Ross) Griffin Travis Holloway

Lorms

McCloud Melissa (Stuart) Rogalski

Small

(Detmer) Taylor

D’Agostino

Harkey

Gengras

Nsubuga

398 Pomfret Street PO Box 128 Pomfret, CT 06258-0128

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