HORNET’S NEST Proctor Academy | November 13, 2023 | Vol. 9 | Issue 2
Creating a New Proctor By Brendan Gurtler
What would you like to see built next at Proctor? Well, there are plans to create a new Student Center, dorms, as well as a Health and Wellness Center. Last year, a team of designers and architects came on campus to analyze student’s traffic patterns to see the most active locations on campus. They looked at buildings in need of updating and reviewed the possibility of adding additional buildings. After talking to students, faculty, staff, and parents, they created a Master Plan that provides an outline for new buildings into the next few years. Some buildings that are a priority include a new Health and Wellness Center, a new Student Center, and new dorms. In addition, the school has a huge need for more faculty housing. Scott Allenby, the Chief Strategy and Communications Officer told me the plan for any updates on campus is, “... to understand the use of the physical spaces of campus (buildings and natural space), and identify opportunities for future development, renovation, enhancement, or investment while maintaining the character of the campus.” This plan that was created gives Proctor a blueprint for ideas to improve Proctor while maintaining its current image. The planning team heard our voices and felt that certain projects were more important than others. Recently, funds have been donated to renovate the Health Center, which will create a larger space with room for counseling, additional beds, and more advanced technology.
New Student Center Coming Along with the needed updates to the Health Center, a new Student Center is being planned where Farm House sits that will run along the side of the turf towards Peabody Dorm. This Student Center would be similar to the Wise but a much larger space, with activities that are Wise favorites such as pool, foosball, and air hockey. When the designing team came in to provide feedback they suggested that the new Student Center should be closer to the center of campus. Having this plan in place allows Proctor to take action when funds and the timing are right, so if any of you would like to see a new Student Center in the near future, donations are welcome anytime!
A sketch of the new Health and Wellness Center by Brooks Bicknell.
Proctor’s Impact: What I’ll Remember By Rohan Goswami
I have heard many stories from seniors (now graduated) on how Proctor has changed and influenced them. As I begin my senior year, I look back at the three main experiences that have shaped me into the senior I am now. In the spring of my sophomore year, I joined the cycling team without previously riding a road bike. Joining the team was easy, with a warm welcome from the coaches Derek, Drew, and Kristen, along with all the returning riders. However, it was almost like learning to ride a bike again. The skinny slick tires were nothing like the thick knobby mountain bike tires I was used to, and riding next to speeding cars was more intimidating than riding downhill past trees (obviously). Going on extended rides put my endurance to the test, sometimes to the point of pain. Despite the difficulties and the learning curve, I learned communication and teamwork skills which will help in more ways than just riding.
After returning from Europe to Andover in the winter, I was left without a sport. Seeing as I have skied my entire life, I decided to join the Alpine Ski team. Coaches Chris and Josh were familiar faces (my mountain biking coaches), and Gabrielle brought a new energy unfamiliar to anything I have ever experienced. Similar to cycling, It was like I was learning to ski again despite having almost 15 years of experience. Having to coordinate skiing downhill AND having to navigate gates and push through them was more challenging than I anticipated. The team captains Niko, Lily, and Nina were a huge help and some of the biggest supporters for us new racers. The coaches and captains inspired me during training to push myself and work towards the level they have achieved.
These all have one thing in common. They are things I never planned to do. But that is one thing I have loved about Proctor. This community has helped guide me toward new experiences that have now become some of my favorite activities, and there are many people I have to thank for that. I do not know what the remainder of my senior year and future beyond will be like, but I hope to come across a new opportunity as unique and unplanned as what I have experienced in my years here at Proctor.
Proctor Technology: A Tangled Web By Brennan Lopes
Junior year, I had the incredible opportunity to be a part of the Fall European Art Classroom group. This was my favorite experience. I had previously only done ceramics and had little experience painting, and I expected to do poorly. While the group was familiar, the two adults were people I had never met before. But after getting picked up by Jen and Dave at the airport and becoming a part of the Taxi Crew with Jen, Lucy, and Delaney, it was like a second family I never knew. Throughout the term, Jen and Dave both helped me learn to construct delicious meals, navigate through foreign cities, and as Dave always says, “Evoke the feeling” of what I was creating.
Most of the Proctor community believes that there are many flaws with our technology systems here. I wondered how we could make them more efficient and useful for everybody. We have a lot of different technology platforms at Proctor and they all have different uses. I asked Scott Allenby, Proctor’s Chief Strategy and Communications Officer, what he likes about our technology. “Our technology systems are largely targeted at school customers and are working with us to evolve.” Because not every school functions the same, it is hard to make an app that fits every school. Scott Continued, “Orah, especially, has been
great about receiving feedback, evolving their software and systems, and using us as a beta test for new releases. I like that our technology allows us to communicate more efficiently, especially in an emergency. We don’t like to think about worst-case scenarios as a school, but our technology systems, and the individuals who dedicate so much time to maintaining them - Ellen Hackeman, Ebby Gerry, James Cox, Seth Currier, Rachel MacDuffie, and others - give me a sense of peace that if something were to go wrong, we would be well positioned to respond in an emergency.” Proctor uses so many different apps that it is hard to keep up as a student. Making an Orah pass, you have to get a bunch of people to endorse it and maybe you text one person, email one, and Webex one asking them to endorse it. It is so hard to keep up with who you reached out to. I have shown up to a class before and waited for ten minutes checking my email just to get a text saying to look at my Webex and see that class was moved. Scott states “I struggle, personally, with how many systems we have to use on a daily basis myProctor, Orah, email, Webex, and texting/ messaging. It is a lot to manage as an adult, and I can only imagine how hard it is as a student. I would love to be able to consolidate systems and be more efficient in our use of different platforms.” The technology systems are not perfect, so I asked Scott what he would like to change. “I would want to change the number of systems we have, and work to streamline our use of different software, especially on the academic side of things.” Our technology isn’t all negative; however, the things that we do have are very useful. Scott said that the Webex group spaces for messaging are “an efficient, safe, and effective way to communicate with peers and students.” While I’ll continue to complain about Orah (my least favorite), the tech platforms aren’t going to change before I graduate in May. Scott commented on the way forward. “I think we need to strive for consistent use of platforms as a school so that we are all on board with what the expectations are. There is no perfect software system, and therefore each individual has personal preferences, but I think it will be important for us, as an institution, to have clear expectations for what systems we use in what situations. This will hopefully lead us to be more efficient and to simplify our lives just a bit.”
tion of a great NEPSAC football team.”
Coach Gavin Moody By Ex Ayers
There are always new faculty who make an instant impact on students and their peers at Proctor. Gavin Moody is a new member of our community who has impacted many kids, especially the football team. His love for the game and his intensity while coaching is the perfect fit and what us football players need. Coach Rulli has been coaching a long time and has hired great coaches at Proctor. I wanted to interview the new coach and get his view of coaching and his playing experiences. Coach Moody is a new member of the staff at Proctor and he assists Trish Austin in the equipment room. This is his first year working on campus as a member of the school, but he has been coaching the team for two years now. Last year during his first season ever coaching he helped lead the team to a huge bowl game win.
Captain of the team Gabe Copeland ‘24 had something to say about coach Gavin Moody regarding his relationship with the coach and how he helped him grow on and off the field. “Coach Moody is not only a great coach, he’s a better human. I remember my first year on the team I was having trouble balancing football along with all the school work which was difficult for me. I went to the coach and asked him for some advice on what I should be doing better. He took full responsibility to make sure he helped me manage my time and work on balancing both to make sure I chased my college football goals. That just shows you the care and power he has on our team, … he takes time out of his life and work to make sure we are doing the right thing.” On the football field, I am with Coach Moody every day as he’s my personal position coach. I look forward to seeing his path as a coach.
A Feeling of Belonging? By Isabella Guzmán
Coach Moody shared some thoughts. “I love football because of my youth and high school experience with the game. I also love being around younger men who are chasing the same dreams I had playing, which are making it to the next collegiate level. Coach Rulli gave me the chance to be a coach last season with the team and my experience with Proctor made me want to fully commit to the team and my job. I am currently helping Trish in the management department for all team sports in my new position here. As a coach, I want to be the most physical team possible.”
Being a person of color at Proctor Academy is difficult. Proctor has a low diversity score according to Niche, a website that helps schools connect with prospective students. According to Niche, Proctor Academy rates a B- in diversity which is low compared to other Lakes Region private schools. I interviewed the Teaching Fellow & Equity and Belonging Coordinator, Josie Sánchez about working and living at Proctor and have included my student experiences as well.
He continued, “One of the biggest philosophies I believe in coaching is that the better-conditioned team is going to last longer and win the game, so I’m big on being in the best shape as a team. I like to coach fast and uptempo football, I would say I’m definitely more of a new school coach in the offense I would run and how the team will look when I hopefully become a head coach. I want to be the best coach I can be by pouring into these kids’ lives every day, which I’ve learned a lot from Rulli. I feel in the future I can be the head coach at Proctor and carry on the tradi-
Josie: We are a school that acknowledges the individuality of all its community members. For students, Proctor is their home away from home, and by supporting them, we provide an environment that embraces who they are. Students have organized activities, developed affinity spaces, and even assisted the dining hall staff with preparing meals that represent other cultures.
How do we celebrate other cultures at Proctor?
Isabella: Being a student at Proctor I see that we do acknowledge certain cultures by making cultural meals with students as well as
acknowledging it at assembly. Still, I feel that we could be more aware by at least sending out all school emails to help acknowledge/ express important days for other students’ cultures that are being celebrated. I feel that the student-driven groups are a way for diverse students to feel supported and connect in a cultural sense with each other. How does diversity at Proctor relate to other schools you know? Josie: Before Proctor, I worked in Lawrence, MA, at a non-profit clinic serving a culturally diverse community where the primary language is Spanish. I was very much immersed in my culture every day. However, throughout my academic career, including middle school, high school, undergraduate, and graduate school, I have attended PWIs (predominately white institutions) and found that I shied away from embracing my heritage and culture. Now, in my 20s, it is very important that I encourage people your age to celebrate all parts of themselves, regardless of background, and not feel any shame but rather empowerment. Isabella: This is my second year at Proctor, before I moved to New Hampshire I was in a school where the primary language was Spanish, and I was very much engaged with my culture at school and at home. Nonetheless, when I moved to New Hampshire and began junior high/middle school, I attended a PWI and I started to lose touch with my culture and started to feel ashamed for not looking like those around me. Because of the racism I experienced from my classmates, I began to wish I was someone else and started distancing myself from my heritage. Now in high school, I’m starting to embrace myself once again even though I hear racist comments from students. What was the hardest and greatest aspect of being a student of color in a PWI? Josie: The most difficult was being my authentic self. I struggled with embracing who I was physically and culturally. In elementary, middle, and even high school, my classmates had straight and long hair, and that’s what I wanted. I would straighten my hair to “tame” the curliness and volume. I also remember my parents attending my games, and they were the only people of color (POC) in the stands. When my father would cheer me on, all I heard was his accent, and as a young kid,
I think I was ashamed of that. I didn’t know of other peers who had to be on calls or in meetings with their parent(s) to translate for them. Everything about school as a POC was challenging because what I was surrounded by was not a reflection of me or my family. However, my memories and experiences have shaped me into the person I am today. Now, I have a greater appreciation for my culture and emphasize everything I was once ashamed of. My hair reflects my family’s roots and how I choose to express myself (I’m an introvert, so I don’t tend to speak voluntarily). My father still has his accent; I carry his journey and sacrifices daily. Learning more about my culture and appreciating its pieces has given me the confidence and pride needed to maneuver in this world. Isabella: The most difficult thing about being a student of color at Proctor is how I am struggling to find who I am as a person and what my culture truly means to me. In middle school, the girls were lighter-skinned and very skinny and I wanted that. I started looking for ways to brighten my skin and began unhealthy eating habits at the end of middle school into high school. I felt ashamed when I would speak Spanish to speak to my family and friends, me and my siblings were the only students of color at our school until high school. Being a POC in a PWI makes it difficult to feel like you belong. Now I am rebuilding my confidence in my heritage and finding others who know how it feels to be “outcasted’’ and bringing support to each other.
Proctor Pond: The Kidneys of Campus By Kiefer Reutlinger
Everyone walks past the Proctor pond daily but many don’t realize its significance. The pond is a beacon of the general health and well-being of the area. Alan McIntyre and his AP Environmental Science classes have been gathering data on the pond since 2007. The ongoing pond study not only lets students get hands-on with science, but it also contributes to a data set that tells us a lot about the area. The pond condenses a lot of information into
one small area. Alan explained the study, “It is kind of like the kidneys of our campus. Everything, all the water, a lot of it, is flowing right into the pond and out. And so, everything west of the pond, from Fowler learning center to the parking lots, all that area is flowing through.” This means that when data is gathered from the pond, it reflects the surrounding area. The pond can tell us how healthy the area is not only for the animals, but for our own health. There have been a couple of major events in the past few years that have affected the trends in the data.
Alan gave me a brief history of the pond. In 2012, the grass fields by the pond were converted to artificial turf. This resulted in a large bump in biodiversity because nutrients were released and spurred growth. In 2018, the pond was dredged in order to restore the ecological systems. These events in the pond’s history help us understand cause and effect and create differences in data that can be analyzed. Alan told me that since we created and take care of this pond, we are responsible for taking care of the living systems in it, which is why we have to draw conclusions from the data. Rose Werner, senior and PEA (Proctor Environmental Action) leader, is a former AP Environmental Science student and is doing an academic concentration on the pond and other ponds in the area, she offers a wider view of the region. For her academic concentration, she decided to focus on Elbow Pond and Hopkins Pond. She tells me that our ponds in the area are all very healthy and that we are fortunate to have this quality of water. Unlike the AP Environmental Science class, Rose has been able to test in the fall and spring, as opposed to the class that only tests the water in the fall, this leads to a more complete data set that shows a fuller picture. She reports that all of our ponds in the area are very healthy and we are lucky to have this quality of water around. Rose hopes to be able to see data regarding Bradley Lake to see how our local ponds compare to our drinking water. Another benefit to the Proctor Pond study is
that students put their hands on real, physical science. Alan values having things that are “real and tangible” for students to learn, looking for, “ways to make science real, instead of just a worksheet and textbook.” This kind of learning is valuable for students and it is also part of Proctor’s brand. We like to emphasize that we create a hands-on learning environment, and Alan’s class is a great example of this. AP Environmental Science is a class where students can get their hands dirty and get the Proctor experiential learning experience. People may not ever give the Proctor pond a second thought as they walk by, but it is a gateway to a whole new world of data and learning.
Garry George’s Epic Proctor Career By Beckett Homlish
Long-time ski hill manager Garry George may retire after this year, but his effect on Proctor and the ski program will remain. As I have learned from Proctor blogs, Garry was a Proctor student himself and won numerous races from his time on the Proctor ski team, including a win against a man who held the world speed record for skiing at over 100 mph. Garry was an essential part of the ski program from his time as Proctor to the present day, where he is the Manager of the Proctor Ski Area. After managing and coaching and skiing for over forty years, he was awarded the John W. McCrillis Award which is given out by the Mount Sunapee Ski Club to an individual who has dedicated significant time and effort to the sport of skiing. Garry received this award in 2019 due to his efforts in keeping the Proctor Ski Area in pristine condition, from the mountain being flawlessly groomed to keeping the lift and facility in great condition. Even though Garry stays under the radar with most of the extra work that he does, there are
a handful of people who see all he does. Many may not realize that Garry is turning on the water for the soccer fields and getting up at 4:30 to get the mountain ready for the skiers. Jason ‘Moot’ Nelson, Proctor’s Alpine Program Director, identified some of Garry’s best qualities: “[His] work ethic, determination, thoughtfulness, and appreciation of others.” These qualities perfectly describe Garry, who has been grooming the Proctor ski hill for over 40 years. I also asked Moot to describe Garry as the head of the ski hill. “Incredibly selfless and conscientious of the clients, the snow surface, the employees. He would never ask anyone to do anything he would not do, and he has always put Proctor first for many years.” Garry’s work on the Proctor ski hill has also earned a reputation. “Many people in the eastern United States want to know how he makes his ski surface so good.” Garry applies his long-time experience and skills to give the Proctor ski team the best chance at success. As Moot notes, Garry “Enjoys people and enjoys the connection around the product.” Garry has been an exceptional part of the Proctor ski hill for a long time. He has put in the time to groom the ski hill and make sure every part of the ski hill is up to his standards so that every skier can have the best chance at success and the best experience through that season. If you are ever by the ski hill or see Garry around campus, make sure to thank him for the hard work he has put into Proctor.
Meet the New Chief By Pearce Shultz
Located behind Fowler dorm is the Newell Building which is the home to the Proctor Business Office and a new face in the Proctor community, Kurt Croft. A lot of Proctor stu-
dents don’t realize how much goes on behind the scenes to keep Proctor running and financially healthy. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Kurt and ask him questions about himself and what he does for Proctor. What work do you do for Proctor? “My official title is Chief Resource Manager and in that role, I oversee HR (Human Resources), finance, dining, facilities, housekeeping, IT, ski hill, and ice rink. To summarize, all that boils down to much of everything on the operations side or behind the scenes that keeps the wheels greased and allows programs to function that everyone here uses every day. Some of the other important operations fall under the advancement section, run by Scott Allenby and his team.” When did you start working for Proctor? “I started back in July of this year” How do you figure out the priorities of where money should go? First of all, it’s the available funding, but beyond that, we look ask, ‘Is there an emergent need or is there a safety issue involved?’ So if we’re talking buildings or structures or things like that, if there is something going on that poses a safety threat or could become an unsafe condition, that is going to be moved to the front of the line. Beyond that, it would be more focused on programmatic concerns, such as what does the school want to do? Where do we want to go? What kind of programs do we want to invest our time and money in? It’s a lot of conversational figuring out the pulse of where we want to be as a school. Where does my tuition go? “As far as the split goes it’s really based on need, which is why we have budget conversations with our many departments. Deferred maintenance on buildings or grounds would be one piece of the pie. This is mostly funded by our revenue, so it’s not solely dependent on the endowment piece. Tuition revenue is a big piece that keeps things going. What we do with the deferred maintenance piece is invest back into the buildings and structures and infrastructure of the campus. We also have other capital needs whether it be IT, or the ski hill, or the ice rink that comes out of the overall capital budget on an annual basis” What is one of the best parts of finance/budgeting & one of your biggest challenges? “The best part is the opportunity to work with
Kurt watching a wood chip delivery at the Biomass Plant
all of the different departments to see what they are doing and producing for the student population. It gives us a real “feel” for the tone of the school across campus and the different parts of the world that we reach.” “The biggest challenge is that we truly have finite resources to help all of our programs operate, we have the classroom side of things that provides the education and then we have the various other program elements such as buildings, grounds, vehicles, and athletic fields. Working to balance the ongoing expense, increased costs of providing education, and experiences for the students with a finite revenue is a challenge.” What activities do you do in your free time? “When you own a house, working on it seems to be my free time. However, when I step away from that, I hike, do some photography, mountain bike (Flovid was a favorite trail this summer), work with my field dog, fish, ski with the family, and just get outside.” If you were a Proctor student what classes or off-campus programs would interest you and why? Off campus: “France or Spain. Both sound fantastic and I’ve wanted to visit each country.” On campus: “A program that doesn’t exist...yet! I have a real fascination with certain blockchain technologies, particularly in the finance space. I have been studying a few of the companies and use cases that utilize the technology to build out global infrastructure over the past decade. I enjoy learning about the systems that power the global financial monetary system and am really intrigued by the monumental influence that blockchain and cryptocurrency will (likely) play in the future.” Kurt brings a lot to the table whether he’s cracking down and problem solving in the business office or cracking up Brian Thomas. From enjoying our mountain bike trails to managing our budget, Kurt is an excellent addition to our community and we are so happy to have him here.
lacrosse and something I’m very passionate about is building leadership and building culture. We’re going to implement our four-stage leadership program which I’m really excited about. I think that will help our program to the next level. The second thing is I want to build a championship culture and we will be the hardest working team out there, win or lose.”
A Breath Of Fresh Air For The Lacrosse Team By Cam Chambers
After years of ups and downs in the lacrosse head coaching job at Proctor, coach Brendan Callahan brings stability and excitement to the position. I had a great opportunity to speak with ‘Coach Cal’ after one of our football practices in the Field House. Why did you choose to come to Proctor? “I came to Proctor for a few things, one being the community. I just felt there was an incredible sense of support and love with a bunch of bright people that want to see the best for each other I think that’s something that’s really unique and hard to find nowadays.” What has been the biggest challenge for you? “The challenge has been that is such a different environment than what I’ve been used to, all I did all day long was eat, sleep, & breathe lacrosse now I’m going to wear multiple hats and do multiple different things and just the changing from being a co-advisor to being a coach to then being an admissions officer to then being a dorm parent and a lot of those things I haven’t done before.”
As someone who gets to spend almost every day with Coach Callahan at football practices, I have definitely enjoyed having him around and he has been a great help to me whether that’s with college recruiting for lacrosse or just being a member of the community. I interviewed 3rd-year lacrosse player Conor Geier and asked him about the new coach. What do you think of Coach Callahan as a person so far? “He’s always been there for me with any questions or things I need help with. Not only that, but he also has a great sense of humor once you get to know him better.” I also had a chance to speak with junior defender Theo Mehlman and asked him, What is something that you are excited about that Coach Calllahan brings to Proctor? “I think Coach Callahan is going to bring energy and a focused approach to the season.” The overall consensus has been that people are excited to have Coach Cal around and they enjoy the energy he brings every day. Whether that’s seeing him in the dining hall and around campus or at football practices and games in the afternoons, be sure to come out to cheer on Coach Cal and the Proctor lacrosse team this spring.
Proctor, she held many different jobs as a music teacher, Sunday school teacher, and more. Every week, Pam goes out of her way and bakes a sweet treat, from brownies, cookies, muffins, and more. Sally B is grateful to have Pam in our dorm. Pam makes sure to remember all the girls in Sally B’s name and always greets students with a smile on her face. The Housekeeping team is essential to help keep Proctor running. At the beginning of the year, the Sally B dorm sat down with Pam, and she talked about her life and her time at Proctor. She knows Proctor as a parent too as Pam’s daughter is also a Proctor grduate. What brought you to Proctor? “My family and I bought a house on the Pizza Chef end of North Street in 1998, so proximity made it natural to become part of the Proctor community. When my daughter enrolled here in 2002, I began working part-time in housekeeping to help pay the bills. After taking some years off to pursue other growth opportunities, I came back full-time in 2019.” What is something about Proctor that resonates with you? “Proctor is about effective learning and the power of collaboration, missional matters that resonate with me.” What do you wish students knew about housekeeping? “It’s simple really, look beyond the tasks we’re doing, and take the time to find out who we are. I am a former dairy farmer from northern New Hampshire, and a musician and educator and grandma, baker, Sunday School teacher, and kayaker. We will all be better neighbors and friends when we see less what and more who.” What are some lessons on being happy - how do you stay so positive after working at Proctor for so long?
What are your plans for the program? “My vision that I have which is threefold. It’s going to start with building leaders for life as I mentioned before, I love to teach through That’s Pam on the far right.
Pam Brown: Less What and More Who By Molly Babcock
Pam Brown has been a part of the Proctor community for over twenty years. She is Sally B’s beloved housekeeper. Before Pam came to
“Staying positive is a superpower to which I aspire! The most impacting people I know are joy-filled, gracious, and notably thankful for blessings, great and small. I love this Amy Carmichael quote: ‘For a cup brimful of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, however suddenly jolted.’” Proctor is lucky to have such a kind and special faculty and staff. Talk with Pam when you get a chance, I hope we all can recognize the people who help run Proctor behind the scenes.
The Creative Collective serves to change the way the fashion industry works by improving working conditions and access to fair trade goods through an incubator and website. Fresh Tokes Owen Bezos, Charlie Seavey, Michenader Sylvain An affordable, clean, and smokeless way to quit smoking.
By Madoc Harden
A great idea can be born anywhere. What if the world’s next big idea is created in our very own Field House? Social Entrepreneurship has been a popular class for Proctor students for 8 years.
The main project in the class is creating a social enterprise business that solves a problem affecting poverty or society. The students in the fall term class have come up with some amazing ideas with help from the director of the show, Gregor Makechnie, a long-term faculty member and alumni of Proctor. Come learn more about the following student-generated ideas during Innovation Night in the Field House, on November 14th, 6:30-7:25 PM. Here are some of the current projects: Global Beats Madoc Harden, Ethan Raphaelson, Tomas Berger Sharing the music of people around the world who don’t have the resources to share their culture and talent. Protein Bars Zack Cong, Hap Pederson, Ben Sant-Johnson This product aims to provide environmentally sustainable, high-level protein bars to people in need around the world. Techwat+ Rose Bertram, Olivia Kewenvoyouma, Georgia Spater, Lily Mathison A water filter that offers clean water with nutritional additives to consumers in developing countries through a buy-one, give-one system. The Creative Collective Connor Roy, Whitney Hollenbeck
What made you want to teach Social Entrepreneurship? “The realization was that our population of students is not the typical population that will want to work corporate jobs in a cubicle. Alicia Barry took the first-ever class 8 years ago and she now works in our amazing community, far beyond a cubicle. Most of our graduates end up in some sort of entrepreneurial space. So, it became a goal for the class to educate students early on, to develop entrepreneurial skills.”
On the Hustle : An Inside Peek Into The Life of a High School Entrepreneur
The class aims to teach students a new, entrepreneurial way of thinking which is growing more and more beneficial in our world every year.
helped them solve problems and explore areas of learning that they’re interested in. You’ll get a grade, but really, the outcome for the class is not the grade, but going through this problem-solving process and finding something you’re excited about that represents a solution to a problem somewhere in the world.”
Gregor’s love for innovation starts with his love of working with students. Teaching Social entrepreneurship is a different role from Athletic Director, teaching this class allows him to connect with students and think of problem-solving on a global scale. He answered some questions about the class.
Social Entrepreneurship is a class that can change the way you think about and attack problems. You can be the one to come up with a solution to a real-world problem. Develop a really good life skill and consider taking Social Entrepreneurship.
Why is it important to take Social Entrepreneurship? “Social Entrepreneurship is a class about solving social problems, leveraging business practices and distributing charity or aid. We start by understanding poverty and the causes of poverty. Entrepreneurship at its base level is solving problems and we all encounter problems in life. But it’s how we can apply entrepreneurial discipline to problem-solving that makes this class important.” Can learning to solve problems in this class benefit other classes you take? “The experience you get from taking Social Entrepreneurship benefits the problems you have In class, life, sports, work, or personal problems. The question becomes how can we creatively work through those problems instead of letting them linger. So for that reason, I would say that classes that involve Social Entrepreneurship are incredibly valuable for the students who take them.” How has this class been a success for kids in the classroom and outside of academics? “Students say they really enjoyed the class because it’s different from their other classes. It’s
In the Shadow of COVID Zack Cong
What new skills did you learn during the COVID-19 pandemic? Did you learn how to cook or entertain yourself during lockdown? Perhaps you even picked up a new card game? I learned how to play chess during COVID. But I have always wondered, as we emerge from the shadow of COVID, what has COVID changed about Proctor? To find out, I interviewed Scott Allenby, the Chief Strategy and Communications Officer at Proctor. How did COVID change or impact students and faculty experience at Proctor? “COVID had a profound impact on our work at Proctor, most critically on our ability to live and learn in relationship with each other. The physical distance that we needed to keep
Did the way Proctor runs change because of COVID, funding-wise, or other aspects?
during the Spring of 2020 and then the metaphorical distance between what we do best and what we were allowed to do during the 2020-2021 academic year were significant.
“Proctor, like thousands of nonprofit organizations around the United States, benefitted from government loans that were eventually forgiven. Combined with generous families who understood the challenges Proctor faced, we were able to emerge from COVID-19 on stable financial ground.
Our focus as teachers was primarily on following protocols - masks, disinfectants, quarantines, contact tracing, etc. - and we were unable to put the same energy and care into our work building relationships with each other and our students. I think you all, as students, were more impacted than we were as adults, and those impacts on young people are lasting - technology addiction, mental health challenges, and socialization, all of these factors are impacting students around the country. Our community is not immune to the impact either.” What lessons have been learned from the COVID-19 experience, and how might they shape the future of Proctor? “The most important lesson we learned is that a Proctor education requires face-to-face human contact and relationship building. There have been times in the past, pre-Covid, when we entertained the idea of developing online courses or programs to supplement what we deliver in person. Coming out of COVID-19 and the virtual learning experiment that we launched ourselves into, I think we all learned very quickly that there is no replacement for in-person learning. That lesson will guide us moving forward, I hope. Relationships matter, and virtual interactions pale in comparison to faceto-face relationship building.”
What are some of the changes for you as an administrator? “What COVID-19 taught us is that our community is incredibly resilient, but there are limits to that resiliency, and we need to be aware of those limits. What we asked of our employees during COVID-19 was extraordinary. But we also know that it took a toll on our employee base, and should we encounter another situation like COVID-19, we would need to think differently about how much we can ask of those in the community. Additionally, COVID-19 clarified for me, as an administrator, the importance of having an amazing team around me. We rely on each other - all employees - and during those most challenging moments, it was reassuring to look to my right and my left and know that no one was backing down, no one was cutting corners, and everyone was committed to our school making it through the challenges we faced.”
The school also took on hundreds of thousands of dollars in new expenses during the 2020-2021 school year due to COVID-19 testing, quarantine costs, and extra cleaning costs. Our finance team, leadership team, and operations teams helped navigate all of this with incredible ingenuity.” Looking back at COVID-19, it’s clear that not everything was terrible. COVID has taught us so much. Proctor’s experience during COVID made us realize the importance of in-person education in building connections and providing immersive educational experiences that virtual settings cannot replicate. I still play a game of chess with my friends once in a while. It is a time of change, for the good or the bad. I am glad that we made it through the hard time together. Hopefully, every one of us has learned something valuable during COVID.