RIPARIAN
THE RIVERS SCHOOL | FALL 2024
CHANGERS WORLD
REMARKABLE ALUMNI WHO ARE MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE
THE INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH OF MIDDLE SCHOOL HUMANITIES
FEATURES
18 VAMOS A HAVANA
A group of Rivers jazz students headed to Cuba last spring for the school’s first-ever trip to the island nation.
24 OH, THE HUMANITIES! The Middle School curriculum combines English and social studies, enhancing both disciplines.
28 WORLD CHANGERS
Meet seven remarkable Rivers alumni who are working to make our world a better place.
FORWARD MOMENTUM
AS WE ADJUST to the full pace of this academic year, with fall colors unfolding so beautifully across Nonesuch Pond, I am reminded of my days on the crew team in college. I was the coxswain, the person on the boat who steers, motivates the rowers, and looks ahead to make strategic and tactical decisions. While I may not have realized it then, being a “cox” was in many ways similar to the role of head of school and helps explain the meaning and joy I derive from leading this remarkable school community, just as I did during mornings on the water with my team.
A crew race mirrors the cadence of the school year, especially during the outset, when short, fast strokes help accelerate the boat from the starting line. Here at Rivers, we too have moved at a rapid clip since students returned to campus in August. On the water, this pace is not sustainable, and at some point the cox calls to the rowers to “lengthen out” for fuller strokes that capitalize on the boat’s increasing momentum.
As we settle into the heart of the school year, our professional community and students are doing just that. The rapid pace of the early days is stretching into substantive, intentional weeks and months of learning and growth. Introductory material has given way to depth, challenge, and reflection. This forward momentum will continue until spring, when we begin the final sprint to the finish line.
This year is especially exciting as we move through several important milestones. In late September, we welcomed a visiting team from the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE) for the final stage of our decennial reaccreditation process. The team of independent school educators traversed campus, visited classrooms, ate lunch in Kraft Dining Hall, and experienced life at Rivers while meeting with students, members of the professional community, senior administrators, trustees, and parents and caregivers. Their feedback was resoundingly positive, and the final report will include commendations and recommendations for growth.
The findings from the accreditation process will propel us forward as we launch into creating an updated strategic
plan, setting new aspirations for Rivers. We recently engaged many community members for an inspiring Strategic Design Summit, and we will invite additional input in February after sharing updates at the State of the School event. The process will conclude with the Board of Trustees approving the next strategic plan at its final meeting in June, after which we will begin implementing this exciting new direction for the school.
Amid these milestones, Rivers continues to innovate. In this issue of the Riparian, we celebrate and highlight several of these endeavors, including an in-depth look at last spring’s inaugural trip to Cuba, part of our evolving global education program. Serving as a chaperone on the trip was one of the most compelling experiences I’ve had as an educator. It was an honor to witness firsthand the partnerships, personal connections, and musical excellence our student musicians displayed alongside their Cuban counterparts.
Also in this issue, we shine a spotlight on our incredible alumni and their accomplishments across a wide range of pursuits, as they strive to make our world a better place. Whether working to repair a broken student-loan system or using the power of the Massachusetts State House to build community, our alums embody the school’s mission to lead in a world that “needs their talents, imagination, intellect, and compassion.” In this time of challenge and unrest, the world needs excellent humans to lead. We are proud to highlight some of our many alums who are heeding the call.
This is an exciting time at The Rivers School, filled with hope and optimism for what lies ahead. Our collective efforts, and the unwavering dedication of our entire community, provide great momentum as we aspire to new levels of excellence, and humanity, in every way imaginable.
With gratitude, Ryan
RIPARIAN
VOL. XXXIX NUMBER 1
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Ryan S. Dahlem
EDITOR
Jane Dornbusch
ASSOCIATE HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR DEVELOPMENT AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS
Krissie Kelleher P’22, ’25
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Colette Porter
DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT
Janet McKeeney
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Alexandra Ghiz, Catherine O’Neill Grace, Ben White
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Ianka De La Rosa
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Webb Chappell, Kristie Rae Dean, Alexandra Ghiz, John Gillooly, John Hurley, Tom Kates
The Rivers School 333 Winter Street Weston, MA 02493-1040
781.235.9300 www.rivers.org
RIPARIAN: “One that lives or has property on the bank of a river or lake.”
If your contact or mailing information has changed or if you need additional copies mailed to you or other members of your family, please let us know at development@rivers.org.
“I used a reference photo of my family friend from years ago. We went flower picking, and when I found this photo in my camera roll, it reminded me of childhood—one full of pure bliss and joy. I wanted to capture that youthful, uplifting feeling.”
—MULAN ZHANG ’25
EVERY GIFT MATTERS
A RIVERS SCHOOL EDUCATION emphasizes connection and belonging, placing students at the center of all we do. Our entire professional community of faculty, administrators, and staff encourages a nd empowers our students to step out of their comfort zones to gain leadership skills and perspectives that will serve them in life after Rivers. The Rivers Fund—the school’s primary philanthropic priority—underwrites opportunities for programs and activities that help to solidify these lifelong skills.
Last year, more than 1,470 donors supported our annual giving program, with parents and caregivers, alumni, professional community members, and friends of Rivers contributing over $3.5 million—a new school record.
Every gift makes an impact, and your yearly participation in this important effort serves as a testament to the dedication and talent of our professional community—and the value of a Rivers education.
To learn more about how The Rivers Fund supports teaching and learning at Rivers, as well as many other aspects of school life, visit our website, rivers.org/giving.
Make your gift to The Rivers Fund today!
CAMPUS NEWS
“The Reason We’re Here” Students Return to Campus for First Day of School
A PERFECT LATE-SUMMER morning—blue skies, mild temperatures—set the stage for a joyful first day of school on Tuesday, September 3. Returning students embraced one another, greeted their teachers, and launched into the year ahead with aplomb.
Midmorning, the entire school community came together in Kraft Dining Hall for the first all-school meeting of the year. Head of School Ryan S. Dahlem greeted the students, telling them, “ You are the reason we’re here.” He previewed anticipated highlights of the coming year—the completion of the accreditation process, the new strategic plan, the updating of our mission statement—and welcomed the new professional community members in attendance.
Dahlem had joined the seniors on the previous week’s traditional orientation white-water rafting trip. At the assembly, he shared photos of shooting the rapids with his advisory group, a vibrant metaphor for the inevitable challenges in any school year. The group’s unflappable local rafting guide, perched at the stern, provided “stable, steady support”—in much the same way, Dahlem said, that teachers, coaches, and other members of the professional community are here to provide support to students.
Dahlem then introduced new student body presidents, Abbey Fireman ’25 and Christopher Kim ’25, who looked back on their years at Rivers a nd reflected on their journey to senior year. And with that, they dismissed the assembly, and the 2024–25 school year was officially underway. R
SCAN
THE CODE TO VIEW A GALLERY OF
PHOTOS
GRADUATION
2024
Celebrating a Class with Heart, Spirit, and Talent
ON MAY 24, a perfect spring day, diplomas were awarded to Rivers’ newest 93 alumni, the Class of 2024 —a group that distinguished itself in t he academic, athletic, musical, and artistic arenas.
Graduation was a moment to celebrate every member of the class. As Head of School Ryan S. Dahlem— presiding over the first graduation of his tenure at Rivers—told the assembled families, professional community members, and soon-to-be alums, “Graduation is not merely about the culmination of years of academic study; it is a celebration of the growth, resilience, and countless moments of connection that have shaped you, our graduates, into the exceptional individuals and class you are today.”
Will Mills, Upper School dean of student life, was the faculty speaker
chosen by the class. Mills, moving on from Rivers after a memorable 15 years, balanced humor, poignance, and heft in his remarks. Caleb Lys ’24 was the student speaker. Lys walked the Class of 2024 through its journey, starting with COVID restrictions in Grade 9, progressing through bonding in the woods at Grade 10 orientation, traversing the ropes course at Grade 11 orientation, and facing academic challenges and the college-application process.
After Lys’s remarks, Dahlem bestowed the diplomas, sharing a few thoughts about each individual student, from Julia Ahearn to Aidan Zheng. Finally, following Rivers custom, the seniors tossed their caps in the air near the flagpole and ran into Nonesuch Pond, and the Class of 2024 was launched into the wider world. R
Grade 8 Portfolio Night
The Class of 2028 is Ready to Take on Upper School
THE EVENING OF Tuesday, June 4, marked a milestone for the Rivers Class of 2028. While not a formal graduation, Grade 8 Portfolio Night is an annual rite of passage for students poised to move on from Middle School to Upper School. It is a moment to reflect on accomplishments, challenges, future goals, and—most visibly—decorated skateboards, which serve as a capstone art project for Grade 8 students.
Each student compiles a thick binder of their best work across the disciplines, along with a collection of meaningful personal items that reflect their time in Middle School. These portfolios were displayed on tables
Prize Day
around the periphery of Kraft Dining Hall for parents, fellow students, and professional community members to peruse.
A s part of a formal presentation that included musical performances, remarks by Head of Middle School
John Bower, and a student speaker, each student in turn took to the stage to share a brief reflection about their time in Middle School. They spoke of
Recognizing and Celebrating Outstanding Achievement
lessons learned, obstacles overcome, and risks taken; of good habits formed and unhelpful ones broken; of projects that were particularly memorable. In aggregate, they shared a journey of burgeoning academic curiosity and the cultivation of a growth mindset. While no diplomas are awarded at the end of Portfolio Night, it is both a fitting culmination of one stage at Rivers and a meaningful transition to the next. R
THE ANNUAL PRIZE DAY ceremony was held on May 23 under the tent on the Lank Quadrangle. Several prizes honoring professional community members and students were announced.
The Faculty Prize, Rivers’ highest honor for students, went to Jack Willard ’24. The Dudley H. Willis Trustee Prize, awarded to the seniors who have distinguished themself by virtue of their pursuit of excellence, integrity, contributions to the school, and the respect accorded to them by the Rivers community, went to Camille DeStefano and Arianna Martínez Cavero. The Jeremiah J. Sheehan Prize, which recognizes a student who demonstrates “gentility, kindness, and all-around good sportsmanship,” went to Madison Stikeleather ’24. And the Hooper Lawrence Memorial Prize, given each year to a student with “a cheerful disposition, an unselfish nature, and a kind heart,” was awarded to Caleb Lys ’24.
The F. Ervin Prince Award recognizes top Middle School students; this year’s recipient was Rachel Bueker ’28.
There were also prizes for athletics. Top honors went to Amir Lindsey ’24, who received the James A. Navoni Athletic Prize, and Avery Del Col ’24, recipient of the Priscilla Wallace Strauss Athletic Prize.
Several members of the graduating class were elected to the Cum Laude Society.
The entire community was delighted to celebrate these outstanding accomplishments. R
A FISH STORY WITH HEART AND HUMOR
EVEN BEFORE THE opening curtain, it was clear that the Middle School musical, Finding Nemo Jr., would transport viewers to an undersea world. For the May production, the Black Box Theater was transformed into a colorful coral reef, and Beach Boys tunes filled the air as the audience took their seats.
Based on the 2003 Pixar film, Finding Nemo Jr. tells a tale of overcoming fears and taking risks—themes likely to resonate with the Middle School students on the stage and in the audience. In the stage version, the movie has been reimagined as a tuneful treat full of big numbers, and the clever script compresses all the original’s humor and heart into a fast-moving 60 minutes.
Colorful sets and props repurposed familiar materials in new ways, with shredded pool noodles
forming stands of kelp and clear umbrellas festooned with lights serving as stinging jellyfish.
Producer Julia Auster-Hogan ’06 said the show was an enjoyable one to put on. “Not only was the story familiar, but the addition of the catchy music made it fun to watch. The cast was excited and enthusiastic, which helped immensely since many of them had to play more than one role,” said Auster-Hogan.
By the show’s end, despite the challenges along the way, father and child clownfish Marlin and Nemo were reunited back on the reef, and the lessons learned—about friendship and perseverance—were summed up in the final number, which also provided words to live by: “Just Keep Swimming Together.” R
COLLEGE ENROLLMENTS
CLASS OF 2024
MEMBERS OF THE Class of 2024
are off on their higher-education journey, matriculating at colleges and universities across the country. Director of College Counseling David Lyons said, “This class did an excellent job thinking about themselves and applying that to the process. We were so impressed with how they embraced the concept of fit and truly sought colleges that would serve their futures well.” He noted that 71 percent of the students who applied Early Decision 1 or Restricted Early Admission were admitted.
“This year’s list is impressively diverse,” Lyons added. The recent graduates are currently enrolled at the following institutions:
Holocaust Remembrance Day Speaker Offers Message of Hope
AS A JEWISH CHILD growing up in Nazi-occupied Hungary during World War II, Kati Preston experienced horrors almost beyond description. But her message to the Rivers community, delivered during a May appearance at an all-school meeting marking Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah), was not one of despair but rather of resilience, forgiveness, and hope. Despite all she has experienced, the 85-year-old Preston remains, in her own description, a “happy person” who believes that today’s youth have the means and desire to “save the world.”
Her journey to contentment was by no means a simple or easy one. Students sat at rapt attention as Preston shared the details of her life under Nazi occupation. In later
Amherst College
Boston College (2)
Boston University
Bowdoin College (3)
Brown University (2)
Bryant University
Bucknell University (2)
Clark University
Clemson University (3)
Colby College (4)
Colgate University (4)
College of Charleston
College of the Holy Cross (2)
Columbia University
Connecticut College
Elon University
Fairfield University
Florida State University
Georgetown University
Hamilton College (2)
Harvard University (2)
Indiana University Bloomington
Mercer University
Middlebury College (4)
Northeastern University (5)
Northwestern University
Q&A sessions with Middle School and Upper School students, Preston talked about her postwar life and her multiple careers as a fashion model, designer, EMT, and head of a theater troupe. She raised four sons and has four grandchildren. Each child and grandchild, she said, was a reaffirmation of overcoming Hitler’s evil.
Preston, whose visit was supported by the Schwarzberg family, has not only let go of her hatred—she has also embraced hope. At the end of her presentation, she left students with a resonant message: “You have access to the entire world,” she said, holding up her smartphone. “You care about climate change. You want to fight racism. This generation can save the world, and I’m sure you will.” R
Purdue University
Rollins College
Scripps College
Southern Methodist University (2)
Swarthmore College
Syracuse University (2)
Texas Christian University
Trinity College (2)
Tufts University
Tulane University (2)
Union College (2)
University at Albany
University of Chicago (2)
University of Colorado Boulder (2)
University of Maryland College Park
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
University of Richmond (2)
University of Southern California (3)
University of Toronto
University of Vermont (2)
Villanova University
Wake Forest University (2)
Washington University in St Louis (3)
Wesleyan University (2)
Yale University
AISNE Team Visits Campus
A TEAM OF EDUCATORS representing Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE) arrived on the Rivers campus on Sunday, September 29, for a three-day visit, as part of the school’s reaccreditation process. The team comprised independent school colleagues representing a variety of positions and institutions. The visit marked the next step in the process, following a year of work that included internal reflection, focus groups, and the drafting of a self-study report,
RIVERS CELEBRATES DIVERSE CULTURES AT ANNUAL GLOBAL FAIR
which was submitted over the summer.
Throughout the visit, the visiting team met with members of the professional community to share reflections from the self-study process. The structure of the visit also provided time and space for the visiting team to walk in the shoes of students and members of the Rivers professional community.
In meetings throughout the past academic year, Head of School Ryan S. Dahlem emphasized the importance of the accreditation process as a
FOOD, FUN, FRIENDS, families: This year’s Global Fair was all that and more. On a bright, warm spring evening under the tent on the Lank Quadrangle, Rivers students, families, and professionalcommunity members gathered to share potluck dishes including dumplings, lasagna, sushi, tamales, pupusas, chicken tikka masala, saag paneer, and barbecue, as well as customs, music, and poetry that reflect the school’s diversity.
As Head of School Ryan S. Dahlem said in his opening remarks as he kicked off the festivities, “This is Excellence with Humanity come to life.”
He added that the annual event created a sense of belonging and community for all members of the Rivers family. R
THE VISITING TEAM, left to right: Charles Rudnick, Dedham Country Day School; Lisa Robbins, Dana Hall School; Jessica Angell, Pingree School; Tim Harger, Vermont Commons School; Vanessa Cohen Gibbons, Milton Academy; Natalie Zervas, Dana Hall School; Tom Keenan, Walnut Hill School for the Arts; John LeSaffre, Fessenden School; Sarah Pelmas, Winsor School; and Jim Hamilton, Berwick Academy.
launching point for the future of Rivers. He engaged with different constituent groups about the next chapter for Rivers—a chapter that, in addition to accreditation, includes a market research study, a campus master plan refresh, a review of the school’s mission and core values, and a strategic design summit. Through these shared efforts, Rivers looks toward a new spring 2025 strategic plan that will provide a road map for the school’s future. R
FRESH PERSPECTIVES AND PLENTY OF CHURROS
MUCH LIKE THE students they oversee, teach, and mentor, members of the Rivers professional community dream big. For many years, some of their big dreams have been supported by enrichment grants that allow them to travel, take classes, pursue passions, and participate in experiences that fall outside their professional or academic areas. The goal is enrichment, broadly defined, and the expectation is that community members return to Rivers with a fresh perspective and new knowledge that may have an impact on their work in unexpected ways.
Prior to the 2024 grant cycle, participation in the longstanding program was limited to teaching faculty. This year, Rivers opened it up to all members of the professional community, and many nonfaculty took advantage of the opportunity. At a professional community meeting just before the start of school, several grant recipients shared their experiences.
Debbie Argueta, equity and engagement program assistant, addressed the gathering in Spanish— because her grant sent her to a Spanish language immersion course in Guatemala. She told the audience she was glad and grateful for the opportunity, which allowed her to become more proficient in her Salvadoran husband’s native tongue. Over the summer, Upper School Latin teacher Dan Berenson traveled to Japan—a place he’s always wanted to go—with the help of an enrichment grant. He visited a number of shrines, took part in a tea ceremony, toured an ice cave, and became interested in the variety of manhole covers on display throughout the country.
For Dana Warshauer, associate director of college counseling, a grantsupported trip to Catalonia was an opportunity to reignite her interest in photography. “It was really great to see new places through my lens, and not my phone!” she said, adding that she “may or may not have had churros con chocolate every day of the trip.”
Tim Clark, chair of the Visual Arts Department, traveled to Alaska to “explore its stunning landscapes, observe the impacts of climate change, and connect with fellow ceramic artists.” A particularly special part of the trip, he reported, was “spending a week in Homer with two fellow artists...The time spent together was incredibly meaningful.”
Not every trip brought participants to an exotic or far-off locale. Upper School English teacher Mac Caplan used his grant to attend the U.S.
Open Squash Championships in Philadelphia, both as a spectator and as a participant in the skill level championships. Eitan Tye, of the Middle School humanities faculty, volunteered at Camp Oasis in Connecticut, which supports young people with Crohn’s disease and colitis.
Whether they traveled the globe or stayed close to home, participants were grateful to Rivers and the program for the chance to expand their horizons. As Berenson said, “The most important thing I got out of this trip was the confidence I gained. I traveled halfway around the planet, to a place where I didn’t speak the language, and it went better than I could have dreamed. I want to give a heartfelt thank-you to Rivers for helping me make this trip a reality.” R
FOCUS ON FACULTY
ANDREA DIAZ
Supporting Teachers School-Wide
“AS A KID, I ALWAYS loved playing teacher,” says Dean of Faculty Andrea Diaz. With a laugh, she adds, “It was a way to boss around my younger brother, but I also really enjoyed it.”
Diaz joined the history faculty at Rivers in 2010, but the path from her childhood game to her career in education wasn’t precisely a straight line. In college, Diaz majored in art history and international relations, and becoming a teacher was not on her radar. She began pursuing a Ph.D. in art history but soon realized that a career in academia was not a fit.
She had gotten as far as completing her masters’ degree when her advisor offered a life-changing suggestion: “She said, ‘Have you ever thought of teaching at an independent school?’ She planted the idea, and I’m eternally grateful to her.”
Diaz taught at St. John’s Prep in Danvers for three years before taking a job at Rivers. She came to visit campus and filled in for a week before she officially started. “It was phenomenal,” she says. “I loved that Rivers moved to its own beat. I was happy to be part of that.” Fifteen years on, she
“ I loved that Rivers moved to its own beat. I was happy to be part of that.”
says, “People here are smart and hardworking and generous with their time and expertise, and I love that.”
At Rivers, Diaz has taught ancient and modern world history and U.S. history, along with electives such as international relations, a history of cities, and modern Latin America. She is still involved in classroom work, teaching one section of Grade 10 U.S. history, but now, as dean of faculty, she has the opportunity to repay the generosity she experienced as a new teacher at Rivers. The job appealed to her, she says, because it allowed her to “work with colleagues across departments.
“A key aspect of my current role,” Diaz says, “is to make sure that teachers have what they need to be able to do their best work. Being a part of the structure that’s responsible for supporting this work is one of the things I like most.” R
SCHOLASTIC
ART & WRITING AWARDS
STUDENT WORK RECOGNIZED IN SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS
THE CREATIVITY OF Rivers School students was recognized in April when the Massachusetts results of the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition were announced. Forty-one works of visual art by Rivers students were honored, and 12 works garnered awards in the writing categories.
Founded in 1923, Scholastic is the nation’s largest and longestrunning arts recognition program for high school and middle school students. Tim Clark, chair of the Visual Arts Department, said, “Submitting work to Scholastic Art & Writing awards is a great opportunity. As a teacher, it is very exciting to engage with our students about which work they will enter into this juried competition.”
Rivers students shone in the writing competition as well. English Department faculty member Mac Caplan said, “We are thrilled that so many Rivers students were recognized by Scholastic for their creativity and hard work.” R
SCHOLASTIC GOLD KEY WINNERS
Elizabeth Bowers ’25, Printmaking
Morgan Boyce ’25, Ceramics and Glass
Vivan Dykema ’26, Photography
Maylea Harris ’26, Photography (three awards)
Ethan He ’28, Photography
Justin Jang ’25, Critical Essay and Poetry (two awards)
Ella Kramer ’28, Photography
Avi Redman ’25, Printmaking
Paula Schechter ’28, Editorial Cartoon
Pepper Taylor ’25, Ceramics and Glass
Chelsea Yan ’25, Design
Charles Yang ’28, Photography
Mulan Zhang ’25, Painting
SCHOLASTIC SILVER KEY WINNERS
Kyra Coggin ’26, Photography; Ceramics and Glass (two awards)
Savannah Conway ’28, Photography (two awards)
Aly Correia ’25, Sculpture
Joyce Do ’25, Journalism
Vivian Dykema ’26, Drawing and Illustration
Travis Felice ’28, Photography
Alexander Goldsmith ’24, Ceramics and Glass
Alison Leiva ’27, Sculpture
Zimon Li ’26, Short Story
Lilly Liebhoff ’25, Ceramics and Glass
Chloe Shaller ’26, Printmaking
Chelsea Yan ’25, Design
Mulan Zhang ’25, Ceramics and Glass
SCHOLASTIC HONORABLE MENTION WINNERS
Cam Baldwin ’28, Photography
Lola Boudreau ’26, Photography
Rachel Bueker ’28, Editorial Cartoon
Savannah Conway ’28, Photography
Joyce Do ’25, Personal Essay and Memoir
James Foster ’28, Photography
Matthew Gundersheimer ’27, Sculpture
Maylea Harris ’26, Poetry
Taylor Hauff ’25, Printmaking
Justin Jang ’25, Poetry
Sindisiwe Khumalo ’25, Photography
Maya Kloman ’28, Photography
Noelle Lee ’26, Personal Essay and Memoir
Zimon Li ’26, Ceramics and Glass
Abby Lorion ’25, Ceramics and Glass
Lindsay Morin ’25, Ceramics and Glass
Sebastian Mertsch ’27, Ceramics and Glass
Will Reidy ’28, Photography
Adalia Wen ’25, Poetry; Personal Essay and Memoir; Critical Essay (three awards)
Six Questions for Eliza Adler and Megan Delano
SCHOOL COUNSELORS FULFILL a vital function. Adolescents are wrestling with mentalhealth challenges as never before—and counselors are there to step in, providing support, guidance, and skill-building. Eliza Adler, director of counseling services (right), and Megan Delano, school counselor and head of wellness programming (left), are the dynamic team that makes up the Rivers counseling office. Both are trained clinicians who spend their days speaking with students and families about a range of challenges and concerns, large and small, as well as planning and executing programming that supports the entire Rivers community. Both joined Rivers in the COVID era. We caught up with them recently to chat about the pandemic’s impact on their work, the positive and negative effects of social media, and the path that brought each of them to the work. Adler and Delano agree that teens are navigating an increasingly complicated world. “That’s why you’ve got to ask for help,” said Adler.
Not everyone knows what the job of school counselors entails. What is your “elevator speech” for describing your role?
MEGAN DELANO: We are not guidance counselors or academic counselors. We are mental health clinicians. There’s such a wide array of students, families, and faculty who come to see us. It could be students dropping in once with an in-the-moment stressor. Or someone who comes throughout the year, to manage more intensive mental health difficulties.
ELIZA ADLER: I would say that we work with a com bination of students, families, faculty, and administrators. Students and families can seek us out for small mental health concerns, like anxiety over a math test, or bigger concerns, like a divorce or a move. Students also seek us out because they are grappling with internal questions of identity or social concerns. In a typical year, we provide support for about 20 percent of students.
What led you to pursue a career in counseling, and specifically in school counseling?
EA: I knew I wanted to work with adolescents. Being in a school allows me to work collaboratively with the many adults in our students’ lives, rather than in the isolation of an outpatient therapy practice. Often it takes multiple avenues to support a student, and we have the advantage of working across disciplines here at Rivers. This enables us to provide students with the best possible mental health outcomes and a sense of having a community of caring adults in their lives.
MD: I started my counseling journey studying art therapy as an undergrad. I have always been drawn to art as a way of communicating and healing, and finding out this was a career option was incredibly appealing to me. I knew I wanted to work with kids. I did a number of internships and realized that the places that felt like the best fit involved working with adolescents. I think it is a transformative time in a person’s life, and to be a support person during that time is such an honor.
How did the pandemic change the work you do?
EA: We’re seeing a lot of missed developmental opportunities. Behaviors we used to see in middle school we now see in high school—middle school angsty stuff. Right now we believe we’re experiencing a larger bump because when COVID hit, these kids were in late elementary school and middle school
and missed a number of opportunities for in-person social development. Things might even out later.
MD: There’s still a lot we don’t know about how the pandemic impacted adolescents and kids who were in crucial developmental ages. There are a lot of questions, and there’s a lot of talk about mental health, about a rise in suicidality, anxiety, depression. We just don’t know fully what is to come.
From where you stand, what impact has social media had on adolescent mental health?
EA: (With a laugh) A negative one!
MD: This is more and more a topic of conversation in our work—much more so than when I became a clinician 10 years ago. Teens are struggling with how they navigate social media, and it’s a challenge to know what is best. It’s a normal social experience for adolescents now; it wasn’t for us. We try to support kids and reassure them their emotions are valid, if they’re feeling isolated and excluded on social media. I’m sure there are positive opportunities to find community, maintain relationships, and make connections. But the dark sides—the comparisons, the feelings of isolation—overshadow those positives.
EA: While social media existed in the early 2000s, there weren’t smartphones. It felt much more benign; algorithms were not curating your feed. The acceleration has been exponential. If there were a way to take away the nefarious effects—if it was just going online and finding connection—that could
be positive for adolescents who feel “othered” in their own homes. There could be some potential positives there, through connecting on social media.
If you could offer one piece of advice to parents of adolescents, what would it be?
EA: Ask for help. If you don’t know something, that’s OK. We’re here to support you, and if we can’t support you, we’ll direct you to someone who can. It’s the long game; there isn’t going to be a magic fix. You have to lay that foundation slowly over time, and build trust in order to deepen the relationship. Admittedly, it’s a lot easier when it’s not your kid.
MD: Don’t be afraid to talk about your child’s mental health. Asking the question isn’t going to make them worse; asking is the first step in the conversation.
What three items would you bring with you to a desert island?
EA: It depends on whether I’m with Megan. But I would have to go practical: a knife, a tarp to keep out the elements, and some rope. And someone to talk to.
MD: A hammock, some sort of murder mystery, and my emotional-support water bottle. I could relax in a hammock for an unlimited amount of time. And if Eliza and I were together, we could definitely survive. R
MEET JAVIER CABALLERO
New Executive Director of Performing Arts at Rivers
THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR performing arts students at Rivers are nothing short of extraordinary.
The Performing Arts Department presents two major dramatic productions in each division and hosts five instrumental ensembles, seven jazz ensembles, and three choruses. The Conservatory Program inspires and challenges select musicianscholars through intensive music and musical theater training that complements their Rivers education. And The Rivers School Conservatory (RSC) serves over 1,000 students of all ages from the Greater Boston area through exceptional music experiences led by world-class faculty.
These three pillars of performing arts at Rivers—the Performing Arts Department, the Conservatory Program, and RSC—are now under
the strategic and administrative leadership of Javier Caballero, as he steps into the newly created role of executive director of performing arts.
Rivers’ Head of School Ryan S. Dahlem says that the search committee worked to find someone with a wide range of skills. “We were looking for a multidimensional candidate with an extensive background as a trained musician, strong arts administration experience, exceptional relationship-building skills, and the ability to inspire our outstanding faculty and students,” said Dahlem. “We were delighted to find all of these qualities in Javier Caballero.”
Caballero began his musical journey as an eighth grader learning to play cello in Tampa, Florida. “I came across recordings of the legendary Pablo Casals playing Bach’s Cello Suites, and I was hooked,” says Caballero.
“Casals had lived the second half of his life in my home island of Puerto Rico and became a musical icon for me. The cello immediately opened a new world for me in terms of exploration, expression, and excitement.” He went on to earn undergraduate degrees in music education and cello performance from the University of South Florida and graduate degrees in cello performance from the Boston Conservatory.
In addition to his performance and teaching career, Caballero has served as the executive director of the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music in New Hampshire. Before that, he was the artistic director of Project STEP, a string training program for students from communities underrepresented in classical music.
It was through Project STEP that he was introduced to Rivers. “As artistic director of Project STEP, I collaborated with David Tierney, the director of RSC at the time, to create a partnership that continues to this day,” Caballero says. “Through that partnership, I witnessed the values of Rivers firsthand: high standards of academic, artistic, and athletic excellence, a commitment to equity, and an extraordinary community of support.”
I n his new role, Caballero looks forward to strengthening all aspects of the performing arts at Rivers. “With its rich artistic legacy, Rivers is poised to become a hub of artistic excellence, an incubator for creative explorations, and an instigator of connections between various arts, the Rivers curriculum, and our community at large. This is a unique opportunity that sets Rivers apart from our peers in New England, and I invite everyone to explore, enjoy, and take pride in the incredible performing arts community here at Rivers.”
Please join us in welcoming Javier to campus. To learn more about upcoming performances at Rivers and RSC, please visit our website. R
—Ben White
By the Numbers
The 2023–24 Year in Sports
IN A YEAR that was historic on many fronts, Rivers started strong, with a dominant fall in which every team qualified for the postseason. Highlights included the best record in school history (16–3) and a run to the NEPSAC championship game for varsity volleyball, as well as a second consecutive bowl win for football. Winter brought more of the same, with boys’ basketball continuing its dominant run and garnering its second straight ISL and third straight NEPSAC championship. Boys’ hockey advanced to the NEPSAC finals for the first time under coach Freddy Meyer P’27, ’28. Finally, the spring season saw varsity baseball advance to the semifinals of the inaugural ISL tournament. It was a great year to be a Red Wing! R
The only school in New England to qualify for the playoffs in every eligible sport this fall and winter seniors will go on to play at the collegiate level
26
65
3rd
Girls’ Alpine Skiing
places third after moving up to NEPSAC Class A All-NEPSAC and honorable mention selections
varsity teams with a winning season
Boys’ Basketball wins NEPSAC (3-peat) and ISL Championships
ISL MVPs awarded
Track & Field sets new school records for girls and boys high jumps
73
All-ISL and honorable mention selections
Football wins NEPSAC Bowl Championship second year in a row
BY ALEXANDRA GHIZ
VAMOS A HAVANA
RIVERS JAZZ STUDENTS TRAVEL TO CUBA FOR MUSICAL AND CULTURAL IMMERSION
UNDER A CLOUDLESS Caribbean sky, a group of more than 50 young jazz musicians are performing a joint open-air concert in Havana, Cuba. This is the first time the musicians—representing three schools (two American, one Cuban)—have all played together, but a casual concert attendee wouldn’t have guessed it. All through the joint set and the off-the-cuff Cuban-jazz-inflected rendition of “Happy Birthday” that follows it, the communication, musicality, conviviality, and friendship are as visible as they are audible. The musicians communicate wordlessly, exchanging solos and playing off one another’s energy.
This moment of sheer joy and intercultural friendship, which took place in March 2024 as part of Rivers’ inaugural student trip to Cuba, was made possible by another friendship and a shared idea. Rivers Jazz Director Philippe Crettien first traveled to Cuba in June 2022; he describes the experience as “life-changing.” He had been invited by Roberto Fonseca of the Havana Jazz Festival and the Alliance Française to perform original music from his CD The North African Suite with an all-Cuban band.
“I stayed a week there, and I fell in love with the culture, I fell in love with the music, I fell in love with the people. I was just blown away,” Crettien said.
Crettien, who has overseen the jazz program at Rivers since 2001, was determined to share these experiences with Rivers jazz students by bringing them to Cuba to perform. As it happened, Paul Lieberman, Crettien’s counterpart at the Noble and Greenough School, a friend and musical collaborator of 15 years, had also recently traveled to Cuba to study Afro-Cuban music and history, and he had similar aspirations. They hatched the idea for the two schools’ bands to travel to Cuba together.
The partnership, said Lieberman, was key. “It was particularly reassuring to team up with Philippe and leverage any resources we had,”
said Lieberman. “From a musical standpoint, we were confident we could mount a complete big band.” With 21 students from Rivers and 15 from Nobles, the extra-big band had a powerful combined sound.
What started as a dream became a reality relatively quickly, considering the challenges of sending a group of students to a country with a complicated political history and many layers of bureaucracy.
Andrea Villagrán, director of global education at Rivers and a chaperone on the March break trip to Cuba, said, “All new trips have hurdles, but getting all documents together to visit a country where the U.S. has
LEFT: Master teacher Orlando “Maraca” Valle led an engaging workshop for student musicians. RIGHT: Onlookers at the rumba demonstration in Hamel Alley joined in the dancing.
importance of enjoying good company and conversation while sampling delicious Cuban dishes.
THE LAND OF THE THREE-HOUR LUNCH
CUBA’S VIBRANT CULTURE is a full sensory experience, not limited to music and art. Students had the opportunity to sample a variety of the island’s culinary specialties.
“There were so many new ingredients and produce and dishes that I hadn’t really heard of before,” said Jack Willard ’24, who enjoys cooking and exploring new recipes. “A lot of plants and roots that had been brought from Africa, like yucca and cassava, and fruits like papaya and starfruit that I don’t normally eat a lot in the U.S. were served with almost every meal in Cuba.”
Cuban culinary culture is not just the food preparation or the dishes served; it’s also the communal act of sharing a meal. Meals in
Cuba reflected this: It was not uncommon for a midday sit-down lunch to become a two- to three-hour affair. “Getting from one place to the next, without having to make random stops or have three-hour lunches, was a bit of a challenge. But some of the best memories were made on those three-hour lunches,” said Gavin Bollar ’27.
“I think one [memory] that really stands out to me is going out to lunch after we played our concert with the Cuban students. I decided to sit with some of the Cuban students,” said Mason Klein ’24. “It ended up being me and a few others talking in broken Spanish, and we had a great conversation about life in America and life in Cuba—the differences and similarities.”
an embargo, and doing so carrying musical instruments, made this experience a bit more challenging than other trips.”
The eight-day itinerary struck a balance between music-focused activities, cultural and historical activities, and performances, all the while keeping the focus on meaningful cultural exchange. The music programming at the core of the trip gave students the opportunity to practice and perform Cuban styles with experienced musicians—some peers, such as the students at the Escuela Nacional de Música, with whom the U.S. cohort combined for a joint concert and a recording session at Abdala Studios in Havana, and some at the professional level, with sessions led by jazz greats Orlando “Maraca” Valle and Aisar Hernandez and his band, El Expresso de Cuba.
The students were well prepared pre-departure. The combined Rivers and Nobles big band practiced Latin rhythms in a workshop with composer Oscar Stagnaro in November 2023. Dean of Faculty and history faculty member Andrea Diaz, whose father emigrated from Cuba, offered context on the historical, cultural, and political background of Cuba, and also served as a chaperone.
Still, no amount of preparation could substitute for playing Cuban music in Havana with people who are living and breathing it every day. The nature of the education system in Cuba, and the music-education system in particular, means that students at the Escuela Nacional, a musicspecialty school, practice and rehearse several hours a day, attaining a very high level of musical excellence at a young age.
“We met our match and even more in Cuba,” said Crettien. “Their excellence and our excellence made for
this incredible, easy connection. We were basically speaking the same language, this universal language of music.”
When they weren’t rehearsing or performing, the group visited important cultural sites, taking in key elements of Cuban and Afro-Cuban art, music, and history. Callejón de Hamel, or Hamel Alley, a street alley filled with art, serves as a center of activities for Afro-Cuban culture and was the site of a rumba performance with the combined cohort. (See sidebar, page 23.) The group also visited the UNESCO sites of Old Havana and San Severino Castle, the city of Matanzas, and Fábrica de Arte Cubano; attended a performance by the group Habana Compas Dance, which fused Spanish flamenco and African dance/rhythmic elements; and shopped the San José markets, where some students bought paintings by local artists.
With its blend of history, culture, and music, the trip aligned with
the expanding offerings of Global Education at Rivers, which falls under the Equity and Engagement umbrella.
“When I saw the proposal, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to expose our students to an immersive learning opportunity in a place that was completely different from where they grew up,” said Villagrán.
“We have such a robust global education program, and it’s always growing and evolving. This was an amazing addition to that substantial program,” said Head of School Ryan S. Dahlem, a jazz musician himself. Dahlem joined the trip and witnessed the partnerships and personal growth firsthand.
The social exchange with Cuban students left many trip participants with new perspectives and international friendships.
Ally Giebutowski ’25, a vocalist with the ensemble, struck up a friendship with three Cuban girls, university flute students, on one of the early days of
STUDENTS OF THE ESCUELA Nacional de Música in Havana hosted Rivers and Nobles for a joint concert of all three bands.
“I t hought it was the perfect opportunity to expose our students to an immersive learning opportunity in a place that was completely different from where they grew up.”
ANDREA VILLAGRÁN
the trip. Despite a language barrier, they cemented a friendship. “They told us all about what life is like in Cuba, and how they’re very passionate about being Cuban but also face some of the challenges that come with being Cuban,” Giebutowski said. “It gave me a whole new perspective into the world I wouldn’t have gotten if I hadn’t met them.”
Playing with Cuban peers trained in a different education system also offered a fresh perspective. Gabe Manasseh ’26, a percussionist, noted that unlike some jazz ensembles with a solitary drummer, the Cuban bands featured a lot of rhythm sections and percussion students. “It almost felt like a community, with how they were playing their songs,” he said. “They did it with so much joy and passion, and that inspired me and how I approach music.”
In addition to the musical and personal growth each student experienced, many participants came away from Cuba with insights into other areas.
Jack Willard ’24, a pianist and percussionist, saw a connection between the exchange in Cuba and the empathy he’ll need for his intended career in medicine.
“You can’t give the best care to
someone unless you can understand the context behind their situation,” he said. “And I think that can apply to all sorts of situations. You can’t play your best or perform your best if you don’t understand the people you’re working with. The traditions you’re exploring or the language you’re speaking are all really important.”
Arianna Martinez Cavero ’24, a violinist who is bilingual in Spanish and English, acted as a translator during the concerts and is now pursuing a degree in linguistics at Harvard.
“As someone who is passionate about linguistics, I’ve always believed that learning new languages can open your mind to whole new worlds,” she said. “As a Spanish speaker and language-lover, I was really excited to learn the ins and outs of Cuban Spanish and how it linked to Cuban culture and ways of thinking. Language is such a big part of culture, so being lucky enough to speak the local language made the trip and immersion just that much more interesting and meaningful.”
Seeing the world through a new lens is the whole point. “The idea with global education is you get decentered,” said Dahlem. “You get away from your normal day-to-
day, and they say once your mind is expanded, it never goes back. This is absolutely an example of that.”
Villagrán and other leaders are looking toward building upon the success of the 2024 trip. Crettien formed an ongoing relationship with Javier Zalba, the band director at the Escuela Nacional de Música, and there is interest on both sides in continuing the connection and hosting the Cuban students at Rivers in the future.
Because the level of musical excellence in Cuba extends beyond jazz, it might be possible to expand the exchange to include Rivers classical musicians. There’s also talk of adding an athletics component, with the baseball team.
Villagrán said the connection with Cuba opens the door to meaningful new ways for students to explore the world beyond Rivers. “We like to engage across differences on this campus, and I want for us to engage across differences in the world— whether that world is two towns over or anywhere else,” she said. “That’s what I want these programs to accomplish.” R
Hear directly from the participants on the Cuba trip and hear the music for yourself.
TO WATCH THE MINIDOCUMENTARY
Oh, the Humanities!
INTERDISCIPLINARY MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM BLENDS ENGLISH AND SOCIAL STUDIES
ABOVE: Sarah Cohen, Grade 6 humanities; BELOW: Jeff Baker, Grade 8 humanities
As a student, Sarah Cohen P’25, ’26 sometimes questioned why English and social studies were taught as entirely unrelated subjects. “I always felt that the skills and knowledge developed in English and social studies were closely linked,” says the Grade 6 humanities teacher. “I viewed them as so intertwined.”
T hat’s why Cohen and her colleagues in the Middle School humanities department embrace the Rivers approach. Instead of treating English and social studies as separate disciplines, the curriculum combines the two, for reasons that are intentional, thoughtful, and tied to the intellectual and developmental needs of students in Grades 6 through 8. Sixth graders take on the world and water as their humanities subject; seventh graders study global citizenship; and Grade 8 students tackle systems of justice and injustice.
An interdisciplinary approach is one of the cornerstones of a Rivers education. Middle School humanities is interdisciplinary in the broadest sense, at times touching on not just English and social studies but science, art, math, and more. Melissa Dolan ’98, a former Grade 8 humanities teacher who now consults on the Middle School’s curriculum, notes that “humanities was built on the understanding that student learning is strengthened when the connections between disciplines and concepts are explored on a regular basis.”
“We’re preparing students for English and history, but it’s not just English plus history,” she continues. “It’s recognizing the power of bringing two or more disciplines together to explore real-world issues that could not be done on their own. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
A POWERFUL PIVOT
The approach leaves plenty of room for connecting the classroom with the outside world—and for pivoting when local, national, and world events become powerful catalysts for learning and growth. The Grade 7 humanities faculty team of Eitan Tye and Walker Anderson found itself in that position last fall, when the events of October 7 in Israel escalated hostilities in the Middle East.
Tye had spent the previous year in Tel Aviv, earning a master’s degree in global migration and policy. With the conflict too important to ignore, he emailed John Bower, head of the Middle School, asking whether he and Anderson might shift the curriculum to include a unit on Israel, Palestine, and the long, complex history behind the war.
It wasn’t an “immediate green light,” Bower recalls. But after much discussion with Dolan and the Upper School history, English, and interdisciplinary studies department heads, says Bower, “We said, ‘Go for it!’”
Go for it they did, ordering new materials and planning lessons. “They were off and running, feeling well supported by the department and academic leadership,” says Bower.
The class took as its primary text a young adult version of the book The Lemon Tree, supplementing it with additional readings to provide historical context and balance. Says Tye, “The Lemon Tree is a remarkable
nonfiction story about an Israeli Jew and a Palestinian who had lived in the same house at different times. After the creation of Israel, they met and formed a friendship, and that house became a center for coexistence. It felt like a really effective choice of a book to read.”
Another key component of the unit had the Grade 7 students m aking presentations to Upper School students during advisory. They had researched coexistence organizations working to bring Israeli and Palestinian youth together, and they were poised and well prepared to field the inevitable questions and comments.
Taking on this fraught topic might have seemed a bit risky. “I know a lot of schools aren’t diving into it. We were focused on teaching a variety of perspectives and using essential questions to guide our teaching of the unit,” says Tye. “Where are there multiple perspectives that all contain truth? How can people find shared values? We really try to use questions to provide as balanced a perspective as possible.”
A nderson adds the inherent ambiguity in this approach is challenging. “We said, ‘You’re not going to know the solution at the end. The world’s smartest people haven’t been able to solve this in 50 years, and we’re not going to.’ That can be frustrating, because kids are solutions-oriented. But you’ve got to understand the world before you can change it,” he says. “One of the greatest gifts we can give our students is to help them embrace complexity.”
Tye and Anderson’s work in teaching about the war will soon have a reach that goes beyond Rivers. The two were selected to present on the topic at the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) conference in November, the largest gathering of its kind for middle school teachers and administrators.
Tye says when he talks about teaching the unit, “many people’s first reaction is, ‘Wow, they let you do that? You really want to get into that?’ So for me, this conference is less about, ‘Let me show you that I’m the expert’ than ‘Let me show you that it’s possible— that we can get into more complicated geopolitical topics.’”
INTRODUCING THE CONCEPT
Rivers students arrive in Grade 7 ready to tackle such substantive matters, having gone through the Grade 6 humanities course. There, the groundwork is laid, as Cohen leads them through an interdisciplinary curriculum that is focused on water.
First, says Cohen, she introduces them to the concept of humanities. “They’ve never had the subject before. They’ve had English and social studies, but they’ve never had an interdisciplinary class,” she says. She encourages them to notice the fact that “the word ‘human’ is in there. We talk about how humans get to know each other, through stories, art, laws, architecture—so many ways. So after we get an idea of what ‘humanities’ might be, we talk about how we’re going to study their culture
and experiences by examining their relationship with water.”
Over the course of the year, students look at life along the Ganges, humanity’s connections with whales, and the destructive power of water, as it played out during Hurricane Katrina. They pick up trash along the Charles River, visit the Waterworks Museum, and, as a culminating project, conduct and present independent research on an environmental challenge facing a particular body of freshwater somewhere in the world. Grade 6 humanities also includes a newsliteracy component, as a way of creating a scaffolding for students to talk about current events; Bruce Taylor ’73 picks up and amplifies that theme in his Grade 7 media literacy class.
The framework of water, so universal and relatable, allows Grade 6 students to “stretch their perception over the course of the year,” says Cohen. “It helps grow their abstract thinking skills, respect other realities, ask questions and pursue answers; it’s so developmentally appropriate for sixth graders.
“At this age,” she continues, “kids are explorers at heart. If you can
harness that, it gives them a natural foundation.”
AGENCY AND AUTONOMY
That foundation carries them through Grade 7’s Global Citizenship curriculum and on into Grade 8’s Systems of Justice and Injustice. Here again, the curriculum meets the students where they are, developmentally and intellectually.
“Anyone who knows 14-year-old students knows they are acutely aware of fairness and unfairness,” says Dolan. “They are hungry for real-world connections.”
They find those connections in their Grade 8 humanities classroom, where Jeff Baker and Caroline Boston work in concert to explore the systems that underpin justice and injustice. Baker previously taught at the college level, and he says he appreciates the relative lack of cynicism among middle schoolers. “The kids seem far more open and willing to be surprised,” he says. “That’s something I’ve always loved about teaching: when a student is open to being surprised, not only by the material, but by what they’re capable of doing with it.”
At the same time, he says, the eighth graders share some of the same concerns that trouble college students. “The material may be different, but the questions are the same: What is freedom? What is equality? How does one effect change? What are the values that inform the change we want to see? The kids, I quickly came to realize, wanted these conversations.”
Describing the class, Baker says that “on paper, it’s an interdisciplinary course that looks through the American experience through the lens of various identities, and the ways power has led to change. But really, my short answer is that it’s a class of ideas.”
While the course follows a framework and curriculum, culminating in a capstone independent research project, Baker appreciates having the freedom and latitude to go
Walker Anderson, Grade 7 humanities
“ One of the greatest gifts we can give our students is to help them embrace complexity.”
—WALKER ANDERSON
where the students’ curiosity leads. “I want the kids to be able to determine where the lens of the course is pointed that day, as long as it’s in the spirit of the course,” he says.
For students, Baker says, the topics covered in class can come as a revelation. “We crack open the world as it is and how it got that way,” he says. “We’re looking at deeper systems that prop up these inequities. For instance, we learn about redlining, and a fuse goes off. ‘Wait, how could redlining be legal?’ They learn how it continues to impact communities, and they say, ‘Wait, what?’ It’s great to watch, and they’re grateful to have connections made. They feel like they’re being initiated into the secrets of the world.”
That can make for some challenging moments in class. “But I think kids want to be afforded the opportunity to get outside the structures of binary thinking,” says Baker. “When they begin to be introduced to complexity and nuance, while it can make them uncomfortable, it can give them so many more ways to approach the world, and that can be liberating. I love to see them wrestle with that challenge. I tell them we’re not going to get an answer. We might not get where we think we’re supposed to go, but if we ask better questions, we’re going to get closer.”
Baker encourages a range of viewpoints in the classroom. “One of my most engaged students was deeply conservative,” he recalls, “which led to some of the best discussions in class. I don’t want to teach kids what to t hink but how to think—and how to feel. The first means nothing without the second.”
Perhaps most important for this age group, Baker allows the students to experience their own growing sense of autonomy as independent readers, writers, and thinkers. “Kids want to feel they have agency, and they feel honored to be offered agency at an age when most of the grown-ups in the world aren’t always hearing them,” he says.
READY FOR THE RIGOR AHEAD
The humanities sequence is intended to lay a firm foundation for more advanced English and history classes, and some of that is accomplished by real and consistent collaboration among its members, says Tye.
“It’s a really strong team, and we’re clear as a department what our priorities are,” says Tye. “If you asked each one of us ‘What do you want to get out of class, and what do you want
students to get out of class?’ you’d have shades of the same answer. The goal is not to have kids memorize dates and locations; the goal is to help them develop as writers, readers, and thinkers.”
Says Bower, “If we can get students to wrestle with depth and complexity, then they can arrive in the Upper School and beyond ready to navigate complex issues. Those are the tangible skills we want students to walk away with.”
W hen teachers exercise their freedom to pivot, it is always grounded in skill-building, notes Dolan. Paraphrasing education researcher David Perkins, she calls it “educating for the unknown,” and it underlies the entire humanities trajectory. “All we do is teach for the unknown,” she says, noting that the rise of AI and unforeseen events such as COVID have made qualities like flexibility and resilience more important than ever. “It’s a testament to the ways in which the curriculum is responsive, rather than reactive. The students don’t know what’s coming down the pike—but they’re ready for it.” R
Eitan Tye, Grade 7 humanities
BY CATHERINE O’NEILL GRACE
CHANGERS WORLD
THE WORK TAKES INTEGRITY AND PERSEVERANCE—INTEGRITAS ET SEDULITAS
THE RIVERS SCHOOL, says its mission statement, seeks to “prepare its students for leadership in a world that desperately needs their talents, imagination, intellect, and compassion.” To put it another way, and following Rivers’ philosophy of Excellence with Humanity, it’s a world that needs excellent humans. The graduates profiled in this story are just that. They are connecting the hungry with surplus food. Supporting independent living for the disabled. Working to repair a broken student-loan system. Lifting up children in Africa and the U.S. through sport. Using the power of the Massachusetts State House to build community. Convincing international corporations that sustainability is good for business. Offering comfort to grieving children. It’s a diverse range of pursuits, but these all have one thing in common: Each one is living the Rivers mission and making the world a better place.
ADDRESSING SUSTAINABILITY
NINA BIRGER ’06
Vice President of Climate Solutions | Chooose | Bozeman, MT
NINA BIRGER’S CAREER trajectory to the climate tech industry began in an unexpected place: the peace and justice studies program at Tufts University.
The discipline “is essentially a version of international relations or sociology, but with a focus on peace and justice,” Birger says. “The running joke from my family was it qualified me to be a cult leader and not much else. But I really focused on the international climate protection movement within it. I was fortunate to find work that ended up directly pulling from that.”
After graduation, Birger got a job with Ceres, a Boston-based nonprofit sustainability advocacy organization that she had researched for her Tufts classes. From there, she went on to earn an M.B.A. at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, focusing on innovation and sustainability. A position at Greentown Labs, which Birger describes as “a big player in the climate tech ecosystem in the Boston area,” followed.
In 2022 Birger joined Chooose, an international startup that provides software tools to support decarbonization programs for companies in high-emitting sectors, such as aviation. “We work with them to support their customers in understanding the carbon emission estimates associated with specific activities. A lot of the work that we do today focuses on sustainable aviation fuel,” she says.
Based in Oslo, Norway, Chooose is a remote-first organization. “The rest of us are satellites,” says Birger. Once she and her husband, who works in venture capital, both had fully remote jobs, they relocated from Boston to Montana. “We had been itching to move westward, a little closer to nature,” she says. “The access to hiking and trails for trail running and skiing is incredible. It’s a very nice place to live.”
Working in climate-related tech, Birger is optimistic, but not unrealistic, about the future. “If you look at climate science, you should feel urgency—you should feel nervous,” she says. “That set of emotions is a realistic response to the state of play. But I also think we have the tools at hand to make a transition that supports climate mitigation and climate resiliency. We have every reason to be hopeful. I recognize the urgency, and I want to focus on what can be done.”
HARNESSING THE POWER OF SPORTS
LINDSEY CRONIN KITTREDGE ’95
Co-Founder and Chief Advancement Officer | Shooting Touch | Boston, MA, and Rwanda
LINDSEY KITTREDGE WAS one of 13 girls in her class at Rivers. “I loved it—the small classes and the creative electives. I played three sports and was super active. I received the Priscilla Wallace Strauss athletic award,” she says, adding, “My husband and daughters chuckle about that, knowing that there were so few girls to choose from.”
Fast-forward to 2006, when Kittredge, living in South Boston with a new baby, witnessed something powerful. Her husband, Justin, a “true basketball junkie” who headed up Reebok footwear’s basketball division, loved to coach on the weekends.
“He went over to the Boston Athletic Club in Southie and coached some kids who couldn’t afford other programs,” she recalls. “The Boston Athletic Club knew him and gave him free court space. It was very much an organic thing, just out of the purity of his passion.” Each weekend, more and more kids would turn up to play. “He kept coming home and saying, ‘I think there’s a real need for this type of programming in the city.’”
Kittredge had worked in marketing and project management before her daughter was born, and she had an idea: “I naively said, ‘Why don’t we create a nonprofit?’ And so, in 2007, that is what we did.” For the first couple of years, they offered free athletic programming through local camps and clinics. “From there,” says Kittredge, “we branched out internationally.”
Today, that grassroots effort has evolved into Shooting Touch, an international sport-for-development organization. Its mission is to mobilize the power of basketball to bridge health and opportunity gaps for youth and women facing racial, gender, and economic inequalities. Shooting Touch has expanded to reach over 300,000 youth and women. In 2023, the organization provided mental, social, and physical education and intervention to some 30,500 individuals by turning basketball courts into public health classrooms and clinics across its two program arms in Boston and Rwanda, where it has operated since 2012.
Shooting Touch recently partnered with UNESCO on its gender equity work in Rwanda and is supported by the NBA, Converse, New Balance, and the Boston Celtics, to name a few. It has also caught the attention of NBA players like Grant Williams, who sits on the board, and Pat Connaughton, who recently invested funds to build a Shooting Touch court in Rwanda. Last spring, Kittredge returned to the Rivers campus to address the Class of 2024 at the Senior Breakfast, encouraging students to follow their passions just as she has followed her own.
Sports creates “a unifying, leveling space where a lot of people can coexist,” says Kittredge, who played Division I lacrosse at the University of Vermont. “Like Nelson Mandela said, it has the power to change the world.”
“Like Nelson Mandela said, [sport] has the power to change the world.”
HELPING GRIEVING CHILDREN
LOUISE CUMMINGS ’98
Executive Director | Supporting Kidds | Hockessin, DE
“There is a tremendous need for our services.”
APERSONAL TRAGEDY led Louise Cummings to her work as executive director of Supporting Kidds, a nonprofit in Hockessin, Delaware, that serves children aged 5 to 18 who have lost an immediate family member.
In April 2017, Cummings was working as an attorney for Comcast when her husband, Stephen Ballard, a Delaware State Police officer, was shot and killed in the line of duty. Their daughter was 5 years old. To help her little girl, she turned to Supporting Kidds.
“It’s about five minutes from our house, but I never knew what it was,” says Cummings, who is also a Rivers trustee. Her daughter began individual counseling in the welcoming yellow house near their home. Two years later, her daughter’s counselor reached out to Cummings and said the organization was suspending the individual sessions.
“I worked pro bono for the Support Center for Child Advocates in Philadelphia, advocating for foster children in the court system,” says Cummings. “So I started asking a lot of questions.” She discovered that Supporting Kidds,
which had been around since 1989, had gone through difficult leadership and board changes. With her legal expertise, she stepped in to assist. “The first thing that I did was to help get the individual counseling reinstated,” she says. She also helped the organization become an independent entity as a nonprofit, and she jump-started fundraising. “It took about a year and a half, through 2020, and then finally we were officially reincorporated with the same mission,” she says. The group also had a new executive director: Louise Cummings.
Supporting Kidds serves some 350 to 400 children and caregivers per year, Cummings says. “As small as Delaware is, we rank number 11 in the nation for childhood bereavement. One in 10 children in the state will lose a parent or a sibling by the time they’re 18. So there is a tremendous need for our services.” The work can be difficult and sad, but she knows the nonprofit is making a difference in children’s lives.
Cummings’ daughter is 12 now, and just started seventh grade. “She loves Supporting Kidds,” says Cummings. “She always says, ‘This is my safe space.’”
DAN ZIBEL ’95
Vice President and Chief Counsel | National Student Legal Defense Network | Washington, DC
DAN ZIBEL WENT from Rivers to Haverford College to law school at the University of Michigan to positions at two private law firms in Washington, DC. But he discovered that “was not really my cup of tea,” he says. So after a decade in private practice, he moved over to the general counsel’s office of the U.S. Department of Education.
There, he found his calling. “Since that time, my work has focused on higher education, student loans, student debt, and consumer protection—making sure that students aren’t being taken advantage of, either by colleges or by lenders or loan-servicing companies,” he says.
In 2017, Zibel left the federal government to co-found the National Student Legal Defense Network, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to advance students’ rights to educational opportunity and to ensure that higher education provides a launching point for economic mobility.
Among its many initiatives, the group advocates for the automatic discharge of student loans for individuals who are totally and permanently disabled according to Social Security rules. “If the Social Security Administration considers you to be disabled at a certain level, that presumptively satisfies the Department of Education’s standard as well. Sounds great, right?” says Zibel. But even those so designated by Social Security still had to go through another arduous application process with the Education Department to discharge their loans. Many did not pursue that path.
“What motivates me is trying to fix a broken system...It’s knowing that our work can have a true impact.”
The National Student Defense Network embarked on an advocacy campaign with the department and got it to change its rules. The result at this writing has been a staggering $11.7 billion in student loan discharges for almost 513,000 borrowers deemed to have a total and permanent disability.
“What motivates me,” says Zibel, “is trying to fix a broken system.” The rewards can be measured in more than dollars and cents. “When a client calls and says, ‘Oh, my God, what was a $60,000 loan is zero,’ it’s tangible. It’s knowing that our work can have a true impact.”
ASHLEY STANLEY ’97
Founder and CEO | Spoonfuls | Newton, MA
Her nonprofit has kept over 30 million pounds of food out of landfills.
ASHLEY STANLEY, a standout athlete during her time at Rivers, thought she was headed for a life in sports. “I played Division I soccer on a scholarship after having played three varsity sports at Rivers, including soccer, which I started in the sixth grade at Dana Hall before transferring,” she says. But in her sophomore year at the University of Rhode Island, a career-ending injury diverted that dream.
Forced to rethink her future, she turned to the familiar. Her grandfather had been a vice president at Bloomingdale’s, and Stanley went to work opening stores for Ralph Lauren. “I loved it, but it wasn’t feeding me—no pun intended,” she says.
Stanley took a step back and thought about what to do next. One day she was eating lunch in a suburban Boston restaurant. “There were only two of us, and there was so much food,” she recalls. Looking around, she realized that every table was similarly laden. “There was a little bit of electricity in my mind about it,” she says. “I woke up for days thinking we couldn’t be the only people in the only restaurant in the only town with not just enough, but with so much too much.”
In December 2009, Stanley began picking up surplus food at Boston-area grocery stores and delivering it to the Pine Street Inn, a shelter downtown. But she believed
she could do more. By 2010, she had launched the Spoonfuls (then known as Lovin’ Spoonfuls) food recovery and redistribution service, with a single food recovery route in Greater Boston. Today, a fleet of trucks delivers excess food from grocery stores, wholesalers, and farms to community organizations across Massachusetts that serve people facing food insecurity. Spoonfuls is the largest food recovery operation of its kind in New England. To date, the nonprofit has kept over 30 million pounds of good food out of landfills—enough for more than 24 million meals.
Stanley has represented Spoonfuls at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in 2022, and she has spoken about her work as a guest lecturer at Harvard, MIT, Babson, and elsewhere. She aims to expand Spoonfuls beyond Massachusetts. One day, she hopes, food recovery will be as widely available as recycling is today.
Reflecting back on her years at Rivers, Stanley says, “High school is a time to think about the future and think of who and what you might want to be out in the world. The fundamentals of sport have always been my North Star, and being a three-season athlete at Rivers certainly cemented that for me.”
RASHELLE CENTEIO ’16
Director of Community Development and District Director | Massachusetts State Senate | Boston, MA
“Even when a case feels hopeless, we don’t shut them down.”
RASHELLE CENTEIO is paying it forward. As a staffer for Massachusetts State Sen. Liz Miranda, she provides her community with the kind of care Miranda provided to Centeio’s family—back when Centeio was not yet a colleague but simply a constituent facing a challenge.
“My dad was diagnosed with cancer,” says Centeio, “and we did not know where to turn. I was trying to get in contact with the hospital about his insurance, and it felt like they were just treating me like a case. When I was connected with Sen. Miranda, she took my case personally. I cried because I didn’t expect that a politician could be so compassionate.”
Through Miranda’s efforts, her father was seen at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Sadly, his illness proved fatal, but Centeio never forgot the connection Miranda made with her and her family. Later, she pursued a job in Miranda’s office.
Born and raised in Dorchester, Centeio is the daughter of Cape Verdean immigrants. After Rivers, she earned degrees in psychology and legal studies, along with a certificate in criminology, at UMass Amherst. She began
working as a legislative aide for Miranda, then a state representative, in 2021; the following year, when Miranda won election to the state senate, Centeio stayed with her to serve as community development director and district director. Miranda’s legislative agenda includes increasing affordable housing, mental health support for young students, and the quality of reproductive care with a focus on Black maternal health.
Casework with constituents is an important part of Centeio’s job. “It can be very taxing at times, but it’s one of my favorite pieces,” she says. “It takes a lot for someone to reach out and ask for help and be vulnerable about something that’s impacting their day-to-day. Being the person that could make the end of that day feel a lot better is very satisfying.”
“Even when a case feels hopeless, we don’t shut them down,” she adds. She worked for a year to secure housing for a constituent, for example. “It felt like every referral I was making was falling through. We were able to get him into his own unit. He’s there right now, and he’s very happy. It was a testament that it’s important to keep trying.”
BY
PHOTO
WEBB CHAPPELL
PROMOTING INDEPENDENT LIVING FOR ALL
THOMAS J. “TJ” HILL ’93
Executive Director | Disability Community Resource Center | Los Angeles, CA
“IWAS SHAPED by my own learning disabilities,” says TJ Hill, who has spent his career advocating for people with disabilities. “My sister had cerebral palsy. Disability is part of my consciousness.”
After Rivers, Hill attended the University of Arizona, majoring in psychology with a minor in special education and rehabilitation. “Even before graduation, I ended up working at a nonprofit, doing habilitation support for adults with traumatic brain injury and developmental disabilities,” he says. “I knew then that this work was really, really important.”
He went to law school at Washington University in St. Louis and interned with Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin’s office, where he contributed to the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Hill moved to Los Angeles to join his husband, a television art director, taking a position as a lawyer with the city’s Disability Rights Legal Center. The job reawakened his desire to do hands-on work with people with disabilities. In 2018, Hill became executive director of the Disability Community Resource Center (DCRC) in L.A. DCRC’s mission is to provide people with disabilities of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds with the tools they need to overcome barriers to their independence in housing, employment, and health care. The nonprofit serves over 2,000 people each year.
“This has been a really transformative place for me,” Hill says. “It was one of the first independent living centers in the country. Now there are 28 independent
living centers in the state of California, over 400 across the United States, and hundreds and hundreds all over the world. And that started here.”
Hill says the work is not easy, and it’s hard to leave it behind when he goes home: “ That’s one of the things about nonprofit and social services jobs in general. You can’t ever fully detach, and it becomes a really big part of your identity.”
The faculty at Rivers, he says, played an important role in helping him find his career path. “My experience was that there were these really incredible teachers. They were such interesting and dynamic people in their own right, and all of those folks had a significant influence on me,” he says. “I don’t think I was a typical New England kind of student. When I left Rivers, I knew that I wanted to go out West and try something different. The faculty were just really supportive of that—they were kind of like, ‘Create your own journey. Make your own destiny.’ And that was really special.”
Hill believes advocating for disability rights is part of the social justice movement, pointing out that one in four Americans today is over the age of 65, and one in three has a disability. “The question we need to ask,” he says, “is ‘How do we create a society of belonging for everyone?’ ” R
Catherine O’Neill Grace is a freelance writer in the Boston area. She was moved and inspired by the people she interviewed for this article.
Meet Our New Trustees
The Rivers School is delighted to welcome three new term trustees to the Board this year. Their experience, expertise, and enthusiasm make them a vital addition to the team.
KATHRYN (JIGARJIAN) FAGIN ’01
Kathryn Fagin ’01 serves on the Development and Facilities Committees and is the 2024–25 alumni chair of The Rivers Fund. Kathryn founded and runs her own interior design company, KJ Designs LLC, which she has established over the past 11 years. Kathryn also serves on the Rivers Alumni Council and on the board of The Community Foundation for Metrowest. Kathryn has a BS in economics from Lehigh University, an MBA in business strategy from Boston University, and an MID in interior design from Boston Architectural College. Kathryn and
her husband, Brett Fagin, are parents to two children who currently attend The Meadowbrook School.
CHRISTOPHER T. LEE P’29
Chris Lee serves on the Finance Committee and the Investments Subcommittee. He is a CIO and portfolio manager at Fidelity Investments, where he is on the equity leadership team and heads a number of team-managed portfolios. Chris previously served as the investment committee chair at the Shady Hill School in Cambridge, MA, from 2019 to 2021 and as a member of the board of trustees at Shady Hill for a period of six years, through 2020. Chris earned a BA in East Asian studies from Yale University and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. Chris and his wife, Kathryn, live in Boston and have two children, A ndrew ’29 and Sophia (Noble and Greenough School ’24).
MARC
ROSENFELD P’23, ’26, ’28
Marc Rosenfeld serves on the Development and Facilities Committees. He is the founder and CEO of CommCan, a vertically integrated Massachusetts-based cannabis company serving both the medical and adult-use markets. Prior to founding CommCan in 2015, Marc maintained a legal practice with a focus on real estate, primarily zoning and litigation. Marc is also a principal in Rosenfeld Realty, a real estate development company with residential and commercial projects throughout the MetroWest. Marc is a graduate of the St. Sebastian’s School and holds a BA from Brandeis University, an MBA from Bentley University, and a JD from Suffolk Law School. Marc and Jennifer Rosenfeld are parents to Anna ’23, Max ’26, and Jake ’28. Currently, Marc and Jen serve as the parent co-chairs of The Rivers Fund. R
FROM LEFT: Kathryn (Jigarjian) Fagin ’01, Christopher T. Lee P’29, Marc Rosenfeld P’23, ’26, ’28
THE RIVERS FUND reflects the collaborative spirit of our community. Through contributions large and small, the annual fund helps keep our facilities updated, expands our financial aid program, and creates dynamic new learning opportunities, all while prioritizing connection and belonging.
Fiscal year 2024, which ended in June, was a notable one for the annual fund. The numbers in the accompanying graphic tell the story. Among other achievements, our community set a record for parent and caregiver participation and for overall dollars raised.
“We are so grateful for every contribution, no matter its size,” said Julia Wills, who joined Rivers as director of annual giving in March 2024. “Gifts to the annual fund truly represent our community’s commitment to Rivers.” R
157 FIRST-TIME DONORS
1,468
DONORS TO THE RIVERS FUND
$433K FROM 558 DONORS ON GIVING DAY
$3,496,491
TOTAL GIVING TO THE RIVERS FUND
$395,281
TOTAL GIVING TO THE CONSERVATORY
975 DONORS GAVE IN 2+
CONSECUTIVE YEARS
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SUPPORTING THE RIVERS FUND, please contact Julia Wills (j.wills@rivers.org) or visit our website: https://www.rivers.org/giving.
329 DONORS GAVE MORE THAN THEY DID LAST YEAR
RECORD PARENT AND CAREGIVER PARTICIPATION
93%
$5,689,762
TOTAL CASH RAISED
ALUMNI NEWS
1940s
David Steinberg ’46 writes, “At 95 years old, in spite of the excellent exposure to literature by Professor Gallagher at Rivers, I have had the quiet ability to expand the literature gaps in my education through Project Gutenberg on the web. No personal excitement except those from reading great works. My best to all of you.”
1960s
Joseph Scott ’60 writes, “A new project in late retirement: Finding pairs of seniors who want to recover their French by using my book En Parlant from Wayside Publishing. It is a great pleasure to find new uses for materials created during 40 years of teaching French—for children then, for adults now.”
Fred Scoty ’63 writes, “Travels take my wife, Darcy, and me to Atlanta and St. Petersburg pretty regularly to catch up with our four grandchildren. Maine is always on the agenda too. I have fond memories of the class of ’63 and our assorted antics. Where is everyone else?”
Court Dwyer ’66 writes, “Sue and I moved to the coast from Damariscotta Lake. We are in a cottage on the shores of Penobscot Bay in Belfast, Maine. It was tough going due to some medical challenges occurring at the same time as the move, but we are moved in and enjoying the summer and fall weather on the ocean. This year included a new all-electric car and a new boat. Boat is a coastal cruiser: getting acclimated to offshore saltwater versus lake water. Kara and Vince and our grandchildren, three boys, are in Massachusetts and Virginia. We see them throughout the year. After several European Viking river and ocean cruises, we are finally doing one of Sue’s bucket-list items and spending just over a month taking a cruise to Hawaii and Polynesia. Medical issues get more complicated as we age, but life is still good, and we are extremely happy where we are and how we are living. We see many of the Class of ‘66 who live in Maine throughout the year. Nine out of 28 graduates are living in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, two of whom summer here. We are ‘getting on’ as they say, but still holding to a very low mortality rate. Most of us are still kicking. I still try to get to doo-wop concerts when I can. The picture [top left] is of me with two of the Coasters at a concert on Long Island. Hi to everyone from our class.”
COURT DWYER ‘66 (left) met two members of the Coasters at a recent concert.
DAVID GREEN ’67 sent greetings from Japan, where he has lived for many years.
David Green ’67 writes, “Greetings from Japan. I’m still running our summer camps for children down at the beach and our winter ski/board camps for children and families in Shiga Kogen (discoverjapan. co.jp). If you enjoy amazing powder, come on over. I went to the 50th reunion in 2017 and made it to the 55th reunion in 2022. Looking forward to joining the next one for the Class of ’67. Keep well, everyone!”
1970s
Mark Klett ’72 writes,” I am pleased to report that I began my retirement from the firm I founded more than 20 years ago, KCG, Inc. Also, I had the honor of meeting with Congresswoman Jen Kiggans and U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson at a luncheon this summer.”
Barry Sloane ’73 writes, “Candace and I are proud to report that our son Jack is a first-year med student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, our son Charles is a senior at MIT heading (hopefully) to med school, and our son Marshall is very happily at TA Associates in Boston.”
Doug Macpherson ’74 writes, “Celebrating my 50th reunion with many classmates was so enjoyable—catching up with some whom I haven’t seen since graduation in ’74! I’ve recently retired after supporting individuals with disabilities since 1978. I am enjoying retirement, traveling and getting things done (or not) whenever I want to. Looking forward to many more travels coming up!”
Fernando Muñoz del Rio ’74 writes: “Hello, Rivers family. After enjoying my 50th Reunion on May 18 with many of my schoolmates from a one-year exchange many years ago, I’m back at home reminiscing how this marvelous school changed my mind from a life career in medicine to one in geological oceanography in just 10 months. Living now in my 14th year of retirement, enjoying good health, and being completely thankful for the opportunity to be at Rivers once again, I salute all of you, faculty and students, and I urge you to take pride in the institution you live day by day, which will grant you multiple and honorable benefits in years to come!”
Robert Tremblay ’74 writes, “In October, I will be teaching another course as a volunteer for LLAIC (Lifelong Learners: An Independent Collaborative) at Temple Shalom in Newton. The class is titled The History of 1960s TV. I taught previous
FERNANDO MUÑOZ DEL RIO ’74 sent along this photo from last spring’s reunion. In attendance were (from left) Fernando, David Timlin ’74, Joel Holzwasser ’74, Richard Anderson ’74, Brian Cavanaugh ’75, Sturdy Waterman ’74, Doug MacPherson ’74, Jeff Holden ‘74, and Nick Vantine ‘74
THOMAS KLETT ’77 went to the Norfolk Tide (AAA defending champions) game on opening day and caught a ball.
MARK KLETT ’72 met U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Congresswoman Jen Kiggans at a recent luncheon.
classes at LLAIC on film criticism, classical music appreciation, history of 1960s rock ‘n’ roll, and the history of the movie musical. I also continue to write screenplays and am in the process of turning one of my scripts into my first novel. I am now looking for a publisher. Though I’m retired as a newspaper film critic, I still review movies. I also continue to play tennis even though my knees are shot to hell.”
Thomas Klett ’77 writes, “I am now rooted in Virginia, working for a firm best known by its mascot lizard. Since moving to Virginia Beach, thanks to the internet, I can now cheer on the Red Wings from afar. I am very proud to be a part of Rivers Red Wings Nation, following the best football and basketball teams!”
Mark Rosen ’77 writes, “I got married in August 2022. We went to San Francisco for our honeymoon. Laura and I live in Natick.”
Tom Navoni ’78 writes, “In July I was with George (Biff) Suttcliffe ’70 (who graduated with my brother Jim Navoni ’70) at Camp Deerwood in Holderness, NH. Biff has been at the camp since 1968 and has retired from a long career of teaching science at the Tilton School.”
1990s
Philip Trauring ’92 writes, “I published my first book, an annotated edition of Mark Twain’s The Innocents Abroad. The book contains over 1,200 footnotes covering history, geography, biography, mythology, and biblical and literary references. It was a labor of love, with much gratitude to Eric Suby, who taught me to love literature. He was the only teacher who assigned me Stephen King.”
Sameer Agarwal ’96 recently joined Blueland, an innovative eco-cleaning-products company, as chief commercial officer, leading the marketing and sales teams.
Becca Mohler ’96 writes, “Hi, Rivers! I wanted to say hello and thank you! Rivers instilled in me a love of music and art that has stayed with me throughout my life and career. My husband, Billy, and I live in California with our three kids, Leotie, Wolf, and Van. We own a music school called Cal Heights Music (www.calheightsmusic. com). My first album for children, titled Little Coyotes: Songs to Howl & Sing, came out on October 18! I am forever grateful to the amazing teachers for art education,
as niece Harper Pierce, left, recently joined the Class of 2028.
music lessons at the Rivers Music School, and theater experiences I had during my time at Rivers. A big hello to everyone!”
2000s
Grady O’Gara ’03 writes, “I’ve started a new job at Monarch Private Capital, a tax credit equity firm in Atlanta, GA. My two boys—Rowan, 8, and Miller, 5—are keeping us very busy with their school and sports schedules!”
Timothy Gustus ’04 writes, “This fall, my niece, Harper Pierce ’28, started at The
Rivers School in the ninth grade. She will be bringing her top-tier soccer talents to the ISL. I couldn’t be happier that she will get to experience the opportunities afforded by attending Rivers. I can’t wait to come see her hit the field! Go Red Wings!”
Brian Hoefling ’08 circumnavigated the globe in July and August of 2024, conducting research for his forthcoming fourth book about alcohol, Dryads: Spirits of the Trees, which will focus on spirits distilled from tree sap from around the world.
MARK ROSEN ’77 traveled to San Francisco in August 2022 for his honeymoon.
TIMOTHY GUSTUS ’04 is now a proud Rivers uncle,
BRYAN AND BECCA (YAU) SCHOEN, both Class of 2009, welcomed baby Jacoby in May. He joins big sisters Emi and Gigi.
YOUNG ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2024
Jillian Dempsey ’09: The Pursuit
IN SIXTH GRADE, Jillian Dempsey ’09’s teacher asked the students to imagine the highlights of their future biographies. A highlight of Dempsey’s was playing hockey at Harvard and captaining the team, and as part of the project, she created a mock-up of a game program with her face on the cover.
“I look back on that project fondly,” says Dempsey. And for good reason: Dempsey went on to skate for Harvard, leading the team to a 2013 Ivy League championship. Since then, Dempsey—now an elementary school teacher and a professional hockey player—has gone on to notch countless accomplishments, both in the rink and the classroom. But one accolade she perhaps never envisioned receiving was the Rivers Young Alumni Achievement Award; Dempsey can now add that honor to her future biography, as the 2024 recipient.
of Passion
Dempsey arrived at Rivers as an eighth grader and immediately became part of the varsity girls’ hockey team. The program was still young, and, says Dempsey, “I got to be part of building it. That was pretty special.” The dedicated athlete also played soccer and lacrosse at Rivers, but hockey was truly her passion.
Or, to be more accurate, one of her passions. “I always loved school,” Dempsey says. After college, while pursuing her dream of playing professional hockey, she also took on a teaching job, joining the Teach For America program in Lawrence, MA, and earned a master’s degree in education.
“I found quickly that teaching was something that really drove me and that I was passionate about,” she says. As luck would have it, in the years following Dempsey’s college graduation, efforts were underway to launch a professional women’s hockey league. The complicated process is ongoing, but Dempsey was able to join the Boston Pride, a pro team in the National Women’s Hockey League, which eventually became the Premier Hockey Federation. She spent eight seasons with the Pride, six of them as captain, and led the team to three Isobel Cup championships. The PHF eventually folded, and Dempsey played in Montreal last year for the new PWHL, which replaced it. As of this writing, she wasn’t sure where hockey would next take her, but she planned to attend the PWHL Boston t raining camp in November to try out for a roster spot. Through much of this time, she kept teaching, juggling the demands of two jobs she loved. “Yes, it was exhausting and very busy, but I felt lucky to be pursuing both of my passions,” says Dempsey.
She attributes much of her success in that endeavor to Rivers. As a student-athlete, she says, she learned “time management, and how to manage a busy schedule.”
B eyond that, she says, “Rivers really shaped who I am today and put me on the path to everything I’ve done since then. I loved my time there.” R
Becca (Yau) Schoen ’09 writes, “Bryan [Schoen ’09] and I are overjoyed to share news of the birth of our third child, Jacoby Elliot Schoen. ‘Baby Coco’ joined our crew on May 26, 2024. His big sisters, Emi, 4, and Gigi, 2, are over the moon in love with their baby brother! We must share: Jacoby’s name was inspired by our experience at Rivers! Coming up with a baby boy name proved difficult for us. In a lighthearted manner, we decided to try out some names inspired by how we met: River, Winter, Jacoby (after all, we did sit
next to each other in Ms. Jacoby’s English class)—and then it stuck! Welcome, Jacoby Elliot Schoen, Class of 2042!”
Kimberly (Stevenson) Tutaj ’09 writes, “Two years ago, on October 8, 2022, my husband Mark and I welcomed our son, Aurelius (Ari) Tutaj. Today, he is the most active little toddler, constantly keeping us on our toes.”
2010s
Kelsey (Young) Brennan ’12 writes, “I got married on April 20 in St. Pete Beach, FL.” See photo, page 43.
Winston Pingeon ’12 writes, “My painting ‘Peace Circle’ was selected for an exhibition titled ‘Officers as Artists: Creative Expression of Those Who Serve’ at the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, D.C. The painting was inspired by the events and my experience as a U.S. Capitol Police officer on January 6, 2021, and depicts the Peace monument where Grief weeps on the shoulder of History. I sought to contrast the beauty of our Capitol dome with the harsh ugliness of the razor-wire fence that soon encircled the building. My art is a creative outlet
2024 ALUMNI EXCELLENCE AWARD: STURDY WATERMAN ’74
IN MAY, THIS YEAR’S Alumni Excellence Award was presented to Sturdy Waterman, a member of the Class of 1974. Waterman has built Page Waterman Gallery & Framing of South Natick into one of foremost businesses of its type in the area. Clients rely on his skill, knowledge, and consummate good taste to bring out the best in their precious works of art and keepsakes.
Waterman has been active in the Rivers Alumni Association, serving on the Alumni Council and as a mentor. He has volunteered for his class as a member of the Reunion Committee, ensuring classmates stay connected to one another and to Rivers. For his ongoing support and engagement with Rivers, the Alumni Association was pleased to honor him with this year’s award. Waterman was profiled in the summer 2022 issue of the Riparian, which can be found at www.rivers.org/the-riparian. R
Sara Stephenson ’18 writes, “As I complete my final few semesters of my master’s degree in biotechnology at Johns Hopkins, I was just hired to begin a job at a biotechnology startup called ARV Technologies. ARV Technologies’ goal is to create mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases and therapeutic vaccines for cancer. I’m really excited about this new opportunity to learn about and hopefully contribute to their research and development areas. I also am looking forward to getting firsthand experience working through the FDA-approval process, as the company’s aim is to progress to clinical trials next.”
Zachary Zhang ’18 writes, “Hi again, Rivers! It’s been a long road, but I was commissioned as an ensign in the Navy back in February and am about to report to my ship, the USS Normandy in Norfolk. It’s been a long time coming, yet the path started at Rivers so long ago.”
2020s
Brooke Nelson ’20 writes, “I graduated from Wesleyan University this past May, majoring in economics. I had a wonderful four years at Wesleyan, where I played lacrosse, met lifelong friends, and had the opportunity to travel to Copenhagen. This summer I will be moving to New York City and will be working at TD Cowen as an investment banking analyst.”
that I’ve had since my time at Rivers, and it took on new meaning as a way to cope and heal after I was violently assaulted in the line of duty on January 6. Three of my other paintings were accepted by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, where they will someday be on display.”
Meghan Hornblower ’13 writes, “On August 24, 2024, I got married to William Krom at Topnotch Resort in Stowe,
Vermont. Will and I met as theater majors at Boston College in 2015 when he played Romeo and I played Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet. Fellow Rivers Class of 2013 alums were present as well: Bruna Lee, Ian Francis, Katie Sack, Joey Sack, Kathryn Nielsen, Vanessa Torrice, and Tim Barns.
Jefferey Lin ’15 finally completed his tour of the seven wonders of the world (eight if you count the great pyramids!).
Jessica Bargamian ’21 writes, “I spent the first three months of 2024 living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I carried out a self-designed internship in Spanish that allowed me to explore psychiatry and mental illness. I worked closely with Proyecto Suma, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals with mental illness and promoting their social and labor inclusion. This internship, which Dartmouth College’s Class of 1954 chose to fund upon my return, allowed me to apply my neuroscience and Spanish majors to real-world scenarios. My roles involved participating in daily workshops at Proyecto Suma’s psychiatric day hospital and attending weekly case discussions with psychiatrists and psychologists. I also researched labor inclusion for individuals with psychiatric conditions and helped prepare a pilot Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training program tailored for Argentina and Chile. This experience deepened my understanding of mental health care and strengthened my passion for making a tangible impact on global health.”
HEAD OF SCHOOL RYAN S. DAHLEM, right, presented the Alumni Excellence Award to Sturdy Waterman ’74 at last May’s Reunion.
Farrah Reza ’24 writes, “As a recent Rivers alum and current freshman at the University of Maryland, College Park (’28), I am adjusting to a new school and campus. As I was really involved throughout my time at Rivers, I was hoping to continue this at Maryland. I just joined Phi Alpha Delta (PAD), a law fraternity. I am excited to have this opportunity to be surrounded by students with the same interests as mine and excited to be a new member of this professional fraternity. We have recruitment events and receive our bid certifications soon, which will be a great way to meet amazing peers and expand my knowledge on this career path. I am already so inspired and excited to be involved in such an incredible group so early on in my college experience.”
RIVERS FRIENDS from the Class of 2012 helped celebrate Kelsey (Young) Brennan ’12’s April wedding. Left to right: Megan (Kerbs) Christine, Meghan McAneny, Kelsey, Brooke (Stoller) Melia, and Julia Taylor.
ZACHARY ZHANG ’18 was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy.
JEFFEREY LIN ’15, completed his tour of the seven wonders of the world.
BROOKE NELSON ’20 graduated from Wesleyan University in May.
MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2013 gathered to celebrate classmate Meghan Hornblower’s wedding to Will Krom. Left to right: Kathryn Nielsen, Joey Sack, Tim Barns, the groom and bride, Vanessa Torrice, and Katie Sack.
JESSICA BARGAMIAN ’21 recently spent three months working with a nonprofit in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
THE RIVERS CUP 2024: DAVE LYONS ’99, P’30
The Joy of College Counseling
EVERYONE HAS HEARD about how the college admission landscape has changed in recent years, becoming more competitive, more cutthroat, and more challenging to navigate. But from where Dave Lyons ’99 sits, it’s not really so different from how it’s always been—or at least, not in the ways it’s perceived to be.
“Has it gotten significantly harder to get into college?” asks Lyons, who has served as Rivers’ director of college counseling since 2012. “Not as significantly as most think.” What has changed, says the self-described “admission nerd,” is “the awareness of the process.
That’s made the anxiety levels higher, and made it a more intense process than it was, with more effort required to defuse the myths and convey an understanding of how the process works.”
In recognition of his work for Rivers and his successful shepherding of students into best-fit colleges and universities, Lyons was awarded the Rivers Cup this past spring, an annual honor given to a graduate who has shown extraordinary dedication to The Rivers School.
Lyons came back to Rivers to build a career, but that wasn’t always his intention, and neither was working in college counseling. As a college student, he took a position as an admission intern. “It was a cool job,” he says, “but not by any means what I considered a career path.” He saw himself working in media, perhaps radio, but a post-college job selling radio ads quickly put that ambition to rest. “I think I sold a total of zero ads in three months,” Lyons recalls.
So when a job opened up at his alma mater, Hamilton College, in the admission office where he’d enjoyed interning, he jumped at the opportunity. The role offered travel, collegiality, and the satisfaction of helping connect students with the right school. But Lyons longed to return to the Boston area, and after three years at Hamilton, he got a call from Head of School Tom Olverson about a position at Rivers. After a few years working under then-college counseling director Rick Rizzoli—an experience Lyons describes as “learning from the best”—Lyons took on the top job in 2012, and he’s never looked back.
Now a Rivers parent himself—daughter Paige is in the Class of 2030—Lyons has seen Rivers from many angles, and each has enhanced his appreciation of the school. As both a parent and a college counselor, he values the balance implicit in the school’s approach of Excellence with Humanity. “It really is a fantastic way of describing ourselves,” he says. “We challenge our students at every turn, but we also make sure they find the joy in their lives.” R
IN MEMORIAM
ROBERT N. CLEVERDON ’40
THE RIVERS COMMUNITY lost one of its oldest friends—and its oldest alumnus—with the August 26 passing of Robert N. “Bob” Cleverdon, Class of 1940. Cleverdon would have been 103 years old in November.
Cleverdon was a dedicated alumnus who, well into his 90s, continued to travel to campus for sporting events, Homecoming, and the school’s Veterans Day commemoration. Cleverdon served on the Alumni Council and received that body’s inaugural Distinguished Service Award in 2010.
A highlight of Cleverdon’s long and notable life was his service during World War II. In 2019, Cleverdon was awarded the French Legion of Honor Medal with Chevalier Distinction, in recognition of his wartime service.
Cleverdon attended Babson and Wentworth Institute before joining the family business, civil engineering firm Cleverdon, Varney & Pike. He and his wife, Margery, raised their four children in Wellesley. Margery passed away in 2008.
Through his words and actions, Cleverdon provided a model for a life of service, sacrifice, humility, and honor. We are proud to call him a Red Wing.
MELINDA RYAN P’00, ’02
BELOVED LONGTIME RIVERS faculty member Melinda Ryan passed away unexpectedly in July. At the time of her retirement, in 2021, she was the school’s longest-serving faculty member. Ryan was also a parent of two alumni, John ’00 and Helen ’02.
Ryan, who was hired as a teacher in 1975, served in a multitude of administrative and leadership roles over a span of 46 years. Beyond sharing her passion for the Spanish language and Spanishspeaking cultures with hundreds of students, she mentored many teachers; created the school’s Summer Session in Spain; served on numerous committees; and held the roles of department chair and grade dean.
She forged a path for women in what was once an almost exclusively male community. As an educator, she provided rigor and support in equal measure—an exemplar of Excellence with Humanity. “Teaching at Rivers,” Melinda said upon her retirement, “has never just been my job; it has really been a huge and rewarding part of my life’s work.”
Stephen L. Simmons ’77 March 28, 2024
Ronald K. Chute ’45 August 5, 2024
Rose Crettien P’05 August 25, 2024
Todd Baldwin ’51 September 15, 2024
was on display at Homecoming in October.
RIVERS SPIRIT