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Esse Quam Videri
The Suffield Bell Commencement Edition
Volume LXXIX, NO. 5
Established 1835
May 23, 2014
2014 Commencement Speaker: Walter Moore P’09, ’14
Photo by Hillary Rockwell Cahn ’88
Suffield Academy proudly welcomes Walter Moore P’09, ’14 as its keynote speaker for the 181st Commencement. Born in Mercedes, Texas, Mr. Moore was a high school football player who had his sights set on playing for the University of Texas. “Like every kid in Texas, I wanted to win the state championships and play for the Longhorns.” But life had a different plan for him. He played in the state championship, but lost. To his great surprise, the University of Texas told him he was not good enough to play for them. Then, a businessman in Mr. Moore’s hometown told him to apply to Princeton University. Mr. Moore left Texas in the fall of 1970 for New Jersey and planned to play on Princeton’s football team. It was only the third time he had ever left the state of Texas. Not surprisingly, life at Princeton was a bit of a culture shock. When Mr. Moore suffered an injury that prevented him from playing football, he dove into his studies instead. His
professors were very influential people. “I realized that these guys—my professors and my peers—were making national rules. And making rules makes the life.” Mr. Moore graduated from Princeton in 1974. A year later, he returned to Texas to work for United States Senator Lloyd Bentsen. Mr. Moore’s political aspirations eventually led him back to the University of Texas’ Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs where he earned a master’s degree in 1976. “I’d been interested in campaigning and policy since the age of 13. But winning campaigns changes the plate tectonics of policy.” Mr. Moore moved to Washington, D.C., in 1977 to work for the Federal Election Commission. Since then, he has served as a staffer in Congress and the Administration. After his public service, he worked in biotechnology for over 20 years, most of it as Vice President of Genentech. He currently works as Vice President of Federal Affairs of the American Chemistry Council.
When Mr. Moore and his wife— Board of Trustees member Pat—decided to send their sons to Suffield Academy, it stemmed from thoughtful consideration of boarding schools that had student enrollments of a similar size. Mr. Moore remembers the admissions Revisit Day in 2005 when his older son Tod was deciding between Suffield and two other boarding schools. “The first time I heard Charlie speak, I thought two things: 1) This is a remarkable man, and 2) How can I hire him to work for me?” Mr. Moore said. “We chose Suffield for our sons because the school is a transparent organization with a clear plan and vision. Charlie has a very visible strategy on how Suffield students learn and grow here, and he’s exactly the kind of guy who can run a place successfully. As a parent, it’s extremely comforting to know exactly what Suffield’s game plan is.” After graduation, Tod attended Gettysburg College. He is now working on political
campaigns in Washington, D.C. Harrison will be heading to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts this fall. When Mr. Moore was asked to be the 181st Commencement speaker, he found himself in good company, following in the footsteps of Commencement speakers Bill Belichick in 2011, Sir Howard Stringer in 2012, and Mark Tolosky in 2013. “Hey, senior parents, you’re out of luck. It’s me,” Mr. Moore joked. He’s looking forward to addressing the Class of 2014, but he’s the first one to acknowledge that “this is the graduates’ and Harrison’s day. I’m just honored to be a part of it.” Part of his advice to the graduating class will be to always have a back-up plan and focus on the people, friendships, and mentors in their lives. “Life can be surprising, so you’ve got to take risks…both in work and in love.” And then with a smile, Mr. Moore added, “But no one ever remembers their graduation speaker, so I might as well have fun.”
The Suffield Bell 2013-2014 / Commencement Edition Editor-in-Chief Nicole Matysiak ’14 Layout Editor Julie Doten ’14 Photographers Soyun Chang ’14, Charlotte Hinrichs ’14, Neelam Mahtani ’14 Special thanks to Joan Brodie, Erica Caginalp, Charlie Cahn, Hillary Rockwell Cahn ’88, Gina Manning, Marlene Rusczyk, Maeve Ryan, Tobye Cook Seck ’88, P’16, Ann Selvitelli
CLASS OF 2014 College Destinations
Christine Suzanne Arnold Ricardo Alfredo Ball Kevin James Barry Daniel Irving Berchuck Sarah Joy Boardman Dina Rose Bolella Nicholas Norman Booth Jasmine Rose Brooks Michael Tyler Burgess Dory Lynne Butcher Eugene Samuel Cavanaugh So Yun Chang Allen Yen Chen Patrick Edward Collins Benjamin David Cooper Kevin Richard Cournoyer Chase Henry Crean Alex Cruz Richard John Currey Joseph Michael D’Amico Brittney Leeah D’Oleo Peter P. Derby Brendan Scott Donahue Hannah Moffie Donnelly Julie Katharine Doten Robert Stewart Douglas Stephanie McEwen Eagan Alexandra Sule Fabricant Brandon Jeffrey Feinberg Samuel Ballarin Feldman Emily Paige Ferguson Coleen Erin Flynn Jack Henry Frank Jermaine Anthony Frazer-Phillips Slater James Fuchs Katerina Elena Gazis Philip George Gialopsos Andrew Hentschel Glennon Clare Gomez Guerreiro Jared Charles Harper Jillian Leigh Haywood Bailey James Higgins Joshua David Hillman Charlotte Anthony Hinrichs Jung Ho Hong Saralee Emily Hudson Thomas Joseph Ianello So Young Jeon Shivang Jhunjhnuwala Arianna Elizabeth Katsoulis Hannah Paige Katz Mollie Esther Kaufman Nathaniel Edward Keyes Andre Koo Jr. Gerasimos Koutoufas Camille Kousholt Laursen Haley Catherine Leishman Amanda Louise Leonard Anne Ling Henriette Lingelem
Gettysburg College Trinity College Endicott College Texas Christian University University of Connecticut St. John’s University Savannah College of Art and Design Providence College St. John’s University Endicott College Fairfield University Rutgers University University of Southern California Miami University Hamilton College The University of Tampa Fairfield University Delaware State University Elon University University of Southern California University of Richmond Southern Methodist University Bryant University Penn State University Tufts University University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Wake Forest University Lewis & Clark College The University of Scranton Bentley University Union College Fairfield University Emory University Ohio Wesleyan University Southern Methodist University Boston University University of Connecticut University of Miami Emerson College Fairfield University Swarthmore College The University of Arizona Springfield College Elon University Boston University University of California at Santa Barbara Stonehill College Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design University of Denver University of Vermont Boston University Tulane University Westminster College New York University Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Fairfield University College of the Holy Cross University of Colorado at Boulder Ithaca College A Norwegian University
Ashley Rose Lombardo Michael Charles Luisi Ayateru Maeda Sage Marie Maggi Neelam Mahtani Chad Shemar Malcolm Ryan Edward Malley Amanda Raye Mancuso Griffin Charles Manos Micaela Johnna Rose Martini Nicholas John Matera Briana Simone Matthews Nicole Matysiak Antonio David Mayol Brice Delanore McAllister Zachary James McCormick Caroline Jane Mellekas Samuel McGrath Merrick Julia Lauren Miller Charles Jeffrey Moore William Harrison Korff Moore Schyler Anne Murray Robert Francis Navarro Jonathan Bartlett Nelson Jacqueline Ann Nicoletti Benjamin Michael Niles Spencer John O’Brien Eileen Anne O’Shea Annie Lee Osiecki Antonia Pacheco Jun Hyung Park Matthew Van Powers James Patrick Quinn Jenna Marie Rubin Alexis Paige Sarris Yosi Dror Sela James Duncan Boyes Semple Mark Michael Ryan Shelanskas Pheerakorn Siripakorn Marisa Ellen Sittheeamorn Roger Thomas Siver Ingeborg Sofie Skaugen Emma Caroline Skofterud-Nilsen Denison Marie Smythe Ross Woodward Smythe II Neil Martin Spazzarini Charles Simeon Steele Michael Frederick Stern Isabelle India Thompson Izzara Kattalin Alegrado Ugarte Caroline Anders Vianney Bryan Austin Vieira Anna Elizabeth Walker Abigail Anne Wang Alec Hayden Wasser Chatman Lange Webb Donald Thomas Wheeler Daniel Lindsetmo Wiese Jordan David Williams Taiqi Zhou
Ithaca College Chapman University Bard College Bucknell University The George Washington University Reed College Rochester Institute of Technology University of Connecticut Bennington College Marist College Santa Clara University University of Connecticut Smith College Babson College University of Connecticut Stonehill College Loyola University Maryland Trinity College Franklin Pierce University Lamar University New York University Texas Christian University Lafayette College University of Colorado at Boulder Bucknell University The George Washington University Endicott College Bates College The University of Arizona Loyola University Maryland Syracuse University Rollins College Colorado State University Smith College Hofstra University University of California at Los Angeles Wake Forest University Western New England University Boston University Bates College Loyola University New Orleans Roger Williams University Franklin College Switzerland University of Virginia Texas Christian University Tufts University College of the Holy Cross Nichols College University of Denver University of San Francisco Gap Year Trinity College James Madison University New York University Bucknell University Hobart and William Smith Colleges St. Lawrence University A Norwegian University Denison University Fordham University