WINTER 2022
GOOD NEWS AND STORIES FROM THE CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR’S
CHANGING THE COURSE TOGETHER A team-taught class in climate justice tackles complex issues in new ways.
“It’s easy to talk about climate change,” says senior Chelsey Alimenti ’22, from Beverly, Massachusetts. “It’s much harder to talk about who is being affected by it.” Alimenti is enrolled in an adventurous, rigorous new course at Governor’s that is doing just that. Developed by Dean of Multicultural Education and history faculty member Eddie Carson and science faculty member Michael Lefebvre, the course — Climate Justice — is conducted at the intersection of several fields. The class is just one example of curricular innovation supported by With True Courage — specifically by our endowment for faculty excellence. Governor’s is committed to giving faculty the time and resources to learn new skills, explore new topics, and develop new courses. Faculty members Eddie Carson and Mike Lefebvre lead a class discussion
Carson and Lefebvre teach the course together. “We’re always taking notes on each other’s habits and practices,” says Carson, “and modeling collaboration for our students.” The class started by asking: How does climate change impact marginalized and oppressed communities? Answering that question demands a willingness to rethink assumptions. “This class changes my perspective,” says Alimenti. “It stays with me.” “My dream,” says Lefebvre, “is to share our work with other schools in the area. I hope that in ten years, a course in climate justice will be required in every curriculum in the state.”
IN THIS ISSUE: REMEMBERING JAY COOKE III ’64 • FUNDING THE FULL GOVS EXPERIENCE • HONORING DOC BRADLEY
BY THE NUMBERS
$79 million
$100M
Raised to date
4,377
Total campaign donors
1,951
First-time donors to Governor’s
38
Donors increased the impact of their gifts through The Bass Challenge Gifts of any size count toward our campaign success. Please visit our 2020–2021 Report on Giving for a complete list of donors who fueled our success last fiscal year. thegovernorsacademy.org/report-on-giving
As of January 7, 2022
This is the inaugural issue of COURAGE, a twiceyearly campaign newsletter distributed to select Govs alumni, parents, and friends. If you wish to be in touch about the newsletter or the campaign, please contact Director of Advancement Leslie Dickey at 978.499.3174 or ldickey@govsacademy.org. 2
MAKING A DIFFERENCE, TODAY AND TOMORROW Need a primer on the importance of the school’s endowment? Chief Financial Officer Cindy Fanikos is here to help.
Above: Chief Financial Officer Cindy Fanikos Above right: Students walk to class in front of Mansion House
What is an endowment? Why is it important? An endowment is a pool of money that is donated and invested in an effort to create a reliable and annual source of income for the Academy in perpetuity. In the short term, we use funds from the endowment to pay for a percentage of our yearly operating costs. In the long term, the endowment ensures the continued financial health of Governor’s. Last year, the endowment was at $66.7 million; now, it’s valued at more than $88 million. Gifts to the campaign are a huge part of that growth. How does the endowment support the school? In so many ways, every day. It builds a robust financial aid program that lets us bring in students of strong character who contribute
positively to our community. It allows us to recruit and retain a talented, diverse faculty. And it will help us maintain excellence in every corner of the school, from facilities to programming, from arts to athletics to academics, now and in the future. What would you say to someone considering a gift to the campaign? We have an incredible opportunity to raise $30 million for our endowment. Governor’s has been doing transformative work for more than 250 years. When you give to the campaign, you ensure that we’ll continue to do that work for the next generation, and generations beyond. That’s a true legacy — something that will grow stronger because of your foresight.
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“ HE MADE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT” Claudia Asano Barcomb, Director of Afternoon Programs and Athletics, reflects on the life and legacy of Jay Cooke III ’64.
I first met Jay over four years ago. I had just joined Governor’s as the Director of Afternoon Programs and Athletics and was running between meetings. He sent me a short email checking in on how the teams were doing in their fall season, one of hundreds of similar emails I would come to receive over the years. Little did I know how this man would change so many lives at the Academy, including mine. Jay was loyal, generous, and thoughtful. It was clear when Jay spoke about his experience at Governor Dummer Academy that he loved it in Byfield. Jay was loyal. He was loyal to his family; he spoke of them with admiration, in particular his brother Groverman. He was loyal to his friends; he always made time to keep in touch with them. He was loyal to Governor’s; he wanted it to be the best it could be. Every Christmas, he sent me a simple email: “Ask each head coach what they need and what they want.” The list of needs and wants was always lengthy. He would respond to
Above left: Jay Cooke III ’64 Above right: Girls Varsity Lacrosse players on the sidelines in their jackets
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“ When I shared with him that not all students arrived at Govs with the practice gear that they needed, he donated the funds to purchase the necessary gear for every student.” — CLAUDIA ASANO BARCOMB
my detailed email with two resounding sentences: “Yes. The check is in the mail.” He loved Govs and wanted each coach to have what they needed so their teams could succeed. Jay was generous. He was generous to the Academy. He cared how his gifts would change the school; he made an immediate impact. In particular, he gave to girls athletics because he wanted Govs to be the best in girls sports. For me, it was incredible. I would weekly share with him both the challenges and the highlights of leading Governor’s athletics. He followed my ice hockey team with true passion, asking about my players and our strategy for upcoming games. I am reminded of Jay every day when I see a sea of red jackets fill the dining hall, the fields, and the gym. He gave these to our girls varsity athletes to wear every season. I smile when I see them, knowing that Jay will always be with us. Jay was thoughtful. He read my emails in great detail and made sure our athletes had what they needed.
When I shared with him that not all students arrived at Govs with the practice gear that they needed, he donated the funds to purchase the necessary gear for every student. In addition, he replaced nearly every team’s uniform over the last four years. He cared deeply about the athletic experience of girls at the Academy and took action to have an immediate impact. Over the past four years, not a week went by without a note from Jay wishing Governor’s luck in a game. He changed my life. He changed the lives of hundreds at the Academy. Every student knows who Jay is and what he stood for. He wanted female athletes at Governor’s to be treated with respect and to succeed. What a legacy he leaves behind in Byfield. Jay Cooke III ’64 (August 25, 1945 – July 7, 2021) was dedicated to Govs, committed to his classmates, and concerned for the well-being of our students. He desired to make an immediate impact with his generosity by identifying specific needs and giving directly to them. We all benefited from knowing him. 5
THE FULL EXPERIENCE
What the Access Fund Provides
Jon and Missy Doyle P’08,’09,’19 take the Access Fund to a new level. Financial aid is critical. It bridges the gap between tuition and what a student’s family can afford. But our financial aid packages don’t always go far enough. This is where the Access Fund — part of the school’s financial aid program, a pillar of With True Courage — comes in. The Access Fund enables Govs to provide the same opportunities to students who are most in need. Support for the Fund helps us pay for laptops, team gear, music lessons, educational travel, and more, ensuring an equitable, inclusive experience. The needs of today’s students present a growing need for the Access Fund. Jon and Missy Doyle P’08,’09,’19 are motivated by the school’s needs — and they like to solve problems. Jon Doyle is a member of the Governor’s Board of Trustees and a senior executive at Piper Sandler. He and Missy made a commitment to take the Fund to a new level, doubling the Fund for the duration of the campaign. Says Head of School Dr. Peter H. Quimby ’85, P’14: “The generosity of Jon and Missy has allowed so many students to fully participate in Academy life, helping us move closer to being truly equitable and inclusive.” Further investment in the Access Fund will help provide all our students with a Governor’s experience, in addition to a Governor’s education.
Travel and lodging for parents to attend Fall Family Weekend
Fee for sports camp with teammates
Snacks and supplies for dorm room
Athletic team sweatshirt
Spending money for a weekend day trip to Boston with classmates 6
CULTIVATING CURIOSITY A gift from Evan Trent ’98 honors an extraordinary teacher — and a lifelong source of inspiration. Evan Trent ’98 spent three years at Governor’s. Those years changed his life. “I wouldn’t be where I am today,” he says, “if I hadn’t benefited from everything the school offers.” One crucial thing he found here: extraordinary adults. “I had a lot of great teachers and mentors at Govs,” he says. “One of them had an especially big impact on me: Doc Bradley.” There was no one like him, Trent says. “Doc reveled in being a bit eccentric — he had this wild, curly hair, these long arms and legs. But most importantly, he rewarded curiosity, exploration, and being your own person. He was so much more to me than a teacher or a dorm parent — and I know he had a similar impact on other kids. We keep in touch to this day.”
Above: Kerry Walsh and Evan Trent ’98 Below: Dr. Fontaine Bradley P’05,’07,’11
“ I want to support the life-changing power of Govs, and it’s exciting to write the next chapter of the school’s growth. I had to be part of it.” — EVAN TRENT ’98
With a voracious intellectual appetite, Trent was encouraged to pursue his passions at Governor’s. He acted in plays, won the Academy Math Prize, and received the Xerox Award for the Humanities. This agility shaped his entrepreneurial career. Today, he’s the Vice President of Strategy & Corporate Development at Adtalem Global Education. “Govs taught me that I could find joy on my own terms,” says Trent. “Now I have a broad, deep, lasting happiness.” Trent made a significant gift to With True Courage to extend that joy to new generations of students. “I want to support the life-changing power of Govs,” he says. “And it’s exciting to write the next chapter of the school’s growth. I had to be part of it.” Trent’s gift will help build the new Alfond Center, a priority of the With True Courage campaign. The center will be home to a seminar room named in Bradley’s honor. An innovative space designed for creative exploration of the world — that’s a fitting tribute to a beloved teacher. “You need people who make learning fun and surprising. That’s Doc.” 7
THE GOVERNOR’S ACADEMY 1 ELM STREET BYFIELD, MA 01922