“Today is a meaningful day for Joni and me, and for our family. We are grateful to be together for this special event in the company of my classmates and my brother Peter’s classmates,” said Bill Alfond. “I know Peter is looking down on us today, happy and smiling, because this is exactly what he would have wanted to do for Govs.”
TOGETHERGROUNDBREAKING
Director of the Bass Institute Erika Mitkus; Head of School Dr. Peter H. Quimby ’85, P’14; Trustee Bill Alfond ’67; Board of Trustees President Jim Pierce ’72, P’08
On the Friday of Reunion Weekend, more than 120 alumni and friends gathered to mark a historic occasion: the ground breaking for the Bill ’67 and Peter ’71 Alfond Coastal Research Center—named for trustee and lead donor Bill Alfond ’67 and his late brother Peter ’71—and the establishment of the Bass Institute, named for lead donors Bob ’67 and Anne Bass.
IN THIS ISSUE: EMPOWERING YOUNG LEARNERS • LEVERAGING THE BASS CHALLENGE • SUPPORTING THE ARTS
“We are deeply grateful to Bob and Anne Bass for making our dreams theirs, too,” added Board President Jim Pierce ’72, P’08 of the Bass family’s gift to endow the Bass Institute, which will be the intellectual center of environmental science teaching and research initiatives at the Academy.
— DR. PETER H. QUIMBY ‘85, P’14
SUMMER 2022 GOOD NEWS AND STORIES FROM THE CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR’S
“When Bill and Joan get excited about something, it isn’t just the immediate outcome that draws them in. It’s the potential of their support to do transformational.”something
A new facility and endowed program pave the way for an unrivaled educational experience.
$84 million
23 campus & eventsregional
With True Courage campaign. These legacy donors represent seven decades of Academy classes—all with the common goal of helping secure the future of the Academy through estate planning.
have2023.joined
The 12-month construction of the Bill ’67 and Peter ’71 Alfond Coastal Research Center began in March 2022. The new facility is set to open in Winter
donors1,073
SchoolhousetheSocietysincethestartofthe
Throughout Advancement2021–2022theschoolyear,theOfficeheldmorethan23campusandregionalevents,connectingmorethan870alumni,parents,andfriendsfromtheGovscommunity.
BY THE NUMBERS
Gifts of any size count toward our campaign success. 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 Stephanieldickey@govsacademy.org.CAMPAIGNCO-CHAIRS:GardnerGinsberg’85,P’20andStephenG.Kasnet’62,P’95
Raised to date
2
Winter 2023
$100M
Numbers as of July 18, 2022
participated in this year’s Govs Giving Day on February 24. Gifts of all sizes unlocked $100,000 for The Governor’s Fund in support of the school’s greatest needs, and just over $423,000 was raised to benefit key priorities across campus.
31 parents,alumni,andfriends
For Goldthwait, the gift is a personal way to give back to a place and program that continues to influence her life today. “I look back at my time at Govs as the most warm, familial, and exciting three years. I grew up a lot and it was a thathappenedexperienceconfidence-buildingforme.SomuchinmytimeatGovsmademewhoIamtoday.”
Courtney Church Goldthwait ’85
her to develop and respect both. “That balance between teamwork and independent creativity is incredibly important in my work today and something that I encourage my employees to find within themselves, too.”
The Courtney Church ’85 Fund for Visual Arts will provide ongoing support for the visual art program and is a touching tribute to the program that helped shape Goldthwait’s Govs experience.
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Visual art has always been an important source of inspiration and balance for Courtney Church Goldthwait ’85 and is the motivation behind her recent gift to the With True Courage campaign.
Today, all Govs students take at least two visual arts classes during their ninth grade year, and in subsequent years choose from offerings that include threedimensional design, architecture, ceramics, filmmaking & animation, photography, and studio art.
FOR THE LOVE OF THE ARTS
Courtney Church Goldthwait ’85 shares the Academy’s commitment to a vibrant arts program.
Goldthwait leveraged the Bass Challenge to increase the original amount of her fund by 50%.
“I’m in a creative business, I come from an artistic family, and my artistic skills were nurtured while I was at Govs,” says Goldthwait of her decision to support visual arts. Today, as Founding Partner of Boston-based Corinthian Events, Goldthwait finds herself creating andstudio.developednotesAlsodevelopedoftenexperiencesthree-dimensionalforherclients,drawingontheskillssheasaGovsstudent.anathlete,GoldthwaitthedifferentskillsetssheonthefieldandintheShecreditsherteacherscoachesforchallenging
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GovsPLUS (Powerful Learners Unlocking Success), a tuition-free academic and cultural summer program for middle school students from Lawrence, Massachusetts, has proven transformational for young scholars, who often go on to attend Govs and other selective independent schools before heading to colleges and universities like Harvard University, Tufts University, and Northwestern University.
Program Director Michelle de la Guardia agrees. “GovsPLUS plants the seed of curiosity, confidence, and motivation,” says de la Guardia, who is the Language Department Chair, a Spanish teacher, an advisor, and a dorm parent at Govs. “Our scholars grow in body, mind, and spirit as we provide the support that they need to become their best selves.”
“For many students, GovsPLUS was a springboard to amazing oppor tunities for them and their families—a summer enrichment program like few others in its ability to unlock so much potential at exactly the right time in these young lives,” says GovsPLUS Co-Founder Spencer Purinton ’75, P’13,’14,’20, who is also a Govs Board member.
For nearly a decade, GovsPLUS has unlocked the potential in Lawrence middle school students.
GovsPLUS students complete an experiment in chemistry class.
EMPOWERING YOUNG LEARNERS
GovsPLUS is funded each year by a community of Governor’s donors, as well as public and private foun dations. The Budd-Purinton family provides leadership support for the program through their investment in the With True Courage campaign, helping to secure the program’s mission. Their support extends beyond the program to the establishment of scholarships for GovsPLUS students who enroll at Governor’s. If you are interested in learning more about supporting GovsPLUS, please reach out to the Office of Advancement.
— GOVSPLUS GRADUATE
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“I am forever grateful, and GovsPLUS will always be a part of me—reminding me I can achieve anything.”
Lisa Budd Purinton P’13,’14,’20; Eliza Purinton ’13; Lucy Purinton ’14; Edward Budd GP’13,’14,’20; Louisa Purinton ’20; Trustee Spencer Purinton ’75, P’13,’14,’20
Each year, there are more than 35 participants in GovsPLUS, which was created in 2013 to help middle school students in Lawrence Public Schools reach their potential inside and outside the classroom. The program begins with a five-week summer experience and continues throughout the school year with monthly opportunities to connect.
ten students who volunteer for the program. “The goal of GovsPLUS is for our students to reach their full potential, both academically and personally.”
“As a Latina myself, I really love working with a mostly Latine community that is full of talented, resilient students who are thirsty for knowledge,” says de la Guardia, who hails from Puerto Rico and is among 30 Govs faculty and staff members and
“This kind of experiential learning is enriching for seventh and eighth graders who may otherwise be in an urban environment during the summer,” Lisa Budd Purinton P’13,’14,’20 says. “It has the potential to help them be more comfortable in new situations as they go out into the world.”
As one graduate shared: “I am forever grateful, and GovsPLUS will always be a part of me—reminding me I can achieve anything.”
When the program was first proposed, Spencer and Lisa immediately agreed to help fund and develop it. Spencer says those involved early in GovsPLUS “rolled up their sleeves” to work with Lawrence Public Schools, which faces unique challenges as a district with more than 90 percent of its students coming from low-income families. More than 90 percent of the district’s students are Hispanic and 30 percent are English language learners.
On a typical day, GovsPLUS students attend three periods of morning classes to develop skills such as math, reading, writing, and critical thinking. Later, they may try their hand at public speaking or salsa dancing in the Peter Marshall French Student Center. Some days are spent on field trips to museums or college campuses like Harvard and MIT.
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It was a moment 50 years in the making when Guy and the Greasers, a band formed in the fall of 1971 by Chris Swensen ’72 and Rich Hackel ’72, took the stage in the Peter Marshall French Student Center to a crowd of classmates and fellow alumni. “What a way to kick off Reunion Weekend!” said Reunion Committee Member Peter Conway ’72.
Class of 1972 gift honors Board of Trustees President Jim Pierce ’72, P’08
Before dinner on Saturday, June 11, the class presented their gift to the Academy—to the surprise of Pierce. Peter Franklin ’72 remarked that evening, “Jim has always been a leader. He is a forthright, fun, capable guy—true now and back when we were students. He is an extraordinary classmate.”
Left: Class of 1972
Early on, the group reached consensus on the purpose of their class gift—honoring Board President Jim Pierce ’72, P’08 by supporting a project that was important to him: the Bill ’67 and Peter ’71 Alfond Coastal Research Center. The facility’s aquatic laboratory, which will draw water from the Parker River, will be named in honor of Pierce.
Planning for their 50th Reunion began two years ago. With COVID spreading across the country, Reunion Committee members Hal Curtis ’72 and Jim Tikellis ’72 focused their efforts first on building attendance at the event—led by the outreach of
Right: Jim ’72, Board of Trustees President, and Polly P’08 Pierce
Curtis said, “A member of the class of 1967 shared with me what an exceptional moment it was when they honored a classmate with their 50th reunion gift. A transformational new building needing funding and an outstanding leader in our class— when you put those together it was an easy idea for everyone to get behind.”
Paul Commito ’72—and then turned to fundraising. “It picked up momentum during the lockdown. Feeling bizarre, I sent an email to our class to share some of my thoughts and it started a trove of dialogue—the 50th was on our minds,” said Class Secretary George Freimarck ’72.
LEADERSHIPEXTRAORDINARY
MODELING THEIR VALUES
Henry and Vanessa have always prioritized financial aid and teaching through their annual support for The Governor’s Fund. This past year presented an exciting opportunity to make a Govs education affordable to even more students by leveraging the Bass Challenge to help them reach the threshold for establishing an endowed scholarship fund. “As an alum of GDA, I’m really proud of the school and I truly believe in the mission. I still remember my mentors—David Williams, Ed Rybicki, Heb Evans, and others who held me accountable but were always there for me,” Henry says. “As we see it, where the Academy is now with all of the initiatives and Peter Quimby as the Head of School, the school’s trajectory is skyrocketing. Now is a great time to invest in the future of the Academy by endowing financial aid.”
Henry ’79 and Vanessa Rosen and their children
— HENRY ROSEN ’79
As parents of two young children, Vanessa holds that she and Henry can teach their children best by modeling their values. “We frequently tell our children how fortunate we are and the importance of helping others when you have the opportunity,” says Vanessa. “Our world is more connected than ever and if you can help one person it can have a domino effect,” she added. For her own children, Vanessa wants an educational environment that brings students together from different cultures and backgrounds. “Even the best schools aren’t going to be helpful in the long run if the students are educated in a bubble. Establishing the Rosen Family Scholarship Fund allows us to play our part and practice our values,” says Vanessa.
Henry ’79 and Vanessa Rosen leverage the Bass Challenge to establish an endowed scholarship fund
“I’m really proud of the school and I truly believe in the mission.”
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“My father told me that my education was my inheritance,” says Henry Rosen ’79. “He felt that was the best way to ensure that I could benefit myself and sustain my loved ones—and generations of my family to come.” As a couple, Henry and Vanessa share a deep commitment to helping others—and education is a priority. “Attending a school like Govs can help students now, but also future generations can hope to have more opportunities,” says Vanessa.
In the first year of the ISL Championship, the eighth-seeded Govs Boys Varsity Lacrosse team surpassed expectations by defeating strong competition in the quarterand semi-final games and reaching the championship game.
THE GOVERNOR’S ACADEMY 1 ELM BYFIELD,STREETMA01922
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