Tower Hill Bulletin Fall 2021
TOWER HILL 100
Centennial Campaign reaches $19.19 million goal Neela Patel Center for Innovation - THE Hub completed Learning for Life program launches
Tower Hill Bulletin
Fall 2021
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On the Cover
Lower Schoolers celebrate earning ribbons at Field Day. Photo by Heather Weymouth Lowry ’97. On these pages, Lower Schoolers enjoy recess in the Experiential Outdoor Classroom. Photo by Kirk Smith.
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE Amy Schrei Director of Communications and Marketing Amy Wolf Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing Kirk Smith Marketing Specialist ADVANCEMENT OFFICE Kristin Mumford Director of Advancement and Enrollment Management Laura DiVincenzo Advancement Operations Manager Heather Weymouth Lowry ’97 Director of the Annual Fund Linda Ogden Administrative Assistant Melissa Pizarro Associate Director of Advancement Matthew Twyman III ’88 Director of Alumni Relations and Associate Director of Admission PHOTOGRAPHY Kirk Smith LAYOUT Amy Wolf The Tower Hill Bulletin magazine is published twice annually to share how alumni, faculty, staff and students embody the school’s motto Multa Bene Facta, Many Things Done Well. Send Class Notes to thsalumni@towerhill.org with a high-resolution photo. TOWER HILL SCHOOL 2813 W. 17th Street Wilmington, DE 19806 302-575-0550 | towerhill.org HEAD OF SCHOOL Elizabeth C. Speers 2021-2022 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Eric Johnson, M.D., Chair Benjamin du Pont ’82, Vice Chair Jack Flynn, M.D., ’81, Secretary Marna Whittington, Ph.D., Treasurer Suzanne Ashley Kimberly Wright Cassidy, Ph.D. Régis de Ramel Robert DeSantis Heather Richards Evans ’80 W. Whitfield Gardner ’81 Laird Hayward ’02 Henry Mellon Catherine Miller David Nowland ’85 Lisa A. Olson ’76 Kenneth A. Simpler Genelle Trader ’70 Isabella Speakman Timon ’92 Carmen Wallace ’93 Gina Ward Earl Ball, Ed.D., Emeritus
Tower Hill School does not discriminate in its educational, admissions and personnel programs and policies or activities on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion or religious creed, sexual orientation, gender identity and/ or expression, disability or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law.
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Tower Hill BULLETIN FALL 2021
IN THIS ISSUE 8 Centennial Campaign
TOWER HILL 100 CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN REACHES $19.19 MILLION GOAL
14 Neela Patel Center for Innovation LEADERSHIP GIFT FROM SHEPPARD FAMILY TRANSFORMS LIBRARY SPACE
26 Graduation
TOWER HILL CELEBRATES CLASS OF 2021
44 Honoring Jack Smith
UPPER SCHOOL MATH TEACHER RETIRES AFTER 45 YEARS AT TOWER HILL
60 Alumni Spotlights
ALUMNI MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY
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From the HEAD OF SCHOOL Dear Tower Hill community, As the 2021-2022 academic year opens, Tower Hill is very fortunate to be in a position of strength amid a challenging landscape for independent schools nationally. We have the largest enrollment in the school’s history, and admissions demand is strong; we continue to balance the budget, while investing in people, programs and strategic initiatives; philanthropic support is robust, resulting in record Annual Fund and campaign goals; and most of all, the academic and human element of Tower Hill inspires us every day. As you will read within this Bulletin, our success is due to the inspiration, dedication and loyalty of our faculty, staff, students, parents, trustees and alumni. Thank you! Some recent trends noted by the National Association of Independent Schools within the 2020-2021 Trendbook include: Economic Outlook Consumer confidence dropped dramatically in April 2020, which could signal a long-term challenge to major purchases, including independent school education. Demographic Outlook Some families are leaving large cities to relocate to less expensive areas. Enrollment Outlook Although the median enrollment remained relatively steady through the Great Recession, slightly more than half of NAIS schools experienced some enrollment decline in recent years. Equity and Justice Outlook The number of independent school diversity practitioners rose substantially from 2009-2019, and a strong correlation appears between enrollment and the presence of a diversity practitioner. Challenging times inspire us to be creative and resilient and to embrace a growth mindset. We are called to consider what matters most and to leverage our learning to ensure curiosity and excitement about ways to continually improve. As we learn to live with and through the pandemic, we are fortunate to have a remarkable team of teachers and colleagues at Tower Hill who continue to embrace new information, new strategies and new ways of teaching and learning. We have a Board and leadership team that asks bold questions, imagines new possibilities and focuses on the long view. This pandemic will end, and Tower Hill will continue to grow stronger as a school community because we are firmly committed to: • Both head and heart as we make decisions • Fiscal prudence and responsibility as we protect our mission • Timely and transparent decision making even if information is imperfect • Anticipating opportunities for innovation • Confidence and optimism about Tower Hill’s future As a school community, we are also focused on the following 2021-2022 Institutional Goals: Relevant Rigor, Health and Wellbeing In order to honor and build upon Tower Hill’s traditions and level of excellence, we will deliver a steady, balanced, well rounded and rigorous educational program for all students within a compassionate, just and equitable school community. We will have open and creative conversations about relevant rigor and sound assessment practices. The health and wellbeing of every student and our community will remain front and center in all we do, embracing a growth mindset in reimagining time, curriculum and collaboration throughout the year. 2
Tower Hill Bulletin
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Social Justice and Strategic Focus Forward We recommit to ensuring progress in the area of social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the academic curriculum and school life to prepare students for a complex and dynamic world. With a student-centered approach, we will continue the work of the Social Justice Task Force and build upon lessons learned through the pandemic by increasing student voice in our curriculum. By investing in people, programming and spaces such as THE Hub, Dining Commons and Experiential Outdoor Classroom, we will maximize appropriate interdivisional, hands-on and mixed-age experiences that offer students opportunities to excel in unique, interdisciplinary and immersive ways. Tower Hill Green As we continue to find creative ways of gathering outdoors as part of our daily routine, by class and as a whole school, we will engage in conversations and programming to educate ourselves and the entire Tower Hill community about our commitment to environmental stewardship. As a school community, we will all take action toward sustainability and work to support Tower Hill’s Green Summit in the spring of 2022 with a goal of growing our individual and collective investment in becoming a greener and more environmentally responsible school. There is so much for which to be grateful at Tower Hill, and I continue to be excited about the possibilities ahead. Tower Hill will never be a school that rests on its laurels, and we will continue to challenge ourselves to be a school of Wilmington and the world, increasing our engagement with our local community. Our word for the year is INSPIRE. I hope you are as inspired as I am as you read through the pages of this Bulletin. You will see amazing evidence of the investments made in our four core strategic tenets: exhilarating academic program, building an engaged and diverse community, financial aid and affordability, and investing in faculty. You can applaud the Class of 2021 on stellar college matriculations; and you will read about Tower Hill’s newly minted initiative, Learning for Life, which enables faculty to offer interdisciplinary and experiential offerings that this year include: Tinker Term, Mindfulness, Blockchain Based Card Game and American Studies, to name a few! We look forward to welcoming you back to campus, to Homecoming 2021, and to your joining us to cheer on the green and white. There is nothing more important than the education of the next generation. Tower Hill will continue to learn and lead with confidence and humility. We have the privilege of engaging in a national conversation about what it truly means to inspire the hearts and minds of our children, as we learn and are inspired by them. Our mission is steadfast, and we are so appreciative of all the ways you have invested in the mission of Tower Hill School!
What’s ONLINE instagram.com/ towerhillschool
146 likes towerhillschool Middle Schoolers in Mrs. Sarko’s homeroom painted a rainbow on the wall in celebration of Pride Month!
297 likes towerhillschool Faculty and staff wore college T-shirts to celebrate our seniors and spark conversations with our underclassmen!
twitter.com/ thsde
NATIONAL NURSES DAY 398 impressions, 3 likes Happy #NationalNursesDay to Nurse Lexy and Nurse Jess, who have gone above and beyond this year to keep our community safe. We are so appreciative of all that you do!
facebook.com/ thsde
With great appreciation,
Elizabeth C. Speers Head of School
SYMPOSIUM 33 likes The Upper School hosted its fourth annual Social Justice Symposium, featuring keynote speaker Rosetta Lee and several student-led workshops about gender identity.
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Around SCHOOL Women of Wilmington and the World
Diversity Conference
Ellen Jamison Kullman ’74, CEO of Carbon and former DuPont CEO; Michelle Shepherd, financial services consultant and former THS Board Chair; Genelle Trader ’70, executive coach and former Silicon Valley executive; and Head of School Bessie Speers shared their insights and spoke about leadership at our Women of Wilmington and the World Tower Talk on April 1.
Fifteen Tower Hill Middle School students participated in The Haverford School’s annual Diversity Conference. Students heard a keynote presentation from minister, organizer and scholar Nyle Fort, followed by a discussion with small groups.
Delaware Youth Leadership Network Grace du Pont ’22 and Gautam Wadhwa ’23 graduated from the Delaware Youth Leadership Network (DYLN), a year-long leadership program that teaches high school sophomores and juniors skills in public speaking, networking, design thinking and leadership. Du Pont and Wadhwa were chosen to be a part of this group of 32 students from across the tri-state area out of hundreds of applicants and a rigorous interview process. Students attended talks from many community leaders, perfected their interview skills, developed LinkedIn accounts, created résumés and developed skills to enhance their leadership abilities. Their final project was finding a need within the community and creating a viable solution, and students then pitched their ideas to the group and a panel of judges. Three awards were given, and du Pont’s team, Delaware for Environmental Sustainability, won the Golden Compass Award, which represents the highest feasibility for long term impacts within our community.
Climate Assembly
COVID-19 Vaccine The Vax Machine was on campus in May offering the COVID-19 vaccine to Tower Hill faculty, staff, parents and students age 12 and older. The bus returned three weeks later to deliver second doses.
U.S. Sen. Chris Coons ’81 spoke to Upper Schoolers on April 19 about climate change and other environmental issues in honor of Earth Week.
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Stream Watch
Social Justice Activism in Films
Prevent Child Abuse Delaware Tower Hill Lower Schoolers supported Prevent Child Abuse Delaware (PCAD) in bringing awareness to child abuse prevention by planting pinwheel gardens in April.
Middle Schoolers have discovered many interesting things on their treks to the Brandywine for Stream Watch—everything from macroinvertebrates, plants and even a centuries-old coin! On a recent trip, fifth graders found this coin dated 1877.
Equitable Excellence Scholarship
Producer Christopher Lemole spoke about social justice and activism in films to the Upper School and shared scenes from his 2017 movie Mudbound about racial divides in the South during the 1940s. “There are a variety of ways we can spark change and let our voices be heard,” he said. Lemole, a Tower Hill parent, was invited by the Keeping It Reel Club’s Delaney Leonard ’22 and Rachael Morrison ’22 and introduced by his niece, Janie du Pont ’24.
Forum Speaker Series Martha Jones, Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor and Professor of History at Johns Hopkins University, addressed the history of disenfranchisement in the United States in regard to race at the Forum Speaker Series in April. Jones is a legal and cultural historian whose work examines how Black Americans have shaped the story of American democracy. She is an OAH Distinguished Lecturer. The theme of last year’s Forum was The Voice of the People: The Power of Citizenship and Voting. The Forum was established in 1998 by the Rappolt family.
Congratulations to Hannah Pachalis ’21 on receiving a $2,500 Equitable Excellence Scholarship, which is awarded to high school seniors who “demonstrate courage, strength and wisdom as shown by community impact through volunteer service.” When applying for the scholarship, Pachalis wrote about her work with the charitable organization she created through Tower Hill’s Social Innovators Program, The Zancudo Project, which benefits families in Colombia. The award also comes with a $1,000 grant for Tower Hill to be used for professional development activities. This fall, Pacahlis will be attending the University of Miami as a health science major on the pre-med track. Tower Hill Bulletin
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LEARNING FOR LIFE
PROGRAM EMPOWERING FACULTY TO DEVELOP NEW EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES BY TERESA MESSMORE
A unique, engaging curriculum is a hallmark of an independent school, college preparatory in nature yet unbridled from constricting state and national standards. Teachers can be truly innovative, swifter in adapting to advancements in education and more responsive to students’ interests and current events. Indeed, Tower Hill’s course of study contains all of the academic fundamentals necessary for postsecondary educational success, plus enriching experiences that tap the faculty’s expertise and open doors of opportunity. Teachers are adept at generating original lessons and courses found nowhere else, with examples found from Tower Tots through Tower Term. Occasionally, however, teachers might hit roadblocks in bringing their ideas to fruition, whether due to funding, time in the schedule or logistical obstacles—especially when a proposal is interdisciplinary in nature or crosses multiple divisions or programs. Addressing these issues, the Learning for Life and Innovation programs launched last spring are helping empower faculty to implement curricular innovations of their dreams.
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Learning for Life is an interdisciplinary program that cultivates critical thinking and problem-solving skills through experiential learning and application at Tower Hill. All faculty in all three divisions were invited to propose projects based on the following criteria: • • • • • • •
How well the project develops student skills of problem solving Quality and/or number of connections made between academic disciplines and the real world Integration of experiential learning How well it prepares students to deal with disruption or uncertainty, offering “test and learn” opportunities Whether the interdisciplinary inquiry incorporates STEM How closely it is associated with a community, societal or global issue/problem How much student self-direction and/or creativity is involved
“The Learning for Life program will positively impact students and faculty immediately and in the longer
term,” said Dean of Teaching and Learning Andrea Glowatz, who oversees the program and convened a review committee of faculty and administrators to discuss the proposals. “As times change, students and their needs change. As students change, faculty and school programs must evolve as well. The Learning for Life program creates space for our school’s evolution, plain and simple. The opportunity to add breadth and depth of learning to the quality programming that is already in effect at Tower Hill School means that students and faculty alike can grow as a result of cutting-edge technology, experiences and partnerships. Moreover, the flexibility to respond to the times—to shape and reshape teaching and learning experiences— is perhaps the most crucial 21st Century skill we can cultivate in our community.” Learning for Life was the recommendation of a schoolwide task force charged with envisioning the future of Tower Hill with regard to curricular differentiation, led by trustee Catherine Miller in alignment with the Strategic Plan. The following projects have been approved and funded for the 2021-2022 school year: TINKER TERM Science teacher Nancy Tate and librarian Megan McCrery will organize Tinker Term for the Lower School. Students will work in collaborative small groups to identify school-based or local community problems and generate a range of possible solutions. They will then research, design, develop and prototype a solution, taking it through real-life testing and multiple iterations to achieve a viable working model. MINDFULNESS Director of Mindfulness Andrea Sarko and Lower School teachers Deb Stuebing and Jean Snyder will expand mindfulness activities into a more comprehensive program for the Lower and Middle Schools. They will develop strategies for teachers to integrate mindfulness practices that support social and emotional learning throughout the school day through a spiraling curriculum that builds over the course of students’ time at Tower Hill. PHYSICAL COMPUTING Physical computing incorporates data from the physical world—temperature, movement, moisture, light—into an interactive system. Middle School technology teacher Beatriz Mendez will design a physical computing curriculum strand for fifth graders, bridging abstract coding and real world applications of computer science. Equipment will include Arduino kits, Raspberry Pi, Adafruit and MaKey MaKey to help students with projects like creating sensors indicating when plants need to be watered or wearable devices that measure room sound in decibels.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE The seventh grade trip to Washington, D.C., is a longtime Tower Hill experience. Students will now visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture as part of the trip, spearheaded by Director of Social Justice Dyann Connor and Middle School Spanish teacher and Equity and Inclusion Coordinator Carmen Martinez. The visit will build on conversations about race in the Middle School as part of the Social Justice Program. HOUSE SYSTEM English teachers Kathryn Reese and Jill Zehner will develop a house system for the Middle School, attending the Ron Clark Academy house system conference and making plans to introduce the system to the Class of 2029. Students will be divided into groups, or “houses,” that engage in team building activities and friendly competition, expanding to the entire Middle School over time and fostering mentorship across grades. BLOCKCHAIN-BASED CARD GAME Upper School computer science teacher Bill Soistmann will guide student collaboration in building a blockchain-based card game using Ethereum smart contracts. The project will allow for learning across the subject areas of programming, math, art, science, economics and languages. Students will design game elements, write the contracts, deploy on testnet and then test/debug their own work. AMERICAN STUDIES COURSE History Department Chair Tara Fletcher will lead the design of a new, interdisciplinary American Studies course that includes primarily history and English, as well as visual art and music. The approach would allow teachers to more easily make connections to the present day and tackle contemporary issues facing the United States. Implementation will begin with the 2022-2023 academic year. FIELD STUDY: LITERATURE OF THE AMERICAN SOUTH Upper School English teacher Asha Smith will conduct field study with students enrolled in her elective course “Literature of the American South.” The class will travel to Charlottesville and Richmond, Virginia, to visit the University of Virginia, Monticello, Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, Wolf Creek Tribe of Virginia Museum and St. John’s Episcopal Historical Church. LEARNING FOR LIFE COMMITTEE MEMBERS Andrea Glowatz, Chair Sarah Baker Amy Bickhart Liz Brown, Ph.D. Teresa Messmore
Susan Miller Anthony Pisapia Luisa Sawyer Lisa Somers Tower Hill Bulletin Tim Weymouth
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$19.19 MILLION RAISED FOR TOWER HILL’S SECOND CENTURY OF EXCELLENCE
The Tower Hill 100 Centennial Campaign reached and exceeded its $19.19 million goal, in honor of the school’s founding year 1919, to fund initiatives critical to success in the next century.
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TOWER HILL 100
From the Director of Advancement Dear Tower Hill supporters, Thank you for your support of Tower Hill School during this extraordinary year. The 2020-2021 Donor Honor Roll comprises Tower Hill alumni, parents, former parents, grandparents, trustees, faculty and staff who contributed to the successful fundraising year for both the Tower Hill 100 Centennial Campaign and the Tower Hill Annual Fund, which surpassed its $1 million goal for the third consecutive year. Thanks to your generosity, we invested in our students, faculty and programs not only at a critical time, but at the highest level. It is with our heartfelt gratitude and sincere appreciation to share with you that we have achieved the $19.19 million Tower Hill 100 Centennial Campaign goal, the largest comprehensive campaign in the school’s history. The collective vision of Tower Hill 100 honors Tower Hill’s longstanding tradition of academic and teaching excellence by investing in the three priorities of the strategic plan: faculty development, building an engaged and diverse community, and providing the most invigorating educational experience to our students. Tower Hill 100 was publicly launched only two years ago on Sept. 21, 2019, when we celebrated our Centennial together, under a beautiful tent on a gorgeous September evening. The Tower Hill Centennial celebration was not only a memorable weekend and gala; it served as a call to action to affirm Tower Hill’s mission and a commitment to ensure an exhilarating educational experience that is second to none. The Tower Hill community certainly stepped up to answer the call. Through the pages of this section, you will read about some incredible individuals and families who have invested in Tower Hill’s second century of excellence. Their contributions to the Tower Hill 100 Centennial Campaign have made a significant impact and will enhance the student experience for generations to come. The top priorities of this campaign aimed to grow financial aid and faculty endowment funding, invest in programs that ensure an exciting and individualized education, and create new spaces within the school to support innovative programming and the student experience. We are incredibly grateful to all who have contributed to Tower Hill 100, which has been a deliberate investment in Tower Hill’s most valuable assets—our students and faculty. Thank you for your continued support and belief in Tower Hill and for answering the call to enter the next century committed to our mission and invested in our students and teachers. With sincere gratitude,
Kristin B. Mumford Director of Advancement and Enrollment Management
CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES Investing in Faculty
PEOPLE Financial Aid and Affordability
PROGRAMS
Exhilarating Academic Program
PARTNERSHIPS
Building an Engaged and Diverse Community
TOWER HILL ADVANCEMENT COMMITTEE Régis de Ramel, co-chair Isabella Speakman Timon ’92, co-chair Ashley Altschuler ’90 Suzanne Ashley Robert DeSantis John Gavenonis, Ph.D. Rick Gessner David Nowland ’85 Lisa Olson ’76 Logan Weaver Read ’10 Tower Hill Bulletin
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CAMPAIGN ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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Tower Hill School was founded with the ambition to elevate education in Wilmington—and in the country. The school’s founders shared a bold vision for an innovative school, investing in exceptional people, facilities and curricula. Just over a century later, Tower Hill honored that commitment to excellence with the completion of the Tower Hill 100 Centennial Campaign, a transformative fundraising initiative that augmented the school’s endowment and enhanced the educational experience of students and faculty.
The priorities for Tower Hill 100 were based off of Tower Hill’s Strategic Plan, approved by the Board of Trustees in May 2017. The strategic planning committee developed broad, schoolwide goals that focused on the forward looking needs of students and faculty. Dynamic discussion across various constituencies resulted in a cohesive vision to invest in faculty, build an engaged and diverse community, and provide an exciting and timeless educational experience.
Tower Hill 100 was the school’s first fundraising campaign in over a decade—and first-ever comprehensive campaign, which bundles an institution’s multi-year Annual Fund goals over all campaign years with identified fundraising needs, including endowment support and capital and program initiatives.
Tower Hill 100 provided a path forward to accomplishing goals identified in Tower Hill’s Strategic Plan: Exhilarating Academic Program, Building an Engaged and Diverse Community, Financial Aid and Affordability, and Investing in Faculty.
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Building an Engaged and Diverse Community
Curiosity, problem solving and a love of learning set students up for success later in life. Tower Hill is committed to providing an innovative, exhilarating and timeless educational experience that fosters these qualities. Building on the strength of a rigorous academic program, the school expanded offerings and resources that complemented existing coursework and made interdisciplinary connections while maximizing learning.
Tower Hill serves a public purpose as a school of Wilmington and the world. The Tower Hill 100 Campaign provided funding for facility and programmatic improvements that will empower students to become community leaders and global citizens. The school has invested in creating programs and spaces that encourage collaboration and partnerships.
• Neela Patel Center for Innovation - THE Hub completed • Expanded Teaching and Learning Center with additional resources for students • Integrated Experiential Outdoor Classroom with Lower School curriculum • Expanded experiential learning opportunities such as Tower Term, an interdisciplinary immersion experience • Upgraded the school’s technology infrastructure • Invested in a new computer science program • Enhanced Global Initiatives by introducing Global Scholar Certificate Program, expanding international exchanges and partnerships, and focusing on global studies in the Lower School with a new Passport Program
• Kullman Commons—a space for community and collaboration—completed • Expanded Social Justice Program that offers school-wide education about diversity and inclusion, such as workshops, student-led events and expert speakers for teachers and parents • Partnered with community organizations to host summer outreach programs and tutoring on campus • Initiated admission outreach to top students from diverse backgrounds • Built strong community partnerships with Wilmington middle schools
Financial Aid and Affordability
Investing in Faculty
Market research revealed that Tower Hill was losing qualified students due to their family’s concerns about affording tuition. As a result, increasing financial aid became a priority of the Strategic Plan and a pillar of the Tower Hill 100 Centennial Campaign. Over the past five years, Tower Hill’s financial aid budget has grown significantly from $2.2 million to $3.6 million. In addition, stronger admission outreach is broadening the base of qualified applicants. Campaign gifts to the endowment to support financial aid have made a Tower Hill education affordable to more qualified students.
Teachers are the heart of Tower Hill, and investment in the development of faculty is critical to the school’s continued growth as a national leader in independent school education. Tower Hill 100 helped increase faculty salaries from the 50th percentile mark of national averages in 2017 to the 75th percentile for the 2020-2021 school year. The campaign further subsidized tuition for teachers pursuing advanced degrees and provided opportunities for additional professional development. Funds for faculty recruitment and innovation were also included in campaign goals.
• Raised over $8 million in endowed funds to support financial aid • Created eight new endowed financial aid funds • Received two bequest gifts from alumni supporting financial aid • Created two endowments that subsidize academic expenses, such as books and technology, for students demonstrating need
TOWER HILL 100
Exhilarating Academic Program
• Created the first endowed coaching award • Created three endowed faculty funds • Increased teacher compensation and salary bands to meet national benchmarks • Doubled investment in professional development • Offered more on-site professional development presentations • Increased teacher recruitment budget • Subsidized graduate studies for faculty • Hired more teachers with advanced degrees • Provided more planning and collaboration time
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CAMPAIGN TIMELINE JULY 2015 - MAY 2016 Art and Science Market Research
SEP
T. 2
0-
2
2 1,
0
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Tower Hill’s Centennial Celebration Weekend!
JULY 2016 - MAY 2017 Strategic Planing Committee, led by parent Julia Stone, engaged all constituencies throughout the year.
MAY 2017 - JUNE 2019 5 foundation grants secured: Ford, Laffey-McHugh, Marmot, McDonald and Weymouth Wellness Fund 7 endowed funds secured for financial aid 3 endowed funds secured for faculty professional development
$10,000,000 raised to date
1,500 in attendance 3 newly endowed scholarships created
Lead gift for The Center for Innovation secured
$1M
Annual Fund goal met
JUNE 2020
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Kullman Commons completed 2 newly endowed faculty professional development funds created
FALL 2020
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MAY 2017
2017
$1M
Bequest to THS endowment from Charles S. Sutton ’31 in support of financial aid
First-ever endowed head coaching position created through the Robin Adair Harvey Endowed Varsity Field Hockey Coach Fund
First $1 million Annual Fund goal achieved
JUNE 2019
Annual Fund exceeds $1.1 million $5 million bequest from James Winder Laird ’64 fulfilled
V E M BER 20 1 8
Experiential Outdoor Classroom completed
NO
Strategic Plan adopted by Board. Three Pillars: Exhilarating Education, Building an Engaged and Diverse Community, and Faculty Development
MAY 2019
Neela Patel Center for Innovation - “THE Hub” completed
SUMMER 2021
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NEELA PATEL CENTER FOR INNOVATION
LEADERSHIP GIFT FROM SHEPPARD FAMILY TRANSFORMS LIBRARY SPACE BY TERESA MESSMORE
Tower Hill’s Middle and Upper School Library is undergoing a dramatic transformation to support innovation in the school’s curriculum and programs, made possible by a $1.5 million lead gift from Sonal and John Sheppard through the CSP Family Foundation to the Tower Hill 100 Centennial Campaign.
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The Neela Patel Center for Innovation will serve as a hub for interdisciplinary learning and collaboration, fostering core skills of communication, research, critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork in students. The complete library renovation will increase access to books and digital resources while providing more space for interactive learning.
The center will be named for Sonal Sheppard’s mother, Neela Patel, who has motivated the family’s focus on education for many years. Patel ingrained in her children the lifelong value of education, encouraging them to succeed academically and nurturing a love of learning in her grandchildren, Jayden ’28 and Sadie ’28. Her late husband, Chandu, was a structural engineer for many years, but later changed his focus to the pharmaceutical industry—where he successfully owned and ran a pharmaceutical company—by reading extensively and teaching himself key aspects of the business with an entrepreneurial mindset. Patel honored his memory by opening an engineering school at a college in India to help provide others with more opportunities.
“Generations of Tower Hill students will benefit from this monumental project,” Head of School Bessie Speers said. “We are immensely grateful to the Sheppards for making this vision a reality.”
“Education has always been drilled into us as the most important thing we can acquire in life, and no one can take that from you,” said Sheppard, who graduated from the University of Delaware and
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TOWER HILL 100
A rendering of THE Hub, scheduled to be completed this fall.
earned a law degree from Widener. “I feel like I’ve always taken that to heart.” Tower Hill’s library renovation project resonated with the family on multiple levels. Sheppard is a longtime Home and School Association volunteer who has given countless hours of her time in the Lower School Library, Thrift Shop and annual Book Fair. As her children entered Middle School, she became more aware of the underutilization of the cavernous library space despite an abundance of students studying together and socializing on the floor of nearby hallways with backpacks scattered about. Renderings of the project showed a complete reconfiguration of the facility to allow for modular use of space including small groupings, dedicated classrooms and labs, and larger gathering areas. She could see that the 12,000 square foot center would be more modern, bright, practical and, ultimately, inspiring. “The school is beautiful and you want to preserve as much of that as you can, but I do feel like obviously there are going to be spaces that need to evolve,” Sheppard said.
The old library was constructed in 1973 as part of a major campus expansion funded by Tower Hill’s first major capital campaign. The library and what are now Middle School science facilities were completed, but not as many classrooms were included as originally planned. The library’s geometric, concrete ceiling and minimalist design were characteristic of the Brutalist architecture of the day, but acoustically unforgiving and not conducive to group work commonly assigned today. While the Teaching and Learning Center was incorporated into the library in 2017, the facility has never undergone a major renovation in nearly 50 years of existence. Meanwhile, academic and public libraries across the country have reimagined their purpose amid a surfeit of information available online and the popularity of e-readers. Considering the needs of the communities they serve, many now provide offerings such as STEM labs, business centers, equipment rentals, robotics clubs, exhibits, coding coffees, media literacy sessions and room reservations for events and coworking spaces—in addition to checking out books.
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John Sheppard, Sonal Sheppard, Sadie Sheppard ’28, Neela Patel and Jayden Sheppard ’28. 16
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TOWER HILL 100
Tower Hill’s Lower School Library, in fact, has moved in this direction in recent years with large scale makerspace projects and time for AMAZE, a literature-based anti-bias curriculum. Now, the Middle and Upper School Library is not only following suit but trailblazing new horizons in collaborative learning and student agency. Construction began late last spring on the Neela Patel Center for Innovation - Tower Hill Educational Hub, or “THE Hub,” which opens in concert with the 2021-2022 school year. Students and faculty will round the corner from the Pierre S. du Pont Theatre and Arts Center’s upper lobby to find a bright, open co-working space with large whiteboards and groups of modular seating. A modern Design Lab will house technology and software for specialized digital projects and 3D printing. Floor to ceiling windows will flood the center with natural light. Shelves of books will be available for perusing, centered largely on contemporary fiction and nonfiction outside of the academic curriculum to spark curiosity. Reading nooks will provide ample space to delve into a great text or study, with new acoustical paneling and a green wall with live plants softening ambient noise. The Teaching and Learning Center will be expanded within THE Hub to better accommodate students benefiting from guidance on time management and study strategies, and classrooms of various sizes will provide space for the Social Innovators course, computer science, the Social Justice Program and evolving cross-curricular programmatic needs. Each component of the THE Hub—collections, technology, innovation commons, digital design lab, fab lab and resource commons—will be managed by a new Director of Center for Innovation (read more about Matt Jackson on page 18) who reports to Dean of Teaching and Learning Andrea Glowatz, and student leaders will help generate student centered events such as poetry slams, author readings and other creative activities. THE Hub will be enhanced through technology and design, and students and faculty will use the space to present ideas and work in teams. With social distancing restrictions easing and many older students vaccinated against COVID-19, the timing is invaluable for fully utilizing available space and resources to enhance community connection. “All of our students and teachers have done such a great job this past year, but we haven’t enjoyed the school like we usually do,” said Kristin Mumford, director of advancement and enrollment
The Middle and Upper School Library in 1978. The library addition was completed in 1973 and had not been renovated until 2021.
WHAT ABOUT THE BOOKS? The old Middle and Upper School Library housed 21,000 books, many of them outdated reference materials with more current versions available online. Moved into storage during the renovation project, all of these books are being sorted and catalogued before returning to the stacks this fall. Some of them will move to classrooms of related subject areas, e.g., history books into history classrooms, and a selection will be donated or removed in consultation with library science consultants. Access to online databases and digital resources will continue to be provided to encourage media literacy and research skills within the 21st Century context that students will be expected to understand when they transition to college.
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A rendering of THE Hub, scheduled to be completed this fall.
management. “Thanks to the generosity and vision of the Sheppard family, this is going to be a huge coming back present.” The investment will transform the space into the academic, social and innovative heart of the school, driven by the Sheppard family’s leadership gift that inspired additional leadership commitments to the project from other families as part of the Tower Hill 100 Centennial Campaign. As Sonal Sheppard and her mother, Neela Patel, pointed out, many
SAVE THE DATE!
students spend their entire pre-K through 12th grade education at Tower Hill, and the benefits of philanthropic support are readily evident in their academic experience. The impact will be felt for many years to come. “Any kind of investment you give to your kids’ school, whether it’s volunteer hours or money, is only going to help in a positive way,” Sheppard said. “There is a huge return.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for THE Hub will take place during Homecoming Weekend on Saturday, Oct. 2, at 12:15 p.m.
INTRODUCING MATT JACKSON
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The innovative nature of THE Hub called for an innovative position to oversee it. Matt Jackson has been hired as Tower Hill’s Director of Center for Innovation, a new position responsible for ensuring and supporting creative and effective use of THE Hub, technologies and opportunities for innovation, in order to serve the needs of students and teachers.
York, and he planned, developed and implemented an innovative computer science curriculum for students in grades 6-12 at St. Mark’s School of Texas. His administrative experience includes serving as the director of development at Friends School of Haverford and a diversity, equity and inclusion coordinator, and he has coached soccer, basketball and football.
Jackson holds a B.A. in history from Amherst College and an M.Ed. with a concentration in technology integration with pedagogy from Pepperdine University. He taught history at the Friends School of Haverford in Pennsylvania Tower Hill Buckley Bulletin School and The in New Fall 2021
At Tower Hill he will draw upon his background in education, technology and student life to help embed the many resources, labs and collaborative opportunities into the academic infrastructure and culture of the school.
TOWER HILL 100
KEY FEATURES TEACHING AND LEARNING CENTER
COLLABORATION Modular work spaces conducive to developing students’ communication and leadership skills
INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING
Redesigned to maximize student learning and support faculty
TECHNOLOGY
Tech support, computer lab and computer science program could be housed in THE Hub depending on evolving programmatic needs
Expanded and flexible classroom space to foster interaction between academic disciplines
RESEARCH
TOWER TERM
Databases and digital resources accessible with guidance from information specialists
THE Hub will serve as headquarters for Tower Term, a mini semester of experiential learning launched in 2018
SOCIAL INNOVATORS
Partnership with University of Pennsylvania encourages studentdriven social entrepreneurship
ROBOTICS AND MAKERSPACE Meeting place for expanded robotics program, which now encompasses all three divisions Tower Hill Bulletin
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$5 MILLION BEQUEST
THE LEGACY OF JAMES WINDER LAIRD ’64 AND HIS IMPACT ON TOWER HILL’S FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BY KRISTIN MUMFORD, DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT AND ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT
James Winder Laird ’64 made the extraordinary happen for Tower Hill when he made the decision in March 2018 to include the school in his trust as a recipient of $5 million. His intent for this incredible legacy gift, according to his friend Jeff Selzer, was to “honor the school that had provided him a great educational foundation.” Laird, a Wilmington native and lifelong philanthropist, attended Tower Hill School until the eighth grade before moving on to boarding school. He graduated from the University of Delaware and afterward studied for a year at the Restaurant School in Philadelphia. He participated in many equine events in the region and was an active member of the Vicmead Coaching Club, serving as one of its presidents. In the 1980s he moved to Gloucester, Virginia, where he raised Hackney horses. He then moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and continued his wonderful and quiet philanthropy, supporting local musical, theatrical, educational and social organizations. He also pursued his love for travel and had a passion for hosting and entertaining family and friends. Laird passed away on April 3, 2020, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, at the age of 73. Tower Hill was made aware of his legacy gift in April 2020, shortly after the school pivoted to virtual learning and just as the world was beginning to experience the economic impact of the pandemic. In June 2021, his incredible gift was fully realized. “We are so very grateful for Mr. Laird’s transformational gift to Tower Hill School,” Head of School Bessie Speers said. “His legacy will make an enduring impact on the Tower Hill community and all of its students and teachers for centuries to come.” The Board unanimously decided to designate the $5 million gift to the endowment in support of student financial aid, a top priority for the Tower
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James Winder Laird ’64
Hill 100 Centennial Campaign and an important cause for Laird as well. “This gift strengthens our endowment and helps us achieve our goal of making a Tower Hill education financially affordable for all qualified students, which is a top priority of the strategic plan,” Marna Whittington, Finance Chair of the Board, said. Tower Hill is forever grateful to Laird for his philanthropic vision and extraordinary legacy gift. FOREVER GREEN SOCIETY
To learn about becoming a member of the Forever Green Society by including Tower Hill in your estate plans, contact the Advancement Office at 302-657-8353. It is a wonderful way to establish a legacy that will impact the lives of Tower Hill’s students and faculty in perpetuity.
LAIRD ENDOWMENT
YEAR 25
YEAR 50
$7,029,624 in cumulative grants and services
$20,779,772 in cumulative grants and services
YEAR 1 Endowed Fund established $5,000,000 gift
$9,780,144 balance
Initial gift has grown and paid out:
TOWER HILL 100
PROJECTED GROWTH OF THE
$19,130,245 balance
3 times
6 times Assumes 4% annual payout and 7% rate of return.
HOW DOES AN ENDOWED FUND GROW OVER TIME? Tower Hill’s endowment consists of numerous individual funds that have been contributed by donors over time. The endowment provides a sustainable source of funding each year to the school’s operating budget; the endowment principal is invested, and each year a portion (4%) of the value of the fund is paid out to support the fund’s purpose. The endowment grows over time through investment income and additional gifts, and thus provides support for the school in perpetuity.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AT TOWER HILL Each year, incredibly talented students are admitted to Tower Hill but are unable to enroll due to financial reasons. A Tower Hill education is simply unattainable for many families. Currently 36% of our student body receives financial assistance, with an average grant size of $11,500. Over the past five years, Tower Hill’s financial aid budget has grown significantly from $2.2 million to $3.6 million. Endowed scholarship funds expand our ability to attract prospective students and provide financial aid to the top candidates. Endowed student assistance funds allow recipients of financial aid to fully participate in all aspects of the student experience. Tower Hill Bulletin
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Back row: Randy Sawyer, Murray Sawyer, Amy Sawyer ’88, Lance Anderson, Ed Chilton and Ann Sawyer Chilton ’85. Middle row: Em Sawyer, Chip Sawyer ’93 and Carolina Sawyer. Front row: Vivian Anderson, Sawyer Chilton ’15, Isaac Anderson and Kitchel Chilton ’14.
SCHOLARSHIP FUND
MURRAY AND RANDY SAWYER ESTABLISH ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND BY MELISSA PIZARRO, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT
Murray and Randy Sawyer have always been big believers in the value of education and consider it a true core value. With parents, children and grandchildren who attended Tower Hill, the Sawyers have gained a full appreciation for the motto Multa Bene Facta, Many Things Done Well. Enabling access to a Tower Hill education to all who have a desire to work hard and benefit from the student experience, regardless of financial ability, was the driving force behind a call they made to the Advancement Office in the fall of 2020. It was during this conversation that the Sawyers shared a desire to establish a permanent, endowed scholarship at Tower Hill to provide tuition assistance to students with limited means who exemplify Multa Bene Facta in all facets of student life. “It’s important that we take care of those who can’t otherwise afford it and try to provide for them,”
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Murray said. “In a perfect world, everybody would start off in the same financial circumstances, but that’s not the world as we know it—so if you can give a leg up, a hand up, to those who need it, why not—if you can? It’s very rewarding for us, personally. I got some help when I went to law school, and we couldn’t have done what we did without that help.” The Sawyers have three children who attended Tower Hill, Ann Sawyer Chilton ’85 (married to Ed Chilton, Tower Hill’s current head squash coach), Amy Sawyer ’88 and Chip Sawyer ’93, and two grandchildren, Kitchel Chilton ’14 and Sawyer Chilton ’15, both Tower Hill lifers. Randy’s parents, Gill Gawthrop ’33 and Helen (Nonie) Kitchel Gawthrop ’40, and Murray’s three siblings, Mike Sawyer ’75, Carol Sawyer-Porter ’72 and Susan (Susie) Sawyer Whitehouse ’67, also attended Tower Hill.
TOWER HILL 100
As one of six children, Randy understood that a Tower Hill education would be a challenge for her parents to afford for her and all her siblings, so she went on to attend a neighboring independent school that provided her family with more financial assistance. In Murray’s case, his family had relocated to the Wilmington area when he was in middle school and chose a school closer to their home for him and his three siblings. When Murray transferred to Phillips Exeter Academy for boarding school, his family relocated to Wawaset Park, and his siblings all transferred to Tower Hill. “The important fact in all this is that, when we were having children, having had experience with three Wilmington schools, we chose to send our kids, all, to Tower Hill,” Murray said. “We thought, at the time, that it was the right experience for them, individually and collectively. And in our experience, it did end up being the right fit for all of them.” The Sawyers also find the quality of being well rounded “critically important,” highlighting participation in athletics in addition to excelling academically. Randy played lacrosse in both high school and college. Their daughter, Ann, played lacrosse at Tower Hill and both lacrosse and squash in college. As such, the Sawyers also support an endowed scholarship at UNC dedicated to a women’s lacrosse student-athlete. “We have a great love for Tower Hill because, throughout its history, it has consistently shown a commitment to academic excellence, to athletic excellence, to being well rounded,” Murray said. “As we look at the history of wonderful private schools in this geographic area, Tower Hill has continued to hold fast to those values that help prepare students for the world after graduation to be contributors to the world and society.” While discussing some other reasons why they chose to establish this scholarship at Tower Hill, Murray and Randy both cited community. “The community at Tower Hill is the combination of the parents who are dedicated—you can see that when you go to meetings; you can feel it when you attend events—there’s a real interest in the school by all who are participating,” Murray said. “It’s vibrant, it’s real and you can feel it. You can see the commitment—by the teachers, the administration and the parents.” “And they’re very supportive of the kids, even after ours left. They always went back to visit; they loved Tower Hill,” Randy said.
Murray and Randy Sawyer
The Sawyers are funding the Sawyer Family Scholarship Fund through qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) from Murray’s IRA. A QCD is a direct transfer of funds from your IRA custodian, payable to a qualified charity. QCDs (up to a maximum of $100,000 per taxpayer for 2021) can be counted toward satisfying your required minimum distributions (RMDs) for the year, as long as certain rules are met. In addition to the benefits of giving to a charitable organization such as Tower Hill School, a QCD excludes the amount donated from taxable income, a benefit regular withdrawals from an IRA do not have. As for why Tower Hill makes their list of charitable organizations to support, “Tower Hill just fits perfectly— it’s geographically where we’re from, we believe in its mission, our children attended the school, and it’s been consistently good the 50-plus years we’ve been part of this community,” Murray said. “We’re happy to do it, and we would hope that maybe others could be encouraged to follow our lead and do the same thing. We want to make sure that those less fortunate financially and those who would not have the opportunity to be exposed to the values that Tower Hill holds dear get exposed. That’s the big picture. We’re at a stage in our life where we’re able to give back and make the world a better place in a very small way, step by step.”
DID YOU KNOW? Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) have been called “the best way to make charitable gifts after age 70 ½” (Forbes 2021). For more information on how you might support Tower Hill School through a QCD, or to make a gift in support of financial aid, please contact the Advancement Office at 302-657-8353.
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THANK YOU
On behalf of students, families, faculty and staff, thank you to all who invested at a leadership level of $10,000 or more in the strategic priorities of the Tower Hill 100 Centennial Campaign. Anonymous (3) Mr. Ashley R. Altschuler ’90 and Mrs. Shoshana M. Altschuler Mr. Nicolas Jafarieh and Ms. Suzanne E. Ashley Aware Foundation Mrs. Stacey H. Bacchieri Mr. and Mrs. Harry N. Baetjer III Mrs. Sally Beck Baker ’62 Dr. Laurence H. Beck ’58 Dr. William W. Beck, Jr. ’57 Mrs. Georgina Miller Bissell ’38* Mrs. Joan Ross Bolling ’47 Mrs. William A. Bours III* Mr. Thomas C.T. Brokaw ’64 and Mrs. Margaretta Bredin Brokaw ’66 Mr. John Buonocore, Jr. Mr. Todd Buonocore ’87 and Dr. Allison D. Kolody Buonocore Dr. G. Mark Bussard ’90
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Dr. Christopher D. Casscells ’71 and Mrs. Susan Warren Casscells Dr. Kimberly Wright Cassidy Wilhelmina Laird Craven ’34* CSP Foundation Dr. Anthony R. Cucuzzella ’82 and Mrs. Lucinda Cole Cucuzzella Ms. Louise E. Cummings-Lewis The Curran Foundation Mr. and Mrs. William H. Daiger, Jr. Mrs. Phoebe Brokaw Davidson ’97 and Mr. Charles B. Davidson Mrs. Elizabeth Prince de Ramel Mr. Régis A. de Ramel Mr. and Mrs. Joseph DeSantis Robert and Suzanne DeSantis Mr. Christopher R. Donoho III ’87 and Mrs. Erica Reedy Donoho
Mr. and Mrs. J. Mathieu Plumb Mrs. Logan Weaver Read ’10 Ms. Elizabeth H. Richardson Sage Dining Services Dr. Christopher J. Saunders ’80 and Mrs. Alice M. Saunders Dr. Jonathan N. Saunders ’75 and Mrs. Charlene Stegura Saunders Mr. and Mrs. H. Murray Sawyer, Jr. Judy and Joseph Setting Ms. H. Donnan Sharp ’56 Mr. and Mrs. David M. Shepherd Mr. and Mrs. John Sheppard Mr. Robert M. Silliman, Jr. ’96 and Mrs. Kelly Silliman Mrs. Stephanie du P. Bredin Speakman ’64 The Rev. and Mrs. Thomas G. Speers III The Starrett Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Michael L. Steiner Stratus Foundation Mrs. Edna M. Sutton* Speakman Family Foundation Mrs. Isabella Speakman Timon ’92 and Mr. Philip C. Timon Mr. and Mrs. Timothy J. Langlois Tower Hill School Alumni Council Tower Hill School Faculty Fund to Aid Students (FFAS) Centennial Commitment Tower Hill School Home and School Association Mr. Randolph W. Urmston ’62 Ms. Anne A. Verplanck ’76 Mrs. Susan Wood Waesco ’90 and Mr. Kevin M. Waesco Mr. Carmen M. Wallace ’93 Mrs. Susan Hill Ward ’54 and Mr. Rodman Ward, Jr. Mr. Rodman Ward III ’83 and Mrs. Gina Farabaugh Ward Anthony E. Weymouth Foundation, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas D. Whittington, Jr. The Windfall Foundation Mrs. Marilyn Morrow Woodhouse ’49 Yaverland Foundation Mr. Yaosong Zhang and Mrs. Dan Wang
TOWER HILL 100
Mr. Benjamin F. du Pont ’82 and Mrs. Laura Lemole du Pont David F. du Pont ’52 Trust* Mr. Charles J. Durante ’69 and Mrs. Janice F. Durante Heather Richards Evans ’80 Mrs. Beverly Wild Finch ’59 Dr. John M. Flynn ’81 and Mrs. Mary Flynn The Edward E. Ford Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Franta, Esq. Mrs. Amanda Walker Friz ’92 and Mr. Robert W. Friz Mr. W. Whitfield Gardner ’81 and Mrs. Cynthia H. Gardner Ms. Elizabeth A. Garrigues ’45* Dr. John Gavenonis and Dr. Sara C. Gavenonis Mr. Adam Gould and Ms. Nicholle R. Taylor Mr. Thomas J. Hanna ’91 and Dr. Lynne A. Hanna Mr. and Mrs. E. Thomas Harvey III Mr. Bradford L. Hayward ’04 Mr. Laird R. Hayward ’02 Mrs. Nancy L. Hayward ’60 Mr. Pierre duP. Hayward ’66 and Mrs. Martina Combs Hayward Drs. Robert and Rachel Heinle Mr. Samuel I. duP. Hyland ’89 Mr. Michael A. Jenkins ’80 and Mrs. Ann Kallfelz Jenkins ’80 Dr. and Mrs. Eric T. Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Thomas S. Johnson Mrs. Loring Weaver Knott ’08 Dr. Kris A. Kowal and Dr. Wen Liu Mr. David R. Kullman ’12 Mrs. Ellen Jamison Kullman ’74 and Mr. Michael E. Kullman Ms. Margaret O. Kullman ’08 Mr. Stephen J. Kullman ’12 The Laffey-McHugh Foundation Mr. James W. Laird* The Lemole Family Charitable Trust Mr. and Mrs. Christopher R. Lemole Ms. Samantha M. Lemole Marmot Foundation, Inc. Mr. Whitney M. Maroney ’87 and Mrs. Katharine Fisher Maroney Ellice & Rosa McDonald Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Henry C. S. Mellon Mr. and Mrs. Jay R. Miller Mr. James W. Morris ’73 Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. Nestor Mr. David T. Nowland ’85 and Mrs. Cathleen C. Nowland Dr. Mehmet C. Oz ’78 and Mrs. Lisa Jane Lemole Oz Mrs. Neela Patel Dr. and Mrs. Nisheeth R. Patel Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Pettinaro Ms. Christine Kane Plant ’69
* deceased
Tower Hill 100 is a comprehensive campaign that includes the Annual Fund. The full list of donors is included in the Donor Honor Roll on page 73.
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GRADUATION EXCERPTS FROM THE 101ST COMMENCEMENT SPEECHES JUNE 11, 2021
“Seniors, I want you to look up and around you into this sky, studded with these twinkly lights strung over and around us. While we may have spent most of this year distanced from those around us, these lights actually string us together in some really fantastic ways, just as your friendships, families and Tower Hill years are strung together forever. So let the image of these lights be a reminder to you, seniors, that no matter what distance you may travel in the coming years, these Tower Hill lights will always be shining for you. Seniors, you surely have lit the way for each other and for the Tower Hill community this year.” —Elizabeth C. Speers, Head of School
“I’ll leave you with a question, one that I tried myself to answer before I wrote this speech: What makes the Class of ’21 special? Is it that we were the only class ever to live our entire senior year through a global pandemic? Yeah, that’s it. Thank you. But seriously, I know that our class is unique in the sense that clearly no other group of students could be exactly like this one, but what is inherent to our class to the people on the stage behind me? I have no idea. Maybe it’s nothing, or maybe historians will look back on our yearbook shocked to find 75 Nobel laureates went to school together. The question is mine; the solution is yours. So go out into the world, and please, give us something to talk about at the reunions.” —Keally Rohrbacher ’21, Class of 2021 Elected Speaker 26
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GRADUATION 2021
“Every once in a while life will hand you a difficult, challenging and tearinducing choice. The kind of choice that will actually change your life and define who you are as a person. Should you apply for your dream job even though it means you have to move to a new city? Do you open yourself up to love even though you have been hurt before? Do you stand up for what you believe in even when it is hard? These types of choices often make you want to run away as fast as possible. To take the easy way out. I am here to urge you to make the brave choice, the difficult choice. In the wise words of Nelson Mandela, ‘May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.’ Do the things you never thought you could do. I promise you won’t regret it.” —Nicole Keith, Class of 2021 Dean and Math Faculty Member
“This past year, there were more questions than answers. We were all uncertain of what was to come. Well, here we are. We put on our masks, and we came back to school. It was different, but we did it together. We stood tall, six feet apart. Every daily check-up, every COVID update. Class of 2021, you are resilient. You have navigated uncharted waters with grit and grace. I am proud to be a part of a group so special.” —Nicole Crivelli ’21, Student Government Association President Opposite from top: Director of Alumni Relations Matt Twyman ’88 presents his nephew, Ricky Deadwyler, with a diploma; Olivia Langlois, Jade Harnish, Billy Nunn, Claire Dignazio and Katie Sullivan perform Will the Circle Be Unbroken; Head of Upper School Megan Cover presents math faculty member Jack Smith with an honorary diploma; Head of School Bessie Speers addresses the Class of 2021. Above from top: Chip Elson poses for a photo with his parents, Aimee Elson and former trustee Charles Elson; Speers and Board Chair Eric Johnson, M.D., present diplomas to Vincent and Alicia Cai; Class of 2021 Dean and math faculty member Nicole Keith shares words of wisdom with graduates; SGA President Nicole Crivelli addresses her fellow classmates; Class of 2021 elected speaker Keally Rohrbacher shares words of wisdom with his classmates.
VIDEO EXTRA
Watch the 2021 Graduation at towerhill.org/graduation
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CLASS of 2021
JOSEPHINE ADSETT Case Western Reserve University LUCILLE BAILER Tulane University MARGARET BAILER Boston College DYLAN BEMIS University of St Andrews JEFFERSON BROUGHER Southern Methodist University CHRISTOPHER BUCHAN University of Mississippi ALICIA CAI Northwestern University
Congratulations,
VINCENT CAI University of Pennsylvania OWEN CALDWELL New York University SELINA CHEN Boston College EMMA CHESMAN Wake Forest University ALLEGRA CIMALORE University of South Carolina
CLAIRE DIGNAZIO Princeton University
SHAZI JADALI George Washington University
MILANA LOFTON Boston College
EDWARD COLLEY University of Delaware
SAMANTHA DUPREE Ithaca College
HUDSON JONES University of Colorado Boulder
SOPHIA CONSIDINE Lynn University
CHARLES ELSON University of Virginia
ARCHIT KAMBHAMETTU University of Maryland
CHAD LOPES Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
GEORGE CORROON Villanova University
MADISON FISHER Occidental College
NINA KNITOWSKI University of California (Los Angeles)
NICOLE CRIVELLI Southern Methodist University
JAEDEN FITZHUGH University of Delaware
DERRICK DEADWYLER Delaware State University
LILI GIROUX-DOEHRING Parsons School of Design
JOHN KOENIG Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
GREGORY DEMEO Southern Methodist University
JADE HARNISH Webster University
CAROLINE DEYRUP Oberlin College
RYLIE HEFLIN Duke University
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TIFFANY LYNCH-FAULKNER University of Delaware JESSICA YUHE MA Carnegie Mellon University DONOVEN MACK Cabrini University
OLIVIA LANGLOIS Johns Hopkins University
QUINN MACNAMARA University of South Carolina
KYLE LEAHY University of South Carolina
PATRICIA MALATESTA Franklin & Marshall College
NICHOLAS LENHARD University of Richmond
KRISH MALHOTRA University of California (Los Angeles)
GRADUATION 2021
Class of 2021! SANDER MARGOLIN United States Military Academy
LILLIAN PEDANO Maryland Institute College of Art
GABRIEL SANTOS Pennsylvania State University
KATHLEEN SULLIVAN Emory University
BELLA MULFORD University of Delaware
KIERAN PETRUNICH Wake Forest University
OLIVIA SCHWANDT The University of Texas at Austin
SIENA SYSKO American University
REESE MULLINS Immaculata University
MICHAEL PILSON Carnegie Mellon University
LAUREN SCOTT Florida State University
RYAN TATASCIORE University of Delaware
ZAYD NARVEL Boston College
SANJAY RAJU Pennsylvania State University
CHARLES SHEGOG St. Lawrence University
CATHERINE TIMON Washington University in St. Louis
WILLIAM NUNN U.S. Coast Guard Academy
GAURAV RASTOGI Tulane University
EMMETT SIMPLER Tulane University
JULIET VADAS American University
HANNAH PACHALIS University of Miami
REECE RATLIFF Belmont University
MIGUEL SOARES Georgetown University
ADITI WADHWA University of Pittsburgh
YASH PAHWA University of Pennsylvania
ANDREW RICHMOND Rowan University
MATTHEW SPRUANCE Occidental College
RICHARD WANG Boston College
LINSEY PALMA Sacred Heart University
KEALLY ROHRBACHER Washington and Lee University
NATHAN SUGIMOTO Lehigh University
MADALYN YATES University of Virginia
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SENIOR AWARDS 1
2
3
4
5
6
1. West Point Field Force Volunteer Robert Goodman appoints Billy Nunn ’21 to the U.S. Coast Guard and Sander Margolin ’21 to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. 2. Theater award recipients Jade Harnish ’21, Chip Elson ’21, Samantha DuPree ’21 and Aditi Wadhwa ’21 pictured with Theater Department Chair Matt Kator. 3. Cum Laude inductees Katie Sullivan ’21, Siena Sysko ’21, Kieran Petrunich ’21, Keally Rohrbacher ’21, Archit Kambhamettu ’21, Jessica Ma ’21 and Catherine Timon ’21. 4. Athletic award recipients Matthew Spruance ’21, Donoven Mack ’21 and Emmett Simpler ’21 pictured with Director of Athletics Seth Kushkin. 5. Global Scholars Emma Chesman ’21, Dylan Bemis ’21, Selina Chen ’21, Quinn MacNamara ’21, Archit Kambhamettu ’21 and Olivia Langlois ’21 pictured with Director of Global Initiatives Maurice Rapp. 6. Athletic award recipients Margaret Bailer ’21, Olivia Langlois ’21 and Claire Dignazio ’21 pictured with Seth Kushkin.
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U.S. PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR Congratulations to Reece Ratliff ’21 on being named a 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholar. The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects 161 scholars annually based on their academic success, essays, school evaluations and transcripts. Being named a U.S. Presidential Scholar is one of the highest honors the Nation can bestow upon a graduating high school senior.
CUM LAUDE INDUCTION
Seniors inducted at the end of their junior year: Vincent Cai Emma Chesman Claire Dignazio Olivia Langlois Yash Pahwa Reece Ratliff Miguel Soares Seniors inducted at the Senior Awards Ceremony: Archit Kambhamettu Jessica Ma Kieran Petrunich Keally Rohrbacher Kathleen Sullivan Siena Sysko Catherine Timon Global Certificate Scholars Dylan Bemis Archit Kambhamettu Olivia Langlois Selina Chen Quinn MacNamara Emma Chesman Class of 1966 “Of Wilmington and the World” Award Hannah Pachalis
Haon Award in Art Lili Giroux-Doehring Lillian Pedano Certificate of Honor - Owen Caldwell Certificate of Honor - Madalyn Yates
Oliver Crichton Science Award Vincent Cai Certificate of Honor - Claire Dignazio Certificate of Honor - Olivia Langlois Certificate of Honor - Ryan Tatasciore
David E. Scherer Dramatics Award Aditi Wadhwa Certificate of Honor - Samantha DuPree Certificate of Honor - Jade Harnish Certificate of Honor - Charles Elson
William J. Carveth Music Award Claire Dignzaio Certificate of Honor - Olivia Langlois
Hugh Atkins Award in English Siena Sysko
The Tower Hill School Community Service Award Donoven Mack
Algard Mathematics Award Vincent Cai Certificate of Honor - Claire Dignazio Certificate of Honor - Miguel Soares
Tower Hill School Athletics Awards William Nunn Patricia Malatesta Certificate of Honor - Donoven Mack Certificate of Honor - Matthew Spruance Certificate of Honor - Emmett Simpler Certificate of Honor - Claire Dignazio Certificate of Honor - Olivia Langlois Certificate of Honor - Margaret Bailer
Frank C. Ashby Language Award Christopher Buchan
Trustees’ Award for Academic Excellence Claire Dignazio
Laurel Society Dylan Bemis Siena Sysko
Katherine Ann Darnell Multa Bene Facta Award P. Edward Hughes History Award Dylan Bemis Jalyn Miller Charles Elson Spiller Achievement Award Quinn MacNamara
U.S. Presidential Scholar Reece Ratliff Selected by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, this student is among the 161 scholars selected from the 3.6 million students graduating from U.S. high schools this year. National Merit Finalists Alicia Cai Vincent Cai Claire Dignazio Nicholas Lenhard Sanjay Raju Reece Ratliff Keally Rohrbacher Richard Wang
GRADUATION 2021
RECOGNITION
Alison Arsht Leadership Award Nicole Crivelli Trustees’ Award for Service Samantha DuPree
National Merit Commended Students Dylan Bemis Selina Chen Olivia Langlois Jessica Ma Krish Malhotra Gabriel Santos Emmett Simpler Miguel Soares These students placed among the top 5% of more than 1.6 million who entered the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program competition.
These students placed among the top 1% of more than 1.6 million who entered the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program competition and fulfilled additional requirements.
PARENT RECOGNITION The following parents were recognized for having accumulated 20 or more “student years” at Tower Hill School. Their last Tower Hill student graduated with the Class of 2021. Dr. and Mrs. Gregory W. DeMeo - 27 years Dr. Peter Doehring and Ms. Monique L. Giroux - 25 years Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Elson - 28 years Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Knitowski - 20 years Mr. and Mrs. Trevor M. Koenig, Sr. - 28 years Mrs. Melissa D. Lenhard - 24 years Mr. and Mrs. James V. Pedano - 40 years Mr. and Mrs. Michael T. Pilson - 36 years Drs. Pawan and Ritu Rastogi - 27 years Mr. and Mrs. Kevin C. Shegog - 41 years The Hon. and Mrs. Kenneth A. Simpler - 33 years Mr. Jacob V. Spruance ’93 and Mrs. Hillary deLeeuw Spruance ’92 - 28 years Leslie and Ryan Sysko - 25 years Mrs. Gillian T. Timon - 28 years Mrs. Isabella Speakman Timon ’92 and Mr. Philip C. Timon - 34 years Tower Hill Bulletin
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SENIOR DINNER
WES SCHWANDT ’86 SHARES ADVICE AT ALUMNI COUNCIL SENIOR DINNER At the Alumni Council Senior Dinner on May 18, keynote speaker Wes Schwandt ’86 addressed the Class of 2021. Schwandt is the president of BPGS Construction, a construction and development management company with offices in Wilmington, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. Schwandt was introduced by his daughter, Olivia Schwandt ’21. How fitting that we are holding this time-honored celebration in the new Kullman Commons! It is just spectacular. Like any great deed, this space began with a vision of what could be ... and the hard work of individuals committed to transforming that vision into reality. It is no different than the vision that was shared by seven men when they met on a rainy Thursday evening in January 1919—Jan. 23 to be exact—on Rising Sun Lane over 100 years ago. These men, and four others who joined shortly thereafter, were inspired to create a better educational opportunity. And so instead of standing by, waiting for others to pave the way, they rolled up their sleeves and committed their time, talent and resources to building Tower Hill School. Over the past 100-plus years, Tower Hill has continued to grow, to expand and to evolve. Kullman Commons was an exterior space and eventually became the donut hole. In Lower School, I remember it being open to the elements—an asphalt floor with two huge drains to catch the rainwater—but otherwise, it had no purpose or value. Some used it as a pass-through to get from the dining hall to what was then the arts wing. I have 32
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a vague recollection of an art show once. And then at some point in the late ’70s, a senior project created a big and colorful map of the United States to brighten up the space. And most recently, with the vision of improving this space, a team of people much like the founders in 1919 committed their time, talent and resources to repurposing a blank space into a beautiful atrium, conditioned and finished as you see it tonight. A place for people to congregate—a place that adds purpose and value to Tower Hill. While the footprint of the 44 acres upon which this campus sits cannot grow, opportunity continues to grow within, through a vision and constant desire to become more. Here’s where things turn philosophical—each of you has already begun building on your own 44 acres. In your first 18 years, you have been inspired by parents, teachers and others to accomplish and achieve ... and the desire to do—and be—more. The foundation on which you’ve started your building within includes achieving successes in school; on the field of competition; entertaining within the arts and music; your rise to June 11, 2021, and in 24 days, becoming a Tower Hill alum. But along
There’s a quote in my office that I find humbling yet inspirational. It allows me to find that inner gear during a difficult moment. From our 26th President, Mr. Theodore Roosevelt, the quote reads: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” A lot to take in as a young adult. But if you think about the years of getting to this point; the challenges you’ve faced in math and science classes; the point, goal or shot missed that may have been the difference; an err in judgement when you knew better; a time when you didn’t give your best effort on a paper or project and suffered the consequences; or that time with a friend or significant other. These stumbles will hopefully become the mortar of your building, cementing your successes piece by piece, one block at a time. They are experiences that stick with you and help to define your self-purpose and self-value. Tower Hill was not built in a day, nor in its first 50 years, nor when it turned 100 just two short years ago. It will continue to build and re-build itself for the next 100 years and beyond. Everyone here has been part of building Tower Hill and helping to shape its purpose and value; that is what makes Tower Hill so unique and special. Just like Tower Hill, your building on your own 44 acres has just begun shaping itself. And it does not stop when you graduate from high school or college, or start your career, or your family—or attain a certain age for that matter. It is a lifetime endeavor, and yours has just begun. Mr. Twyman and I were just a year apart while we were students at Tower Hill, so we have had the pleasure of knowing each other for the better part of nearly
40 years. Yes, I just dated ourselves—we’re the old folks in the room now, Matt. Just a few weeks ago, Mr. Twyman called me to discuss a topic posed to him by an underclassman. I’m paraphrasing this young man, but he said to Mr. Twyman, “I would like to play college sports ... should I try out?” Well, Matt and I have always had one particular common thread, a thread that has very much defined who we are, and that is our love of sports. Being a year behind me, we both had the good fortune of playing football for several years together, competing under the iconic tutelage of Coach Steve Hyde. During our college years, Mr. Twyman went on to compete in track and I in baseball.
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with these successes, not one of us sitting here has not stumbled along the way. Yup, going philosophical again. Too often, we think of stumbles as failures, when in reality, those stumbles can be our greatest moments and our greatest source of strength. They can knock us to the ground and force us to take a knee—to take a deep breath—and when we are left with the choice to stay down ... or we can get back up and start all over again. We are building ourselves.
Matt, you and I spoke for maybe, what, 30 minutes? Not as much about this particular young man and whether or not he was a D1 super star, but rather what our high school, college and post college sporting experiences have meant to each of us. We both agreed that these pursuits—both the successes and the stumbles— continue to add to our purpose and value within ... still to this day. In our own way, we pass along to our children, students, associates and friends aspects that have come to define us. That is what brings us together. One day you will realize that these experiences, whatever they may be, are an endless gift for you. As you walk the path to step on that stage and accept your diploma in a few weeks, take time to reflect on what has gotten you to this incredible milestone. Reflect on your successes; spend even more time reflecting on your stumbles and how they have made you stronger and more resilient. As you graduate from Tower Hill, I am sure each of you has a vision of what you want to achieve and what your 44 acres will look like one day, and just as you have experienced in building your foundation, you will have successes ... and you will stumble. Embrace each experience, learn from them and use them as your building blocks to find purpose and value—to create “the within” of the 44 acres that define each of you. So on a final note, enjoy your final days at Tower Hill! Take time to celebrate and savor moments with family and friends. Take time to mend fences or get to know the person in your class you’ve spent little time with. Take time to revel in the excitement of summer and the thrill of starting a new chapter. And whatever you do or wherever you’re headed, take time to keep balance in your life. Stay in the moment, live today and continue those personal pursuits—sports, the arts, community or whatever drives that other inner passion—because they most certainly will add to that purpose and value in your life. Go out, explore and become the visionary that Tower Hill has inspired you to be ... all gas, no brakes! Good luck, Class of 2021! Tower Hill Bulletin
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MOVING UP DAY
Tower Hill recognized the eighth grade class at the annual Moving Up Day ceremony on June 10. Family, friends and faculty gathered to hear advisers share insights about each student’s accomplishments and contributions to the class. In addition to the three awards presented, Head of Middle School Art Hall noted the many talents of the eighth grade as a class. Annabel Hehir received the Tower Hill Humanitarian Award, given to the eighth grader who, in the opinion of his or her classmates, has been the best friend to all. Roshan Iyengar received the Humanitarian Award Certificate of Honor. Christopher Cobb received the Alumni Association Achievement Award for demonstrating particular growth in citizenship and scholarship. Georgia Sarko received the Cecile M. Buckles Award, given to the eighth grade student who best exemplifies enthusiasm, effort, cooperation and energetic involvement. Congratulations to the Class of 2025!
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Sharon Reynolds and Annabel Hehir ’25
Sharon Reynolds and Roshan Iyengar ’25
Christopher Cobb ’25 and Ashley Altschuler ’90
Paul Mulvena and Georgia Sarko ’25
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MOVING UP DAY
Bryce Twyman ’25
Art Hall
Tim Weymouth
Kyleigh Peters ’25
Abdullah Bajwa ’25
Lainey Kushkin ’25
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Kevin Miao ’25
ACADEMICS SCIENCE OLYMPIAD Tower Hill’s Science Olympiad team finished third in the state competition! This year’s team, captained by Vincent Cai ’21, Alicia Cai ’21 and Richard Wang ’21, finished highest in recent school history, with Tower Hill placing in the top 15 in all but one event. Alicia Cai ’21, Vincent Cai ’21, Yash Pahwa ’21, Gabe Santos ’21 and Richard Wang ’21 placed in 13 events and averaged four medals per person.
MOCK TRIAL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP In February, Tower Hill’s mock trial team competed as one of 20 high school teams in the annual Delaware High School Mock Trial State Championship. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the entire 2021 competition and all Mock Trial practices were conducted in a virtual format via Zoom. This year’s case involved a civil declaratory judgment action regarding insurance coverage for damages caused by the improper use of an aerial drone. Revati Iyengar ’22 won two best attorney gavels, and Marissa Washburn ’22 won two best witness gavels. WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD In April our Tower Tots, prekindergartners and kindergartners celebrated the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s “Week of the Young Child,” an annual celebration focusing attention on the needs of young children and the teachers who work so hard to meet those needs. Students participated in Music Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Work Together Wednesday, Artsy Thursday and Family Friday.
G7 SUMMIT Middle and Upper School girls learned about professions connected to math, science, engineering, medicine, politics, computer science and business at the second annual G7 Summit on March 6. This year’s summit was held virtually and focused on the theme “The Wide Reach of Computer Science.” Attendees worked in small groups with women working in the fields of prosthetics and orthotics, biomedical engineering and data analytics. The opening speaker was NASA scientist Kimberly Ennico Smith, Ph.D.
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SCHOOL LIFE LOWER SCHOOL WORLD’S FAIR Lower Schoolers celebrated the annual World’s Fair in May. Students displayed work from throughout the year— including artwork, writing samples and pictures of students doing activities—on classroom doors. At an assembly on Zoom, each grade shared what they have learned about their region—everything from songs, poems, fun facts and more. Special thanks to Lower School Global Studies Coordinator and Spanish teacher Natalie Moravek, right, for all her hard work coordinating this year’s event!
GREEK MYTHOLOGY Sixth graders studied Greek mythology and performed a series of short plays based on Greek myths that they reimagined and wrote themselves.
FRACTURED FAIRY TALES Fifth graders performed their Fractured Fairy Tales, a unit during which students learn the elements of a fairy tale, “fracture” the tale by manipulating characters, setting or the plot, and then adapt the narrative to a script format.
FIRST GRADE POETRY SLAM First graders culminated their poetry unit in Writing Workshop with a poetry slam. Watch a video at towerhill. org/bulletin in which Lower School literacy teacher Ellen Ellis discusses the unit.
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ACADEMIC SUCCESS
ACADEMIC OUTCOMES FOR 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR REMAIN HIGH The 2020-2021 school year was an academically successful year. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Tower Hill students emerged at the end of the school year with all of the abilities they need to be successful in the next stage of their schooling. Just as in years past, all around the school there was evidence of high levels of learning. In the Lower School, global projects took over hallways and passports were stamped. In the Middle School, exquisite papers were written as students learned critical study skills and geared up for exams. Upper School students took Advanced Placement exams and demonstrated high levels of accomplishment in science and math. In every corner of the school, masterful art projects abounded, indicating that students truly achieved the school’s motto, Multa Bene Facta, Many Things Done Well. “COVID was and is a terrible and unfortunate thing, and what we were certain of from the very beginning is we did not want to pause learning in any way for our students,” Associate Head of School and Chief Information and Innovation Officer Anthony Pisapia said. “It was important that we were able to do as much as possible to give our students in-person
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learning when possible and keep them on track. It was fantastic that our students did not fall behind in any way, and we were able to keep an incredible amount of forward momentum.” The data also tells the story of a Tower Hill community that showed up this year in all the ways that mattered. The extraordinary steps the school took to be oncampus and have in-person options for every student five days per week had a positive effect. Whether remote or in-person, students did not stop learning. Tower Hill’s overall PSAT scores remained steady between 2018 and 2021. Over this same period, PSAT scores dropped for peer independent schools in the Delaware Valley region and nationally. Tower Hill’s overall ERB (Educational Records Bureau) scores showed an increase of significance between 2018 and 2021. Over this same period, ERB scores dropped for peer independent schools in the Delaware Valley region and nationally. These tests provide information about a student’s performance in several key areas such as listening, verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, reading comprehension, word analysis, writing mechanics and mathematics.
Students in Tower Hill’s Class of 2021 were accepted to colleges and universities in 32 states and four countries, and they were awarded more than $3.4 million in scholarships. “Our standardized test results were where they needed to be, and college acceptances were where they needed to be,” Pisapia said. “We were able to keep running and keep ticking as Tower Hill is meant to, providing the most excellent experience that we possibly could in such a difficult year.” While the bulk of that success can be credited to the extraordinary talent and dedication of our teachers, the additional investment in technology made in the summer of 2020 was also critical to last year’s successful outcomes. In order to prepare for hybrid learning last fall, the school did a lot of research in order to determine technology needs. The school spoke with experts in the audio-visual field as well as with colleges and universities who have more experience with hybrid and virtual learning.
SCHOOL LIFE
Eight National Merit Scholarship finalists emerged from Tower Hill last year, which was the highest in recent school history. These students were among the top 15,000 of the nearly 1.6 million students who entered the competition.
The results were cameras, microphones and speaker units in each classroom, as well as additional computers and SMART Boards, so that learning could begin on the first day of school and continue without interruption, five days a week, for the entirety of the academic year. “The technology allowed students and teachers to stay connected to Tower Hill—and keep teaching and learning—even if that learning wasn’t able to happen in-person because of health needs,” Pisapia said. Because of our parents’ and teachers’ commitment to teaching, learning and the safety of our children, we have handled this crisis and are as strong as we have ever been academically. “We needed to make sure that no one fell behind and that no one felt left out. That was important to us, and it drove a lot of the decision making around what technology we bought, about transforming some of our athletic spaces into classroom spaces,” Pisapia said. “We made sure those who wanted and needed an in-person education could get it, and we also made sure that those who needed to be home could stay home. It’s important that we don’t forget that, despite an abnormal year and setbacks along the way, our students were able to succeed.”
2020-2021 ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS
TOWER HILL SCHOOL PEER INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS
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OF WILMINGTON AND THE WORLD LUCY NACE ’22 CREATES PROGRAMS BENEFITING SPANISH-SPEAKING COMMUNITIES BY AMY WOLF, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
Lucy Nace ’22 took “Of Wilmington and the World” and put the motto into action, creating partnerships both locally and abroad that have benefited not only Tower Hill students, but also Spanish-speaking people in the Wilmington community and beyond. Nace started taking Spanish at Tower Hill in seventh grade, and after her freshman year she felt she had a strong enough foundation to start interacting with Spanish speakers in order to improve her skills. She started looking for organizations in the Wilmington area to volunteer for and found that the Latin American Community Center (LACC) was a perfect fit. “I’ve always really enjoyed my Tower Hill Spanish classes and knew I wanted to take my skills to the next level,” Nace said. “What better way to do that than interacting with the local Spanish-speaking community?” Nace saw immediate benefits from her time spent at the LACC, including an improvement in her own Spanish-speaking skills, and she thought other Tower Hill students could benefit from a partnership with the community center. Last summer, heading into her junior year at Tower Hill, Nace decided
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to create the Abuelos y Tu program, which pairs Tower Hill students with abuelos—senior citizens— at a YMCA in Peru, a partner of the LACC in Wilmington. Throughout the school year, nine Tower Hill students held about 10 meetings over Zoom with their abuelos from Peru, discussions that could last anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour and a half. Nace coordinated everyone’s schedule in a group chat and also sent themes and suggested questions intended to spark conversation among the pairs. Just one year into the program, the feedback from both students and the abuelos has been positive. “The abuelos have really enjoyed their virtual meetings with new friends and sharing their culture and language,” Nace said. “They like to see the improvement in the kids’ Spanish-speaking skills and seem to enjoy the companionship, particularly during the pandemic. The LACC and the YMCA organize events for the abuelos, but since COVID-19 canceled so many of them, the program has given the abuelos a chance to connect with others. For the students, they’re happy learning about Peruvian culture and improving their Spanish skills outside the classroom.”
SCHOOL LIFE LIFE SCHOOL Lucy Nace ’22 and Spanish teacher Ida Leader brainstorm the focus of Nace’s Social Innovators Program project.
While the program has certainly made an impact abroad, Nace also wanted to reach out and help the Spanish-speaking community right here in Wilmington. Through the Social Innovators Program, a social entrepreneurship class at Tower Hill that began in the fall of 2018 through a partnership with The University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Schoolyard Ventures, Nace created a virtual ESL (English as a second language) program that pairs Spanish-speaking college students with parents at local Head Start preschools to teach them English. Throughout the semester-long class, which Nace took in the fall of 2020, students go through the process of identifying a problem that they see around them in their own lives or in the world and then try to formulate solutions and test those potential solutions in the real world. “I have such a passion for Spanish that I knew I wanted to develop something that would benefit local Spanish speakers,” Nace said. “My Spanish teachers helped me brainstorm my project, which ultimately helped me realize that a lack of English skills is one of the main obstacles to success in so many areas of daily life.” Nace reached out to college students at the University of Delaware and local Head Starts and found that there was a lot of interest in virtual ESL lessons from both parties. Demand was so strong that Nace extended her search to and received additional volunteers from more far reaching schools such as the University of Pittsburgh, Middlebury College and Colgate University. Similar to her role with the Abuelos y Tu program, Nace serves as the program coordinator, organizing meetings and lessons and matching pairs based on skill level, goals and schedules.
“The one-on-one nature of these meetings makes them customizable to the Spanish speaker’s interests and needs. One woman told me that she works in a hospital and wanted to learn more hospital vocabulary and phrases,” Nace said. “With larger ESL classes, you don’t typically receive personalized lessons or the indepth attention that you do in these meetings.” While Nace is grateful for the support from her Tower Hill Spanish teachers, much of the work on both projects has been done independently. “Lucy has always been an interested, organized and talented Spanish student,” Spanish teacher Ida Leader said. “She pays attention to the grammar and vocabulary but also has a place in her heart for the Spanish-speaking community. It’s been a pleasure helping her with these projects, which she has pursued independently, asking only for a little support.” The Social Innovators Program only requires students to create a business plan, but Nace wanted to take her plan and put it into action. The first session of virtual lessons, which began in January, ended in May, and Nace hopes to continue the lessons into the 2021-2022 school year. “It’s been challenging—always looking for more volunteers to meet the demand for classes, coordinating schedules—but it has been so rewarding to think that I’ve orchestrated this benefit for the community,” Nace said. “It’s also fun to hear the great feedback from both my volunteers and the Head Start parents who are so grateful for the classes. The volunteers give me regular updates on the parents’ progress. It’s great to know that I’m actually making a difference.”
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SCHOOL LEADERS
TOWER HILL WELCOMES NEW ADMINISTRATORS TO THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM AMY BICKHART Amy Bickhart has been appointed Head of Lower School. Bickhart was most recently Assistant Head of Lower School, having spent nearly 20 years at Tower Hill. Bickhart received her B.S. from Western Maryland College, currently known as McDaniel College, and her M.Ed. in elementary education from Wilmington University. She taught in the 3-year-old program at Peninsula-McCabe Preschool and kindergarten at Wilmington Friends School. She joined Tower Hill in 2001 and taught prekindergarten for 13 years, taking on the additional role of Assistant Head of Lower School in 2009. She became Associate Director of Lower School Admission in 2014 and Director of Middle and Lower School Admission in 2018.
TIM WEYMOUTH Tim Weymouth has been named Interim Head of Middle School for the 20212022 school year, allowing sufficient time for a comprehensive search this school year. Weymouth has prior experience leading a middle school division, having served as Upper School Director for Grades 5-8 at St. Peter’s School in Philadelphia from 2006-2012 and Interim Principal of St. James School in Philadelphia in 2013. Weymouth previously served as Science Department Chair at The Fessenden School in West Newton, Massachusetts, and taught science as a teaching fellow at Friends’ Central School. He holds a B.A. in biology from Hamilton College and a master’s degree in organization and leadership from Columbia University’s Teachers College. Since joining Tower Hill in 2013, he has taught middle school science, chaired the Science Department and served on the Strategic Planning and Faculty Development committees.
SARAH BAKER Sarah Baker has been named Head of Tower Hill’s Upper School. Baker joins Tower Hill with extensive independent school leadership experience in secondary education. Baker most recently served as Assistant Head of Upper School at Collegiate School in Richmond, Virginia, where she was responsible for faculty evaluation, supervision, recruitment and hiring; leading the Academic Services Department and independent study program; communicating with families, students and teachers about academic progress, with attention to mental and physical health; and running key aspects of the Upper School’s independent study, service, leadership and study abroad programs. She is also an associate instructor in the School Leadership Program within the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.
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SCHOOL LIFE
AMY SCHREI Amy Schrei has been named Director of Communications and Marketing. Schrei was most recently the Associate Director of Marketing and Communications for The Nature Conservancy based in Hong Kong. The Nature Conservancy is the world’s largest environmental nonprofit, and in her role there Schrei oversaw the creation of a digital strategic plan for all website content in both the Hong Kong and Asia Pacific markets. Schrei’s professional experience also includes serving as the Head of Marketing for a global toy company, as well as Marketing Communications Manager for a different award-winning toy manufacturer. Prior to her work abroad, Schrei served as Assistant Director of Communications at The Haverford School in Haverford, Pennsylvania. Schrei earned her B.S. in chemistry with a minor in art history from the University of Delaware, as well as Certificates of Graphic and Web Design from Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia.
STEVE CACCIAVILLANO Steve Cacciavillano has been appointed Interim Director of Athletics. Cacciavillano most recently served as Assistant Director of Athletics and is an Upper School science teacher and coach at Tower Hill. Before joining the Tower Hill community, Cacciavillano co-chaired an athletics task force and served as a co-curricular and athletics/physical education review committee chair at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts. Having earned his undergraduate degree from Ursinus College and a master’s degree from Clemson, Cacciavillano is also a certified athletic administrator with the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. A national search for a Director of Athletics will begin this fall.
With Gratitude Tower Hill is grateful to former administrators Susan Miller, Art Hall, Megan Cover, Teresa Messmore and Seth Kushkin for their dedication and service to the school. We congratulate Hall and Cover on their Head of School appointments at Lakehill Preparatory School and Girls Preparatory School, respectively—remarkable achievements that Tower Hill takes great pride in—and wish Miller, Messmore and Kushkin the best in their moves closer to family.
Susan Miller Former Head of Lower School
Art Hall Former Assistant Head of School and Head of Middle School
Megan Cover Former Head of Upper School
Teresa Messmore Former Director of Communications and Marketing
Seth Kushkin Former Director of Athletics
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Well Wishes JACK SMITH
MATH TEACHER JACK SMITH RETIRES AFTER 45 YEARS Middle School history teacher Wiz Montaigne Applegate ’79 read the following tribute to Jack Smith at the end-of-year faculty and staff reception in June. Jack still has every single grade book going back to 1976. Imagine—fresh out of Franklin & Marshall with a mere two months of student teaching under his belt ... Jack began his rookie year teaching not one, but two of the Math Chair’s children! A current colleague and former student Mary Hobbs Taylor ’09 shares, “In the classroom, one of the most impressive facets of ‘Mr. Smith’s’ teaching was that he would never move on from a concept until every single student in that room understood. Not only could he coherently present any material, from differentials to integrals to Lagrange Error Bounds, but he could also present it in five different ways to cater to all learning needs. Even when a student would give the fake ‘I understand’ nod, Mr. Smith would persist and work through another practice problem to ensure clarity for that student.” Today we gather to honor the Multa Bene Facta contributions of Jack Smith, featuring many layers. “Ask Jack”—it’s the usual response for any historical question posed here around school. “Ask Jack” is typically followed by a “Where’s Jack?” “Ask Jack. Where’s Jack?” Jack—in his Classroom “If I remember correctly” (A Jackism) Jack has taught in many classrooms. It’s no surprise that he can pretty much tell you where each room was, what the room number was and the years he taught there. “Here’s what I can tell you” (another Jackism). His memory is encyclopedic. If I remember correctly, Jack has taught every course in the Math Department—back in the day it was Alg, Geo, Calc, Stat, Trig. AP this, BC that ... today’s courses have fancier names! “Well hold on now” There were some years where Jack taught five sections, and there were a number of years as Department Chair when Jack taught four. 44
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This Kitchel Award winner purposefully made sure he didn’t teach any of his own children before their senior year. He taught all three Calc BC. “Here’s what I can tell you” To illustrate how fair he is ... Before his daughter Laurie’s senior year, Jack told her that if she ever needed any extra help, she had to go and see him in his office at school and that he wouldn’t help her at home. Jalyn Miller ’22 sums it up: “Mr. Smith helped me understand things I never thought I would understand.” Ask Jack. Where’s Jack? Jack in his office 10th grade HCA 9th and 10th grade dean Math Department Chair for 25 years And lifelong registrar That’s my recollection If I remember correctly... A long time ago, Day 1s and Day 6s were always Mondays; Fridays were always Day 5 or Day 10. Classes met at the same time every day for the same amount of time and most classes met either eight or
SCHOOL LIFE
nine times a cycle. We’ve had Green days, White days, 12 days, 10 days, 7 days, 6 days, 5 days, 7 periods, 8 periods ... Well hold on now ... I am sure there are other iterations ... I’ll have to ask Jack! “Here’s what I can tell you” ... The man is a scheduling guru. Jack began doing the Upper School schedule in 1985. The Upper School head at the time, Ernie Savage, tried to talk him out of it saying, “You don’t want to sit cooped up in an office doing the schedule. You don’t see anybody. You want to get out and be around everybody.” Thank goodness Jack didn’t pay a lick of attention to Ernie’s advice! According to Harry Baetjer, another 40-plus-year lifer, and I quote, “Jack’s contributions at Department Chair meetings were knowledgeable, insightful, carefully considered and, as you might expect, had a significant influence on discussions. He has served on every major committee that has had a major influence on the life of the school.” Harry cannot count the number of times he heard “Ask Jack” or frequently heard Jack say, “Let me check on that,” which meant the final word was going to arrive because Jack was going to check his plan book or notes.
Jack Smith, pictured with his wife, Melva Carveth Smith ’72, and daughter, Laurie Smith Finnical ’98, was recognized for his 45 years of service with a THS chair with his name on it and portrait of the school.
hoopers line up, Jack gathers the line judges to give his pre-race “pep talk.” If you are assigned to pick the first place winner (which Jack will remind you is the easiest job of the bunch!), consider yourself lucky!
Ask Jack. Where’s Jack? In the park or on the track or on DeGroat (for Field Day!)
As head judge, not only does Jack help determine the winners for every single Field Day race, but he also is talented enough to pick out second and third place. As the judges dodge hula hoops and dash to ID the finishers, in the background you’ll hear “Green, White, Green” or “White, Green, Green” or maybe “Green sweep” (my personal favorite!). “Here’s what I can tell you.” There are six people assigned to the finish line to try to do what Jack can really do all by himself.
“If I remember correctly” Jack served as varsity cross country coach from ’81 to ’86 and became the varsity track coach in the spring of ’82, and his last season was in 1985 (Matt Twyman ’88’s freshman year), but “let me check on that.” As his administrative duties increased, Jack hung up his whistle ...
“Well hold on now” We must again highlight fairness ... One year Jack disqualified his daughter Laurie’s fourth grade team because someone stepped over the line in the hurdle event, and he may have even disqualified his other daughter’s team in the same event years later! (But “let me check on that.”)
“No, no, no ... I take that back ... That’s not quite right” When Laurie, his eldest, started running spring track, Jack “unofficially” helped Stu Markley, the track coach at the time. During Laurie’s senior spring, Stu had surgery, and in typical Jack fashion, he filled in—and what a spring that was! The boys won states, and the girls took second. Wow!
“You don’t know Jack” What’s interesting about these expressions is “You don’t know jack” actually means the same thing as “You know jack.” Both phrases literally mean “you don’t know anything.”
And Field Day ... The role of Field Day line judge is exciting, yet comes with great responsibility. As the first grade hula
Certainly, there are many layers to Jack—teaching, admin, coaching—but really “you don’t know Jack.” Well hold on now ... Consider how during a majority of Jack’s formative Tower Hill Bulletin
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most everything, I am sure he can tell you the exact grade I earned. But don’t ask Jack—he is far too polite for that! You don’t know Jack. You know Jack. Just ask Jack. Where’s Jack? Jack, you always deliver as a colleague and never as an expert. Your personal integrity, reflected in the respect with which you treat everyone, is a model for all of us. You are a true lifer in all senses of the phrase. We know Jack, and Jack knows all.
Jack Smith at a track meet in 1977 and Field Day in 2017.
years at Tower Hill, he cross pollinated with at least 18 30-plus-year lifers and another five who were 40-plusyear lifers. Did you know he’s a poet? At an athletic assembly, Jack recited a poignant poem about the track team. Ask Jack. Did you know he can sing? He recently sang the alma mater for an alumni office challenge. Ask Jack. Did you know the man does not age? Ask Jack. Did you know that the ONE thing Jack has NOT done while at Tower Hill is chaperone a prom. Imagine—45 years of getting away with that! Nice! So back to the math—triangles, rectangles, cubes, polygons, octahedrons (Ask Jack!) and the circle ... the full circle ...
Forty-five is a triangular number. It is the sum of a series of natural numbers. Forty-five is the sum of all the single digits 0 through 9, so in other words 0+1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9=45. Another interesting fact: 45 in binary is 101101—it has perfect symmetry and balance. Jack really is the sum of all things as an educator. “We know Jack”—master teacher, scheduling magician, parent, advisor (to both students and colleagues), Department Chair, dean and coach. And Kevin, true math teacher that he is, came up with another statistic. Chances of an amateur golfer hitting a hole in one is approximately 1 in 12,500. Probability of hitting a hole in one on your birthday jumps to 1 in 4,562,500. In the summer of 2010, Jack did just that. What are the odds?!
How many of you weren’t yet born in 1976?
What’s the probability of Tower Hill having another master teacher like Jack? Frankly? Zero. (Is that even a number?) Ask Jack.
In the fall of ’76, only 46 students were in the senior class. The “new” library building was only 3 years old. The Upper School was in what is now the Middle School hallway. There was no du Pont Theatre, no Field House, no Math and Science or Music buildings.
And with that, let’s all raise a glass in appreciation for Jack’s service to Tower Hill. Thank goodness we have all had the improbable opportunity to know (and love) Jack. Melva, Laurie, Jason and Amy, thank you for sharing him with us for all these years.
And in fall of 1976, I was a Tower Hill 10th grader, and “Mr. Smith” was in his first year teaching. He was trying to teach me geometry, and math was not my forte. As the man has the uncanny ability to recall
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In recognition of Jack’s 45 years of service, Kevin Waesco took a look at the significance of the number 45 and reports that ...
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SCHOOL LIFE
YEARS OF SERVICE RECOGNITION Faculty and staff were recognized in April for their years of service to the school at an event hosted by the Tower Hill Board of Trustees.
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ATHLETICS
SPRING SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS BASEBALL The baseball team had a successful 14-2 regular season. The Hillers competed in the DIAA state tournament, losing in the third round. In April, head coach Billy Cannon broke the baseball all-time win record at Tower Hill with 234 wins! Cannon was also voted the DISC coach of the year. Paul Gillerlain was voted DISC assistant coach of the year as well as allstate assistant coach of the year, and Marty Coyne ’23 earned all-state honorable mention recognition. BOYS’ LACROSSE The boys’ lacrosse team had a successful 9-6 regular season and made it to the second round of the state tournament. Brendan Hickey ’22 earned first-team all-state honors. GIRLS’ LACROSSE The girls’ lacrosse team went 10-4 in the regular season and made it to the second round in the state tournament.
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GIRLS’ SOCCER The girls’ soccer team ended the season with a 4-8-3 record, with many young players who will be back next year. TRACK AND FIELD The track and field team had a successful season and competed at the DIAA state championship, with the girls’ team finishing 7th in the state. Below are highlights from the meet. • Cameron Haskins ’23 placed 4th in the triple jump • Hannah Zhou ’22 placed 8th in the 100m • Girls’ 4x200 placed 5th • Girls’ 4x100 placed 4th • Jalyn Miller ’22 placed 7th in the 800m • Girls’ 4x400 placed 4th • Girls’ 4x800 placed 3rd • Boys’ 4x800 placed 3rd • Boys’ 4x200 placed 6th • Boys’ 4x100 placed 6th • Boys’ 4x400 placed 5th • Vincent Grillo ’23 placed 4th in the shot put
THIRD GENERATION BLUE-GOLD On June 18, Emmett Simpler ’21 competed in the annual Blue-Gold football game, which benefits the Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with Intellectual DisABILITIES. Simpler is the thirdgeneration athlete to play in the game; his grandfather, Ken Simpler Sr., played in the 1962 game, and his father, Tower Hill trustee Ken Simpler Jr., played in 1985. An article was featured in The News Journal. Read more at towerhill.org/bulletin.
Congratulations to our student-athletes who will continue their athletic careers in college! Reese Mullins ’21 - Immaculata University (basketball and track) Caroline Deyrup ’21 - Oberlin College (swimming) Matthew Spruance ’21 - Occidental College (swimming) Phin Pilson ’21 - Carnegie Mellon University (soccer) Annie Malatesta ’21 - Franklin & Marshall College (field hockey) 48
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SCHOOL LIFE
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STATE CHAMPS GOLF TEAM WINS FIFTH CONSECUTIVE DIAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Kathy Franklin, Olivia Schwandt ’21, Rylie Heflin ’21, Avery McCrery ’25, Henry Stone ’23, Karen Sinton and Maurice Rapp
Congratulations to the golf team on winning its fifth consecutive DIAA state championship! Rylie Heflin ’21, John Koenig ’21, Nick Lenhard ’21, Avery McCrery ’25, Olivia Schwandt ’21 and Henry Stone ’23 participated in the tournament. Heflin (2), McCrery (5), Stone (10) and Schwandt (13) all placed in the top 15.
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SCHOOL LIFE
BOYS’ TENNIS WINS DIAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, GIRLS PLACE SECOND
Congratulations to the boys’ tennis team on winning the state championship and to the girls’ team on placing 2nd! On the boys’ team, Michael Dignazio ’24 was the 3rd singles state champion; Matthew Heinle ’23 and Demetrios Moutsatsos ’24 were the 1st doubles state champions; and Davis Bland ’22 and Jack Allen ’24 were the 2nd doubles state champions. On the girls’ team, Claire Dignazio ’21 was the 1st singles state runner-up; Siena Sysko ’21 and Ella Shepherd ’22 were 1st doubles state champions; and Meghan Mumford ’24 and Ava Etlinger ’24 were 2nd doubles state champions.
Boys: Michael Dignazio ’24, Jack Allen ’24, Davis Bland ’22, Gaurav Rastogi ’21, Drew Allen ’23, Matthew Heinle ’23, Anish Vakalapudi ’24 and Demetrios Moutsatsos ’24 Girls, front row: Ava Etlinger ’24, Ella Shepherd ’22 and Bridget Heinle ’25. Back row: Anna Schiltz ’24, Siena Sysko ’21, Claire Dignazio ’21, Selina Chen ’21 and Meghan Mumford ’24 Tower Hill Bulletin
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TOWER DAY
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1. The entire school got out of afternoon classes to gather in Rockford Park, enjoy water ice, play games and share Hiller History for Tower Day on May 19. 2. A Lower Schooler enjoys a water ice treat. 3. Head of School Bessie Speers welcomes students and faculty to the annual event. 4. Middle School students pose for a photo. 5. Solomon Miller ’25 shares Hiller History. 6. Upper School English teacher Asha Smith and teaching and learning specialist Jessica Douglass enjoy the afternoon in Rockford Park. 7. Middle and Upper School students scoop water ice. 52
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THS IN PHOTOS
GRANDPARENTS’ AND FRIENDS’ DAY
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TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK 1
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THS IN PHOTOS
TOWER TERM
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Upper Schoolers enjoyed a variety of experiential learning for the fourth annual Tower Term in June. 1. Students create landscape paintings at Goodstay Gardens. 2. Mark Sheehan ’22 and Ben Miao ’22 enjoy backyard and lawn games. 3. Ben Jordan ’23 and Angel Pedraza ’23 program a robot in the Robot Coding and Drawing Tower Term. 4. Tara Fletcher leads a yoga class as part of the Yoga Nature Retreat Tower Term. 5. Miriam Pallant instructs Kaiya Whitfield ’23 in the Knit Chat Tower Term. 6. Students learn how to create abstract masterpieces in the Teach Yourself to Pour Paint Tower Term. Tower Hill Bulletin
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THE ARTS 1
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1. A Middle School student works on a sculpture in ceramics class. 2. A Lower Schooler practices guitar in music. 3-4. Lower and Middle Schoolers took inspiration from traditional Buddhist prayer flags to create Unity Banners, which were hung outdoors to promote peace, compassion, strength and wisdom. 5. The Middle School orchestra performs for Lower Schoolers in the Experiential Outdoor Classroom. 6. Middle School students take their art class outdoors.
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THE ARTS
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FIELD DAY
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FIELD DAY
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HEALTH EDUCATOR SUSAN BROOKS ’73 PUBLISHES COOKBOOK
Q&A WITH AMY WOLF, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
Susan Brooks ’73 is a health educator based in Colorado. With a Ph.D. in health sciences and an M.S. in exercise physiology, she’s worked over the years with many populations—including pregnant women, newborns, children, elderly, homeless, terminally ill, mentally ill, teachers, those with learning differences, medical doctors, hospice care providers and caregivers. When not working with clients, Brooks enjoys hiking, yoga, cooking, gardening and spending time outdoors. Her recent cookbook, Cooking with Grace, was published in February 2021. With her father a six-decade practicing physician, and with a daughter in medical school, Brooks’ commitment to health education runs in the family. What is a health educator? I educate people about simple daily lifestyle practices so they can live their best life. That includes the basic pillars of health: movement or exercise, nutrition, sleep, social connections and community, and stress resilience. I help people develop wellness practices for their lifelong toolbox—that’s how I look at it. I help clients identify what motivates them to make changes and what the roadblocks are in getting there. It always surprises me, especially with people who are highly educated, that many people undervalue the importance of basic activities of daily living—such as drinking enough water, taking walks and enjoying relaxing time with family and friends. We tend to make “becoming healthy” too complex and elaborate. I feel strongly about teaching people very simple and sustainable practices. What is a typical week like for you? A typical work week now is I work about half time, 15-20 hours a week, and it might involve mentoring a group of health practitioners, teaching health classes online and meeting with individual clients or couples that are wanting to make health changes. My average client comes in once a month for an hour and a half. Most of my work week is spent seeing clients, and we spend that time going over different practices, how they’re doing, what’s working, where the difficult areas are and seeing if we can come up with an individualized plan for them. Everybody has different needs; there’s no one size fits all for this work. How has your work changed over the years due to constantly changing health trends? One thing about nutrition and health research is that you can find one piece of research and then the next week you’ll find an opposing piece of research about the same topic. For instance, back in the ’80s everyone was into low-fat diets and how healthy that was, and then it was discovered later that people who ate low-fat diets ate more carbs, which is not good, so they moved to the keto diet and the high-fat diets. A lot of the nutritional trends have changed. Even some of the recommendations for fitness have shifted, like how many hours a week, how intense workouts should be, aerobics versus strength training, etc. Some of the basics have stayed the same, and that’s why I’ve made a real point to individualize
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everybody’s program. I feel strongly that no one dietary plan or fitness plan can work for everyone. I’ve really fine-tuned it over the years and learned to listen to clients and what motivates them. I listen to people’s motivation of why they want to make changes, because what motivates one person may be totally different than what motivates another, and if you don’t identify someone’s motivation or inspiration for change, they’re not likely to sustain a program. I’m interested in individualizing lifetime sustainable practices, rather than the “quick fix.” Why is health education important now more than ever? We have many more temptations than we used to. There’s more and better-tasting everything that’s not necessarily healthy—packaged foods, more disposable income for a lot of people. We have more environmental impacts—that’s a huge one that can often be underestimated. We’ve got pollution, more additives in food, more water and contamination issues, so it’s important to develop a foundation of health. If you go to a party and have cake it’s not a big deal because you have this foundation of health. Our diets and culture as a whole have contributed to creating less health in people. More than half of Americans are overweight or obese, and the rate of diabetes is rising exponentially. We have a lot of chronic disease in our country—considerably more than we used to. I think that public awareness about health needs to continue to be raised. What was your experience like at Tower Hill? I loved Tower Hill. It was the perfect school for me. I loved being in the same place for 14 years. It felt like a family, and I have way more friendships with people from Tower Hill than from college. The teachers were incredible. I felt like I was pushed. Because of the small size, you couldn’t get away with anything there. Everybody knew everything. You were kind of under a microscope, but I liked that. Even at the time—sometimes when we’re young we don’t realize how lucky we are—I was very grateful to be able to go to school there. For me Tower Hill planted the seeds for a very healthy, happy future. It instilled in me the importance and the value of a good education. Tower Hill Bulletin
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Charuni Patibanda ’00, New Castle County economic development director, at the New Castle County Government Center.
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NEW CASTLE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Q&A WITH HEATHER WEYMOUTH LOWRY ’97, DIRECTOR OF THE ANNUAL FUND
Charuni Patibanda ’00 is the New Castle County economic development director, a position she began in February 2021. Patibanda returned to Delaware after working in land use and regulatory practices at L.A. law firms Sheppard Mullin and Glaser Weil, as well as starting a boutique consulting firm, The McOsker Group, that developed political strategies for a variety of hospitality, media, outdoor advertising, health care and development clients. Where did life take you after graduating from Tower Hill? After graduating from Tower Hill, I attended the University of Southern California and received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics. During college, I did a Tower Hill alumni internship with Wood, Byrd and Associates working with Delaware lobbyists where I learned so much about government and politics. After graduating from USC, I moved to Boston and worked for the economic consulting firm Greylock McKinnon as an analyst and then moved to Phoenix to work for Toyota Financial Services as a risk analyst. I then moved to Atlanta, where I attended Emory Law School. My work in local and state government and as an analyst set me up for success in law school and during my externship with the Georgia Attorney General’s Office. After graduating from Emory, I interned with Sen. Chris Coons ’81. I had met him when he was the County Executive, but I didn’t realize the Tower Hill connection until I began working for him. This was a really fun and fulfilling experience for me as a young lawyer. I was able to interact one on one with constituents and traveled to Washington, D.C., to learn the legislative process on the Hill. I was also honored and lucky enough to be sworn in as a lawyer by Sen. Coons after I passed the California bar. After a rewarding time with Sen. Coons, I transitioned to law firm work in California with an insurance coverage firm. I got great experience in law and motion, but wanted more face time with clients. As a result of volunteering for a candidate who was running for mayor of Los Angeles at the time, I was introduced to Tim McOsker, who was previously the Chief of Staff to Mayor James K. Hahn. I then worked for him for five years at his private practice that focused on land use, regulation, economic development and job creation. Those seven years in California and varied experiences taught me to be nimble on my feet and about the power of networking. Why did you move back to Wilmington? I moved back to Wilmington in March 2021 as the economic development director for New Castle County. It was a really amazing opportunity to make an impact at a place that means so much to me. My primary goals in this role are to build back better out
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CHARUNI PATIBANDA ’00
of the COVID-19 pandemic. I want to see better jobs coming to our area while supporting small business owners—especially those that are women and minority owned. I am currently working on a project that focuses on early learning opportunities with Madeleine Bayard ’97, senior vice president at Rodel Charitable Foundation, and Kirsten Olson ’89, CEO of Children & Families First. How did your experience as a Tower Hill student prepare you for college and the real world? Tower Hill’s academic curriculum was incredibly challenging, and there was a lot of pressure when I was a student. Looking back, I know that all the training I received really prepared me for college. Teachers such as Mr. Dietrich, Mr. Smith and Ms. Wenzinger encouraged me along the way, and I still appreciate the influence they had on my experience. I remember Dr. Wasson encouraged my classmates and me to take Chinese in college, and I did! The Tower Hill educational experience for me really was top notch. What advice would you give to today’s Tower Hill students? My advice—especially for the Upper School students—is that high school is only the beginning. High school feels like everything when you are in the moment, but so much happens after you graduate, and it gets better! Explore the world, take in everything that you can and make a positive impact in your community.
Charuni Patibanda ’00 and Sen. Chris Coons ’81. Patibanda interned with Coons after graduating from Emory Law School. Tower Hill Bulletin
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Top: John Williams ’94, right, with John Schoonover, at the Kalmar Nyckel at a send-off event for University of Delaware rowers going to the Pan American Games in Chile; Williams, center, at a Christina River clean-up event. Bottom: Williams at an event where his company, IncNow, was celebrating its B Corp Certification at the YMCA; Williams as a student at Tower Hill in 1986.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT JOHN WILLIAMS ’94 INVOLVED WITH WILMINGTON-AREA NONPROFITS BY HEATHER WEYMOUTH LOWRY ’97, DIRECTOR OF THE ANNUAL FUND
John Williams ’94, a proud lifer of Tower Hill, discovered his “food for the soul” more than 30 years ago when Tower Hill allowed him to participate in the Wilmington Youth Rowing Association (WYRA) program as an outside-of-school spring sport. In fact, his love of rowing and his involvement as a volunteer coach throughout his adult life propelled him into various Wilmington-based nonprofit commitments, initially with environmental organizations and later with community minded organizations. “When Tower Hill allowed me to participate in the WYRA program, my passion for sustaining our environment ignited,” Williams said. “During the 1990s when I rowed with WYRA, the Wilmington Riverfront was industrial, and the Christina River was one of the dirtiest rivers in the country. Watching it improve year by year through public works projects has inspired me to play a role in further enhancements to promote clean water.” 64
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After rowing at Williams College and coaching undergraduates as a law student at Emory University, Williams returned to Wilmington in 2001 to practice trust and business law with his father, David N. Williams, Esq. ’53. Both Hillers also operate IncNow, a business formation service that has facilitated business incorporations for about 20,000 entrepreneurs. Soon after Williams moved back to Wilmington, he helped get the University of Delaware men’s rowing program started and began volunteering as a coach, what he calls “food for the soul.” Coaching has led to 25 University of Delaware students and alumni working for their law firm, including Ryan Jornlin, Esq. ’04. IncNow has supported many UD rowers as they pursued national team dreams. Williams views his roles as an attorney and a volunteer as integrated parts of his life—something he attributes to beloved former English faculty member John Robinson.
Williams first discovered and appreciated the value of doing things for the community when he volunteered for Habitat for Humanity as a part of Tower Hill’s required community service program for students. That foundation—coupled with his desire for Wilmington to become an “Emerald City” in terms of developing green infrastructure and being a healthier city—fueled his passion to give back to the area. Williams serves on about a dozen nonprofit boards, including The Christina Conservancy, of which he is president. He said he is most proud of the Conservancy’s work running a cleanup for 30 years that has removed 500 tons of trash from the watershed in addition to reviewing applications of high school seniors for the Edward W. Cooch, Jr. Environmental Scholarship. Recently the Conservancy has led a new “CBR4” program to promote Christina and Brandywine River Remediation, Restoration and Resilience. With the assistance of DNREC and various other partners, they are removing legacy PCB pollution in the river with the goal of making the Christina River fishable and swimmable in 10 years. “So much effort has been put into remediating the land adjacent to the river, and it is about time that the history of industrial pollution and long-lasting chemicals are also remediated in the river bottom,” Williams said. As president of the Downtown YMCA Board of Managers, Williams oversees the Walnut Street YMCA and Central YMCA branches. In addition to fitness, swimming, child care, youth camps, housing for low-income adults, fitness, Youth in Government, drumline, Global Teens, workforce development, Black Achievers and Back on Track, the YMCA has also been helping students with virtual learning and food insecurity during the pandemic. Williams is in his fifth year as president of Wilmington Rowing Center, which has a membership of about 150 adults and 100 scholastic members and a boathouse with 100 shells. All of these experiences have inspired Williams to turn the incorporation service he manages from a traditional for-profit corporation into a public benefit corporation. What’s unique about IncNow is it is the only “Certified B Corp” in the state of Delaware. IncNow is a public benefit corporation that balances people, planet and prosperity, known as
the “triple bottom-line.” Looking out for community stakeholders makes it a purpose-driven company that has been certified by B-Lab. IncNow’s corporate charter includes a mission statement to support the environment, education, entrepreneurship and the arts in the greater Delaware Valley and promote a vibrant and healthy workplace. In addition to supporting disadvantaged community entrepreneurs and helping student entrepreneurs, it has partnered with the state libraries to promote community entrepreneurship.
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“I fondly remember that Mr. Robinson taught us to make connections between the books we were reading in his English class and nature and the real world,” he said. “It was the first time I began looking beyond silos and connecting things together.”
“Believe it or not, the Tower Hill eighth grade play was probably one of the best real-life preparations,” Williams said. “We had to come up with a concept, write a script, arrange music, build sets and train actors—all from scratch. In business, being an entrepreneur is a lot like that. Entrepreneurs start from an idea and create a product or service to capture their audience. Our incorporation service, IncNow, started with my father’s idea of making it easy for his law firm clients to incorporate their businesses, which grew into an eCommerce business when my siblings and I took it online in 1998.” Having begun Tower Hill in pre-K, Williams had the opportunity to get to know each of his classmates very well, and his graduating class of 56 classmates were like family to him. He remains involved with Tower Hill, having participated in Career Day and attending events such as the 2021 Golf Outing, the Centennial Gala and Second Century Circle leadership donor programs. “One of the great things about Tower Hill is not only the dozens of outstanding teachers, staff and coaches, but also the incredible peer groups and networks of parents and alumni,” Williams said. “Vice Chancellor Jack Jacobs, father of Andrew Jacobs ’93, was instrumental in getting me started in business law by allowing me to intern during the summer after my first year of law school. I learned how to edit that summer. As a student at THS, I often felt compelled to do well more because my peers expected it of me, even more so than my parents and teachers. Tower Hill provided me some wide latitude to explore projects outside school, like when I played the drums in a rock band called SoCo and also rowing with WYRA.” In addition to being a well respected attorney, Williams’ commitments to and passion for Wilmington is a wonderful example of Multa Bene Facta. “One of the most lasting quotes I recall from my football coach, Jim Straub ’62, was: ‘The things you work the hardest at mean the most to you,’” he said.
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AMY RIPKA ’89
FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF LUCY THERAPEUTICS Q&A WITH AMY WOLF, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING
Amy Ripka ’89 is the founder and chief executive officer of Lucy Therapeutics, a Boston-based biotech start-up that uses a unifying mitochondrial platform to develop small molecule treatments for neurological diseases. Ripka has over 20 years of drug discovery experience and was involved in the discovery of two marketed drugs (Daklinza and Sunvepra). She has chaired the Medicinal Chemistry Gordon Conference and currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Boards of Q Biomed Ventures and Rheostat Therapeutics. Ripka earned an undergraduate degree in music at Northwestern University, and she also took enough chemistry classes to qualify for a degree in the central science. She earned a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and later served as a postdoc with Nobel laureate K. Barry Sharpless at Scripps Research Institute in California. In your own words, what is Lucy Therapeutics? Lucy Therapeutics is a mitochondrial platform company focused on developing small molecule drugs for Rett Syndrome and Parkinson’s Disease and a unique peripheral mitochondrial biomarker. LucyTx’s platform has led to the discovery of targets that can improve central energetic dysfunctions in these diseases and address their complex organ
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symptomatology. LucyTx interrogates complex biology with well-defined molecules to answer key questions about the pathways critical for disease modification. Furthermore, by targeting mitochondrial outcomes, LucyTx has identified a peripheral biomarker that we are developing to help stratify patients and categorize their drug responses in our clinical trials.
What do you enjoy outside of work? I play a card game called Magic the Gathering and try to play as often as I can with a small group of friends that meets once a week—usually I only get to join them every month or so. I also still play violin professionally, though COVID stopped all live performances in 2020. I cook a lot of different cuisines and am always looking to learn and perfect new techniques in my kitchen.
Where did the name Lucy Therapeutics come from? All your mitochondrial DNA is inherited from your mother—and one of the world’s oldest ‘mothers’ is a hominid (Lucy australopithecus) found during an archeological dig in Ethiopia in the early 1970s.
What was your experience like at Tower Hill? It was both a good and challenging experience. I was there in the 1970-80s, and it was a very different time—there was a huge emphasis on sports—often to the detriment of other aspects, including the arts. Conversely, on the academic front, it prepared me extremely well for college—I remember my first couple of exams and papers at Northwestern and thinking, “Gosh, Tower Hill was a lot harder than this!” I attended THS from second to 12th grade, and being with the same group of people for that long brought both the benefits of long-term friendships, which I still maintain to this day, as well as down sides as one could never escape anything embarrassing you might have done in your younger years!
What’s it like being the CEO and founder of a start-up? It’s a lot of work—I have a newfound appreciation for what CEOs do. It’s not as glamourous as it sounds— the best CEOs I know are rather humble about their work but in fact they understand every aspect of their organization. Being a founder of a company has been exciting as I’ve gotten to bring ideas I’ve had to life through the help of a lot of other talented people. What’s a typical day like at work? There is no typical day—certainly not like I had at previous jobs I’ve held. Every day can be completely different—some days I spend all day on Zoom, meeting with potential investors or current employees or potential scientific advisory members. Some days I may spend most of the day analyzing data, setting goals or developing timelines. And some days I spend strategizing about changes we need to make at the company either scientifically or organizationally or strategically. What’s your favorite part of your job? The variety—I’ve always been someone who does best when I am doing 10 different things. I was like that even at THS! Why did you decide to pursue a music degree as an undergrad? How and why did you shift your career path to chemistry? I actually couldn’t take music courses at Northwestern at the time without being a declared music major and in the School of Music. They didn’t offer a double degree program like they do now. So, I decided to be a music major but also to take the required coursework for a chemistry major since I could take those classes without having to be in the College of Arts and Sciences where those courses were.
ALUMNI
Why did you start Lucy Therapeutics? I had been thinking for a long time about how we do drug discovery in the biotech/pharma environment. I realized that there was no place I’d been (big pharmaceutical companies, small biotechs, contract research organizations) that was doing what I wanted to do—which was to show that mitochondria and its processes are essential for driving diseases of aging, including neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.
How do you think Tower Hill prepared you for life and your career? I think THS provided a phenomenal intellectual background that helped launch my curiosity that has continued to drive me both personally and professionally. While I was there the English Department offered dozens of elective classes you could take each quarter. It was wonderful to be able to explore so many different areas, including Chaucer, Shakespeare, 19th Century British novels and modern drama, just to name a few. THS was also great at providing instruction for us even when we were just one of a few kids in a class—Mr. Perkins taught our AP music class, and I think there were just three of us! What advice would you give to current Tower Hill students? Take risks trying new things and take a chance on elective classes or courses—as you get older you will have less and less time (until you retire!) to explore like you can when you’re still in school.
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& G N 2 I 1 M 1 . O T 2 0 C C 2 O ME N O O I H UN E R
Classes ending in 0, 1, 5 and 6: It’s your reunion year! Mark your calendar—you won’t want to miss the fun-filled weekend. 68
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Check towerhill.org/homecoming for updates
FRIDAY, OCT. 1 11:30 a.m.
Teaching and Learning Today with Dean of Teaching and Learning Andrea Glowatz and Student Panel
1:30 p.m.
Schoolwide Founders’ Day Celebration and Pep Rally
4:15 p.m.
Kullman Commons Ribbon-Cutting
5-6:30 p.m.
Inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame Induction and Reception
HOMECOMING
HOMECOMING & REUNION 2021 SCHEDULE
Kullman Commons
INAUGURAL ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES RULY CARPENTER ’58
Ruly Carpenter ’58 was first-team all-state for an undefeated football program, third-team all-state in basketball and a semi-pro outfielder into his mid-twenties. He went on to own the Phillies and is a member of both the Delaware Baseball Hall of Fame and the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame.
STEVE HYDE ’59
Former faculty member and coach Steve Hyde ’59 lettered in football, basketball and baseball and was the boys’ athletic award winner in 1959. He coached football from 1974 to 1988, earning six conference titles, and baseball from 1974 to 2000, earning 12 conference titles as head coach. He is the only inaugural inductee to both attend and coach at Tower Hill.
NANCY KEITH LEFEVRE ’53
Nancy Keith LeFevre ’53 holds the Tower Hill record for most varsity letters at 16: six in field hockey, five in basketball, three in softball and two in tennis.
BETTY RICHARDSON
Betty Richardson’s 16-year field hockey coaching career at Tower Hill extended from 1974 to 1989. Her field hockey teams won four Delaware state championships, her first coming in 1974—the first year of state championship competition. Three of her four wins were consecutive, 1980-1982. She also had three second place finishes and a total of nine “final four” finishes. She also served as Tower Hill’s director of girls’ athletics.
KEN WILLIAMS ’76
Ken Williams ’76 was the first Delaware high school athlete to triple jump 46 feet, and he holds the state record in the 180-yard low hurdles. He won nine state track championships and set meet records in all three of his events (high hurdles, intermediate hurdles and triple jump) at the NCC meet his senior year. A member of the basketball team, he broke Frank Jamison ’69’s career basketball scoring record. On the football team, he was a running back who was twice all-conference on both offense and defense. He is a member of the Delaware Track and Field Hall of Fame.
CAITLIN VAN SICKLE ’08
A 2016 Olympian, Caitlin Van Sickle ’08 was Delaware’s most decorated high school athlete in 2007-2008. She was Delaware’s player of the year in both field hockey and lacrosse, as well as second-team all-state in basketball, where she was the Hillers’ point guard for four years. She was named all-American defender in field hockey three times at UNC, which she helped to the 2009 national championship. She was a member of the U.S. Olympic field hockey team in 2016 and was a member of the U.S. National Team over the past five years.
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SATURDAY, OCT. 2 10 a.m.
Student-led Tours • Main Building
11 a.m.
State of the School and Alumni Association Annual Meeting and Presentation of Alumni Awards Hosted by the Alumni Council; all are welcome.
12:15 p.m.
Neela Patel Center for Innovation - THE Hub Ribbon-Cutting
12:30–2:30 p.m.
Picnic lunch under the Homecoming Tent • Balloon Creatures
3:30 p.m.
Football Game • DeGroat Field Dwayne Hicks ’86 Memorial Fund Presentation during halftime.
5:30–7:30 p.m.
Alumni Reunion Reception for classes ending in 0, 1, 5 and 6 and Presentation of Founders’ Achievement Award. All alumni are invited to attend. Group class photos will be taken throughout the evening.
Reunions off campus for all classes ending in 0, 1, 5 and 6 are arranged by class representatives. For more information about Homecoming 2021 or your Class Reunion, please contact thsalumni@towerhill.org or 302-657-8353.
FOUNDERS’ ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT JACK SMITH
Jack Smith retired at the end of the 2020-2021 school year after 45 years of extraordinary service to Tower Hill School. He was hired in 1976 as an Upper School math teacher after graduating from Franklin & Marshall College with a B.A. in mathematics and his certification in secondary math education. Whether teaching ninth grade math or advanced senior electives, Smith became known for understanding students’ individual strengths and adjusting his teaching to best meet their needs, all while keeping the academic bar high. In true Multa Bene Facta fashion, Smith’s impact through additional roles spanned all three divisions and generations of Hillers and extended far beyond the Math Department. In 1992, he became chair of the Math Department and served in this leadership role until 2017, responsible for overseeing math education in Lower, Middle and Upper School. In athletics, he was assistant and head varsity coach of cross country, winter track and spring track and field. His administrative responsibilities included serving as a ninth and 10th grade dean, director of scheduling and Upper School registrar. Please join us in celebrating Mr. Smith as a Founders’ Achievement Award recipient at the Alumni Reunion Reception on Saturday, Oct. 2, at 5:30 p.m. All alumni are invited to attend.
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HOMECOMING
ATHLETIC EVENTS Friday, Oct. 1 5:30 p.m.
Volleyball (JV) vs. Sanford • Weaver Gym
7 p.m.
Volleyball (Varsity) vs. Sanford • Weaver Gym
Saturday, Oct. 2 9:30 a.m.
Soccer (JV) vs. Sanford • DeGroat Field
11 a.m.
Field Hockey (Varsity) vs. Sanford • Richardson Field
11:30 a.m.
Soccer (Varsity) vs. Sanford • DeGroat Field
12:30 p.m.
Field Hockey (JV) vs. Sanford • Richardson Field
3:30 p.m.
Football (Varsity) vs. Brandywine • DeGroat Field
The cross country team will be participating in an off-campus event to be determined. Recognition for our cross country Hillers will be during halftime of the varsity soccer game.
Register and find updated schedules at towerhill.org/homecoming, or scan the QR code. We look forward to seeing you on Oct. 1 and 2!
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2020-2021
Donor Honor Roll
On behalf of the students, families, faculty and staff at Tower Hill School, thank you. Your generous gifts make a difference in the lives of our students.
DONORS BY GIVING CIRCLE ALL FUNDS INCLUDING THE ANNUAL FUND JULY 1, 2020–JUNE 30, 2021
Cornerstone Circle $50,000+ Anonymous (2) David F. du Pont ’52 Trust* Mr. Benjamin F. du Pont ’82 and Mrs. Laura Lemole du Pont Ellice & Rosa McDonald Foundation Dr. John M. Flynn ‘81 and Mrs. Mary Flynn Mr. and Mrs. E. Thomas Harvey III Mrs. Ellen Jamison Kullman ’74 and Mr. Michael E. Kullman Mr. James W. Laird* Sage Dining Services Dr. Jonathan N. Saunders ’75 and Mrs. Charlene Stegura Saunders Mr. and Mrs. H. Murray Sawyer, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. David M. Shepherd Mr. and Mrs. John Sheppard Mr. Robert M. Silliman, Jr. ’96 and Mrs. Kelly Silliman The Laffey-McHugh Foundation Mrs. Isabella Speakman Timon ’92 and Mr. Philip C. Timon Mr. Rodman Ward III ’83 and Mrs. Gina Farabaugh Ward Mr. and Mrs. Thomas D. Whittington, Jr. Multa Bene Facta Circle $25,000-$49,999 Mrs. Elizabeth Prince de Ramel Mr. Régis A. de Ramel Mr. W. Whitfield Gardner ’81 and Mrs. Cynthia H. Gardner Dr. and Mrs. Eric T. Johnson Ms. Samantha M. Lemole Marmot Foundation, Inc. Dr. and Mrs. Nisheeth R. Patel Mrs. Marilyn Morrow Woodhouse ’49 Founders’ Circle $15,000 - $24,999 Mrs. Georgina Miller Bissell ’38* Mrs. William A. Bours III* Mr. and Mrs. Joseph DeSantis Robert and Suzanne DeSantis Dr. John Gavenonis and Dr. Sara C. Gavenonis Mr. Laird R. Hayward ’02
Mr. Samuel I. duP. Hyland ’89 Mr. Michael A. Jenkins ’80 and Mrs. Ann Kallfelz Jenkins ’80 Mr. and Mrs. Timothy J. Langlois Mr. and Mrs. Henry C. S. Mellon Dr. Mehmet C. Oz ’78 and Mrs. Lisa Jane Lemole Oz Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Pettinaro Mr. and Mrs. J. Mathieu Plumb Mrs. Susan Hill Ward ’54 and Mr. Rodman Ward, Jr. Tower Hill Fellow $10,000 - $14,999 Mr. Nicolas Jafarieh and Ms. Suzanne E. Ashley Dr. G. Mark Bussard ’90 Mr. Christopher R. Donoho III ’87 and Mrs. Erica Reedy Donoho Heather Richards Evans ’80 Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Franta, Esq. Ms. Elizabeth A. Garrigues ’45* Mr. James W. Morris ’73 Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. Nestor The Hon. and Mrs. Kenneth A. Simpler Mr. and Mrs. Michael L. Steiner The Starrett Foundation Mr. Randolph W. Urmston ’62 Trustees’ Circle $5,000 - $9,999 Anonymous (1) Mr. Ashley R. Altschuler ’90 and Mrs. Shoshana M. Altschuler Mr. Robert M. Bird III ’62 Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Bland Mrs. Joan Ross Bolling ’47 Mr. and Mrs. Peter M. Bradshaw, Jr. Mr. John Buonocore, Jr. Dr. Christopher D. Casscells ’71 and Mrs. Susan Warren Casscells Dr. Anthony L. Cucuzzella Mrs. Nickie Julian Currie ’90 Delaware Orthopaedic Specialists, P.A. Mr. Charles J. Durante ’69 and Mrs. Janice F. Durante Mrs. Amanda Walker Friz ’92 and Mr. Robert W. Friz Mr. Adam Gould and Ms. Nicholle R. Taylor Tower Hill Bulletin
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Mr. and Mrs. Anthony P. Hankins Mr. Pierre duP. Hayward ’66 and Mrs. Martina Combs Hayward Drs. Robert and Rachel Heinle Mr. John Hynansky Dr. Mehdi Jadali and Dr. Bahareh Assadi Mr. and Mrs. Thomas S. Johnson Mr. Timothy L. Jones ’85 and Mrs. Hillary Jones Mr. and Mrs. Christopher R. Lemole Mr. C. Ronald Maroney ’59 and Mrs. Eleanor Silliman Maroney Mr. Whitney M. Maroney ’87 and Mrs. Katharine Fisher Maroney Mr. and Mrs. Jay R. Miller Mr. David T. Nowland ’85 and Mrs. Cathleen C. Nowland Ms. Lisa A. Olson ’76 and Mr. Roger S. Hillas, Jr. Mrs. Sumitra Patel Ms. Christine Kane Plant ’69 Ms. Elizabeth H. Richardson Dr. Christopher J. Saunders ’80 and Mrs. Alice M. Saunders Judy and Joseph Setting Mr. and Mrs. Rodger D. Smith II Dr. Jorge M. Soares and Dr. Elizabeth B. Bayley Mr. and Mrs. David A. Soleye The Rev. and Mrs. Thomas G. Speers III Dr. John D. Statler ’86 The Windfall Foundation THS Home & School Association Mrs. Susan Wood Waesco ’90 and Mr. Kevin M. Waesco Mr. Carmen M. Wallace ’93 Whiting-Turner Contracting Company Wilcox Landscaping Mr. Yaosong Zhang and Mrs. Dan Wang St. Amour Society $2,500 - $4,999 Mr. and Mrs. Vincent T. Abessinio Mr. Roger W. Arrington ’66 and Mrs. Anne Hobbs Arrington ’67 Mr. Richard Bender and Ms. Alison Frost Mr. and Mrs. Lewis S. Black, Jr. BPGS Construction LLC Mr. Eric J. Brinsfield and Dr. Martha Lynn Brinsfield Mr. Todd Buonocore ’87 and Dr. Allison D. Kolody Buonocore Mr. Richard S. Cobb and Mrs. Kathleen Kreusch-Cobb Dr. Anthony R. Cucuzzella ’82 and Mrs. Lucinda Cole Cucuzzella Mr. and Mrs. William H. Daiger, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Delle Donne Mr. and Mrs. Lex S. Flint Mr. Michael J. Flynn ’91 and Mrs. Melissa W. Flynn ’91 Mr. Liang Huang and Ms. Di Yang Mr. Donald N. Isken Mr. and Mrs. M. Roy Jackson Dr. Eric D. Kalish and Mrs. Holly L. Kalish Mr. and Mrs. Paul Kim Mr. William D. Koffenberger ’86 Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Martelli Mr. and Mrs. Garrett Moritz Dr. Munish Pahwa and Dr. Anjala Pahwa Mr. and Mrs. Andrew R. Remming Mr. Charles F. Richards, Jr. ’55 and Mrs. Pamela Richards Mr. and Mrs. Blake K. Rohrbacher Mr. Michael D. Sachs ’86 and Mrs. Robin P. Sachs Mr. Anthony J. Salva ’94 and Mrs. Mandy J. Salva Dr. Jonathan H. Salvin and Dr. Karen J. Lefrak Mr. H. Wesley Schwandt ’86 and Mrs. Michelle A. Schwandt The Hompe Foundation Mr. Edward J. Tucker and Mrs. Gaozhen Hang Mrs. Andrea Trippitelli Valentine ’89 and Mr. John Valentine Ms. Anne A. Verplanck ’76
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Mr. and Mrs. William L. Wallace Mr. David N. Williams ’53 and Mrs. Elisabeth O’Hear Williams 1919 Society $1,919 - $2,499 Mrs. Lindsay Phelps Acevedo ’95 and Mr. Michael Acevedo Mr. Randolph Barton, Jr. ’59 and Mrs. Margaret Barton Dr. Laurence H. Beck ’58 Dr. William W. Beck, Jr. ’57 Mr. and Mrs. William Black Dr. and Mrs. Drew A. Brady Dr. Kimberly Wright Cassidy and Mr. Bart Cassidy Dr. David M. Fink and Dr. Maria E. Soler Mr. Thomas J. Hanna ’91 and Dr. Lynne A. Hanna Mrs. Deanna P. Hynansky Mrs. Ellet Kidd Jones Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Keith Mr. Tao Luo and Ms. Wei Xu Ms. Aleni M. Pappas ’96 and Mr. Anthony G. Kyriakakis Ms. Tucker T. Pierson ’93 and Mr. Travis J. Elliott Mr. Anthony R. Pisapia and Dr. Allison M. Pisapia Mr. Peter E. Rothschild ’92 Mr. David G. Santiago ’86 Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Saunders Dr. Mona G. Yezdani ’01 and Mr. Peter Gillen Dr. Jinsong Zhang and Dr. Huijun Wang Head of School’s Circle $1,000 - $1,918 Anonymous (1) Mr. and Mrs. John G. Aird Mrs. Michele C. Altschuler Mr. and Mrs. Harry N. Baetjer III Dr. Jun Bai and Dr. Xiaolan Song Mr. and Mrs. J. Scott Bailer Mrs. Sally Beck Baker ’62 Mr. Richard H. Bayard ’67 and Mrs. Josephine M. Bayard Mr. and Mrs. Perry S. Beberman Dr. and Mrs. Sean M. Bidic Mr. David T. Blake, Jr. ’86 Dr. and Mrs. Leif-Erik Bohman Mr. Brooks J. Bowen ’67 Mr. and Mrs. Steve Boyden Mrs. Lydia R. Richards Boyer ’49 and Mr. David C. Boyer Mrs. Anne M. Brinsfield Mrs. Catherine Brown-Butler ’82 Dr. Gordon A. Bussard ’61 and Mrs. Patricia Margraf Bussard Mr. and Mrs. Christopher P. Cadou Mr. Naxin Cai and Ms. Xiaoming Ma Ms. Ellen Cannon ’72 Mr. R.R.M. Carpenter III ’58 and Mrs. Stephanie Conklin Carpenter ’58 Mr. W. Timothy Cashman III ’79 Mr. and Mrs. John C. Chaffin Mr. C. H. Cheah and Ms. Rosemary Liu Mr. Barrett J. Cobb ’69 Dr. Kieran Connolly and Dr. Chantel I. Connolly Mr. Joseph A. Cooke, Jr. and Mrs. Cristina Bonilla-Cooke Mr. and Mrs. Steven Coulter Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cover Mr. and Mrs. Martin Coyne Mr. and Mrs. Stephen B. Craft Mr. and Mrs. Peter Crivelli Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Crouch Dr. Amy Cuddy and Mr. Brian Cuddy Ms. Louise E. Cummings-Lewis
Mr. and Mrs. Srinivas M. Raju Mr. and Mrs. Matthew T. Rice Mr. Thomas B. Rice and Mrs. Cynthia M. Mahaffey-Rice Mr. John E. Riegel, Jr. ’90 and Mrs. Amanda Golding Riegel ’94 Dr. Jeff Rutledge and Dr. Jane C. Rutledge Mrs. Beth Carney Salter ’82 and Mr. Dennis M. Salter Mr. and Mrs. Todd C. Schiltz Mr. Jeffrey M. Schlerf Mr. H. Rodney Scott ’66 and Mrs. Andrea Martz Scott Mr. Owen N. Sellar ’59 Mr. Hao Sha and Ms. Feng Qiu Shields Electric Inc Mr. and Mrs. Bryan A. Shinn Mr. William S. Shipley Mr. Joseph R. Shub Mrs. Karen Hancock Shuler ’86 Mr. Curtis R. Smith, Jr. ’99 Dr. Andrew D. Sparks ’91 and Mrs. Laura Q. Permut Sparks ’93 Mrs. Violeta Castro Stolpen ’05 Dr. Ernest F. Tark III ’73 Mr. Yu Tian Mrs. Sara Toner Ms. Genelle S. Trader ’70 Ms. Alexandra H. Vadas Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Vella Dr. Philip L. Verplanck ’77 Mrs. Mary Griffenberg von der Luft ’79 and Mr. Christopher A. von der Luft Mrs. M. Abbigail Keller Wagner ’93 and Mr. Benjamin B. Wagner Mrs. Tracy Anne Graham Wenzinger ’86 Mrs. Roberta Bussard Whiting ’65 and Mr. William B. Whiting Mr. John L. Williams ’94 Mr. Ronald A. Wollaston Mrs. Jane K. Wood
HONOR ROLL
Mr. Paul S. Daruwala ’86 Ms. Laura de Ramel Mr. and Mrs. Derrick M. Deadwyler, Jr. Mrs. Andrea I. Debold Mr. P. Bradford deLeeuw ’89 Mrs. Katie Arrington D’Emilio ’97 and Mr. Matthew P. D’Emilio Mr. Clarence E. DiSabatino III Dr. Deepak Doraiswamy and Dr. Kelly Ann Hunter Doraiswamy Mr. and Mrs. Dino Dullbson Mr. John S. Edinger, Jr. ’78 and Mrs. Laurie Edinger Mr. Rodman W. Edmiston III ’86 Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Elson Ambassador and Mrs. Edward E. Elson Mrs. Beverly Wild Finch ’59 Dr. and Mrs. John R. S. Fisher Mrs. Kim F. Fortunato Mr. and Mrs. Alexander K. Garnick Mr. and Mrs. Timothy B. Golding Mrs. Karen Abrams Graham ’76 and Mr. Homer E. Graham III Mrs. Joan F. Gummey ’61 Mrs. Katherine Carol Hughes Halpern ’75 and Mr. John D. Halpern Mrs. Penelope Harris Mrs. Margaret K. Hartley Mr. John V. W. Harvey Mr. Tarik Haskins and The Hon. Natalie J. Haskins Mr. LaMontz M. Hayman ’87 Mr. and Mrs. Arthur P. Helmick Mrs. Judith Carpenter Herdeg ’57 and Mr. John A. Herdeg Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Hewes III Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor Hirsch ’71 Dr. Charles L. Hobbs ’65 and Mrs. Sandra K. Hobbs Hord Coplan Macht, Inc. Mr. Scott L. Hunter ’72 Mr. Douglas R. Jamieson ’73 Ms. Paula S. Janssen ’91 Mrs. Ann Lunger Jones ’58 Dr. Matthew Jordan and Dr. Trisha Jordan Mr. and Mrs. Jason Jowers Mr. Richard R. Joyce ’61 Mr. and Mrs. Francis Julian Mrs. Tiffany A. Kator Steele Mr. Barron U. Kidd Mr. and Mrs. Lee Knackstedt Mr. Johnny Korn and Dr. Jennifer Creed Mr. and Mrs. Jan J. Kratky Mr. Philip D. Laird III ’65 Mrs. Leslie Harvey Lemonick ’75 Dr. Wei Chen and Dr. Chengyu Liu Mr. Yao-Bin Liu and Ms. Jing Wang Mr. and Mrs. Christopher J. Malatesta Mrs. Sheila Cavanagh Marshall ’63 Mrs. Diana Wardenburg Maxmin ’55 Dr. Diane Bankert McCarthy ’86 Michael R. McCoy, M.D. Mr. William B. McMillan, Jr. ’83 Mrs. Gale Pierson McNish ’61 and Mr. Douglas McNish Ms. Susan Miller Modern Controls, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Eric J. Monzo Mr. and Mrs. Mark Mumford Dr. Anil Nabha ’93 Mr. Henry E. Nickle ’76 and Mrs. Anne Nickle Mr. and Mrs. Paul L. Okenczyc Mr. C. Dimitri D. Pappas ’93 and Mrs. Stephanie M. Pappas Mr. and Mrs. Doug C. Phaup Mr. John C. Pierson III ’87 and Mrs. Heather R.B. Pierson Mrs. Lea Gummey Quimby ’86 and Mr. Steven H. Quimby Mrs. Sally du Pont Quinn ’71
Benefactors’ Circle $500 - $999 Anonymous (1) Alpine & Rafetto Orthodontics Mr. Kurt M. Anstreicher ’74 Mrs. Elizabeth Montaigne Applegate ’79 and Mr. Robert R. Applegate Mr.* and Mrs. Robert V. Behr Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bickhart Dr. and Mrs. Paul D. Biery Mrs. Eva Cambre Bisso ’91 Mr. David C. Blickenstaff ’86 Dr. and Mrs. Howard Borin Mr. Chadd E. Boulden ’97 Mrs. Tabitha Rust Bradley ’91 Dr. Kevin M. Byrnes and Dr. Jing Bai The Hon. Michael N. Castle ’57 and Mrs. Jane D. Castle Mr. Ju Chen Mrs. Susan Edison Church ’86 Mr. John C. Coombs Mr. and Mrs. Scott Craig Mr. Christopher M. Cresswell ’97 Mr. Robert W. Crowe, Jr. ’90 Ms. Lisa D. Daudon ’75 Mr. Everett T. Dickerson ’97 and Ms. La’Shawn Waters Mr. Matthew D. Dinneen ’02 Dr. Robert C. Director ’67 and Mrs. Deborah Director Mrs. Alice Warner Donaghy ’58 Mr. and Mrs. Avery L. Draper Mr. and Mrs. Henry E. I. du Pont II Mr. Willis H. du Pont ’54 Dr. Laurence J. Durante ’71 Mr. Gerrit A. Fedele and Dr. Vickie T. Fedele Mr. Michael J. Fidance ’86
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Mrs. Elizabeth Sproesser Fiechter ’98 and Mr. Samuel C. Fiechter ’94 Mr. K. Cole Flickinger ’94 and Mrs. Tonya Norris Flickinger Mr. C. Barr Flinn ’79 and Mrs. Grier B. Flinn Mr. Paul Foldi ’83 Mr. Andrew Y. Fong ’99 Mrs. Lisa Harrington Foote ’72 and Mr. George B. Foote, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. John W. Freebery, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Freeze Mrs. Sara Casscells Fry ’05 Mrs. Alice Kitchel Fulweiler ’72 and Mr. Peter C. Fulweiler Mr. Millard G. Gamble IV ’61 Mrs. Anne Dobbs Genova ’86 Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. Giacco Mr. and Mrs. George F. Gianforcaro II Mrs. Caroline Glaeseman Mr. and Mrs. William A. Goeller Mr. and Mrs. Camilo J. Gopez Mr. and Mrs. Tomas Gordon Mrs. Michele du Pont Goss ’59 Mrs. Victoria Maxmin Gravuer ’86 Mr. Marc L. Greenberg ’81 and Mrs. Nancy Ann Greenberg Mr. and Mrs. Chad E. Groves Mr. and Mrs. Scott W. Henry Mr. and Mrs. David P. Hogan Mr. Joseph C. Hoopes, Jr. ’61 and Mrs. Lesley Bissell Hoopes ’64 Mr. John A. Hughes ’78 Mr. D. Stephen Hyde ’59 and Mrs. Sally Hyde Mr. Guoqian Jiang and Ms. Chengyu Huang Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Keller Mr. Levent Kesen and Mrs. Sebnem Kesen Dr. Alexander L. Kirifides ’83 and Dr. Kathy Zinas Kirifides Ms. Jill Kolody Mr. Robert J. Krapf ’69 and Mrs. Jean A. Krapf Mr. Allan S. M. Kyle and Ms. Alaina M. Brandon Miss Tillie Page Laird ’63 Mrs. Cynthia Lewis LaMothe ’58 Ms. Lindsey Cairns Lawrence ’55 Mrs. Kathleen Joyce Lofstedt ’63 Mrs. Alice Flaherty Long ’65 and Mr. John R. Long Ms. Patricia E. Marshall Mr. Jonathan H. Marvel ’65 Dr. Kathryn Kraus McClure ’70 Mr. Albert J. McCrery IV ’00 and Mrs. Megan C. McCrery Mr. Desta Mideksa and Dr. Maedot Semo Mr. and Mrs. Anwar L. Miller Dr. and Mrs. Jason E. Nace Dr. Harry R. Neilson III Mr. Ruijie Niu and Mrs. Lihua Wang Mr. John T. Oglesby III and Ms. Kathleen L. Guare Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Pankow Mrs. Monica D. Patel Mr. William T. Pease ’69 Dr. and Mrs. Michael B. Peters, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Morris Peterzell Dr. Raymond W. Petrunich and Mrs. Judith R. Ventura Mrs. Carol Raiber Powell ’76 Mr. Robert S. Richards ’52 Mrs. Courtney Rouke-Karres ’86 Mr. Thomas L. Savage ’78 Mrs. Alice Woodcock Smith ’59 Mrs. Elizabeth McMillan Splaine ’86 Stamford Screenprinting Mr. Richard Stetson II ’81 Mr. and Mrs. Michael Sullivan Sundew Painting North, Inc. Mr. Matthew T. Twyman III ’88 and Mrs. Carmen Morris Twyman Ms. Elizabeth A. Way ’79 Mr. Daniel P. Weinstein ’92
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Fall 2021
Mr. Charles M. Weymouth ’56 Ms. Mary C. Wiggin ’86 Ms. Cynthia A. Williams ’73 Mr. William T. Wood III ’86 Mr. Wenoao Yang and Mrs. Ji Jin Mr. Gerald E. Yeatman ’86 Mr. and Mrs. Zachary A. Zehner Mr. Ding Zhang and Ms. Lan Li Dr. Zugui Zhang and Dr. Fang Fang Chen Mrs. Jennifer Zuck Forever Green Circle $100-$499 Mr. Henry H. Abernathy, Jr. ’62 and Mrs. Pamela Mendolia Abernathy ’62 Dr. Anisha A. Abraham ’86 Mrs. Jennifer Sinex Abramczyk ’86 and Mr. Jon E. Abramczyk Mrs. Fleming McCoy Ackermann ’90 Mr. and Mrs. Javier Acuna Mr. and Mrs. Brian L. Adderley, Sr. Mrs. Evelyn E. Aird Mr. and Mrs. Christopher F. Aitken Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Aitken Mr. and Mrs. Roger A. Akin Dr. and Mrs. Aristides C. Alevizatos Mrs. Marjorie E. Altergott AmazonSmile Foundation Mr. William C. Amos ’67 and Mrs. Josephine Eccel Mr. and Mrs. Todd P. Anderson Ms. Grace E. Anderson Mr. Kyle B. Anderson ’09 Mrs. Margaretta Stabler Andrews ’75 Mr. Richard B. Angiullo and Ms. Holly A. Lissner Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Armstrong Mr. Christopher J. Arntzen ’88 Mr. and Mrs. Owen G. Ashley, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Randall M. Attix Ms. Mary-Lea Kallfelz Awanohara ’75 Dr. Anthony Bahinski and Mrs. Patricia A. DeFeo Dr. and Mrs. Earl J. Ball III Mrs. Ann Kaiser Ballinger ’86 Mr. Robert A. Bank ’78 Mr. and Mrs. William B. Barlow Mr. and Mrs. Glenn P. Barnhill Mr. Joseph M. Barsky III ’67 Mr. Randolph Barton III ’89 and Mrs. Louise A. Barton Mr. and Mrs. David R. Batman Mr. Richard H. Bayard ’67 and Mrs. Josephine M. Bayard Ms. Katherine Beberman ’16 Mr. Sean Beberman ’20 Ms. Taylor A. Beberman ’13 Mr. and Mrs. Matt Belger Mr. and Mrs. Hamid Belkadi Benevity Causes Mrs. Margaret Moyer Bennett ’57 Mrs. Roberta Gerstell Bennett Mrs. Victoria A. Bennett Mrs. Erica Bickhart Berger ’08 Mrs. Renee Dobbs Biery ’88 and Mr. Brandon P. Biery Mr. and Mrs. Ray Birmingham Mr. and Mrs. David L. Black Mr. Lewis S. Black III ’95 Ms. Dianne Metzger Blane ’62 Mrs. Rebecca R. Blickenstaff Mrs. Leora Ger Bloom ’85 Mr. and Mrs. Jack B. Blumenfeld Ms. Kirstin Bohn ’97 Mr. Martin W. Bond ’74 and Mrs. Mary W. Fuller Bond ’76
Ms. Elizabeth W. DelDuca ’89 Dr. and Mrs. Gregory W. DeMeo Mr. Marc E. Dennis and Dr. Erika F. Dennis Ms. Caroline A. DeSantis ’15 Mr. John F. DeSantis ’19 Samuel DeSantis ’26 Mr. Peter A. DeSantis ’19 Mrs. Doris Harvey Dickerson ’47 Ms. Claire A. Dignazio ’21 Dr. Michael A. Dignazio and Dr. Allison B. Evans Mr. Corbin R. Director ’03 Mr. Stanley M. Diver ’74 and Mrs. Martha Allin Diver Ms. Laura DiVincenzo Mr. Richard A. Dobbs ’60* and Mrs. Yolande Brown Dobbs ’62 Dr. and Dr. Meidui Dong Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Donlon Ms. Donna K. Donoho Mrs. Audrey F. Donohue Mrs. Linda Lagarde Drapeau ’78 Mr. Charles F. du Pont ’67 Mr. Lammot du Pont III ’50 Ms. Jennifer Dudley Mr. Michael F. Duggan ’77 Mrs. Albert W. Durante Ms. Jane Edell ’96 Mr. Michael D. Edison ’84 Dr. Jesse M. Ehrenfeld ’96 Mr. Jim L. Ehret ’75 Mr. Jeff Eissinger and Mrs. Sabrena Sinanan Dr. Jane Maroney El Dahr ’75 Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Eliot Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Elton Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Erhardt, Jr. Dr. Emmanuel J. Esaka and Dr. Agnes F. Esaka Mr. Thomas B. Evans III ’81 Mr. John C. Falcone Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Faller Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Fanelli The Hon. and Mrs. Joseph J. Farnan, Jr. Paityn G. Farrow ’24 Mr. Ronald S. Felix ’62 Mrs. Elizabeth Hoopes Field ’63 Dr. Gregg D. Fink ’94 Mrs. Gina Bahr Finn ’81 Mrs. Elizabeth Noseworthy Fitzsimmons ’91 Mr. and Mrs. William M. Fleetwood Mr. Malcolm M. Fleming ’61 Mrs. Tara M. Fletcher Mr. Robert B. Flint, Jr. ’58 Mr. Daniel B. Flynn ’89 and Mrs. Amy Flynn Mr. Terrence P. Flynn ’85 and Mrs. Jean Elizabeth J. Flynn Ms. Elizabeth M. Fortunato ’02 Dr. Blair Wardenburg Fosburgh ’82 Ms. Eleanor Oldach Francis ’64 Ms. Elise Bayard Franklin ’97 Ms. Kathryn Franklin Ms. Marie L. Freebery ’20 Mrs. Janay Freebery-Hannah and Mr. Robert Bruce Hannah Ms. Mary Candler Fulweiler ’02 Mr. Scott H. Gakenheimer ’82 Mr. and Mrs. T. Patrick Gamble Mr. and Mrs. John Gavenonis Mr. and Mrs. Guido Geerts Mr. Matthew A. Gehrke ’94 Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Gerrity Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. Gessner, Jr. Mrs. Meredith Keller Giacco ’99 Mrs. Tucker Ranken Giddens ’67 and Mr. Howard R. Giddens, Jr. Ms. Donna Gleason
Tower Hill Bulletin
Fall 2021
HONOR ROLL
Mr. and Mrs. Luke H. Borda, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Josh Boughner Mr. and Mrs. Keith A. Boulden Dr. W.A. “Peter” Bours ’62 Ms. Vicki Boyer Nicholas V. L. Brokaw, Ph.D. ’66 Mrs. Heather Hering Brown ’78 Mr. Kenneth Brown and Ms. Kerry King-Brown Mrs. Margaret Savage Brownell ’75 Mrs. Alisha Wayman Bryson ’91 Mr. and Mrs. Howard Burris Mr. David H. Burt ’76 and Mrs. Audrey Whiteside Burt ’78 Mr. Christopher W. Byrne ’74 Mr. and Mrs. Martin D. Caldwell Mr. Kaizar H. Campwala ’98 Mr. and Mrs. Peter Cappelli, Jr. Mr. Bradford I. Carrillo Mrs. Anne-Louise Baker Carroll ’47 Dr. and Mrs. Charles G. Case, Sr. Mr. W. Timothy Cashman II Ms. Anne Casscells ’76 Mr. Christopher W. Casscells ’02 Ms. Susan H. Cates ’69 Dr. and Mrs. John J. Chabalko Mr. Stephen J. Chehi ’07 Ms. Elaine C. Y. Chen ’86 Ms. Selina X. Chen Dr. Xudong Cheng and Ms. Lin Qian Mr. and Mrs. Matthew B. Chesman Ms. Jane S. Chesson and Mr. Joel E. Saufley Mr. Jimmy C. Chong ’96 Dr. Cantwell Clark V ’73 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Cloud Mrs. Debbie Coates Michael Cohen, Ph.D. ’76 Ms. Deborah E. Colbourn ’92 Mr. T. Glenn Coleman ’87 Dr. Karyn L. Collier Mrs. Courtney Collier-Beyer ’82 and Dr. Bradley D. Beyer Commonfund Mr. and Mrs. Brian B. Conaty Mr. and Mrs. Thomas P. Conaty IV Mr. Peter Conn ’91 Mr. and Mrs. Hank Connor Mr. James E. Conover, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Michael Considine Mr. and Mrs. David Conway Mr. and Mrs. George F. Conway, Jr. The Hon. and Mrs. Richard R. Cooch, Sr. Mrs. Susan Chase Corkran ’55 Mrs. Ruth Williams Cornelison ’61 Mr. Barry N. Cornwall ’63 and Mrs. Deborah Handloff Cornwall ’64 Mrs. Robert F. Corroon Mr. and Mrs. Robert Coyne Ms. Katelyn A. Craft ’20 Mrs. Kelly A. Crifasi Mrs. Ruth M. Cromwell Mrs. Lucianne C. Cuddy Ms. Kristine Cullotta Dr. Dave R. Cundiff ’70 Mr. and Mrs. James C. Curtis Mrs. Sarah Crittenden D’Alonzo ’74 and Mr. William F. D’Alonzo Mrs. Phoebe Brokaw Davidson ’97 and Mr. Charles B. Davidson Mrs. Sheryl Jacobs Davidson ’86 Mr. John R. Davis ’75 Mrs. Tenley I. de Ramel Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. DeBaecke Delaware Sports Museum & Hall of Fame Assoc., Inc.
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Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Glowatz Ms. Amy S. Gordon ’85 Ms. Joanna S. Gore Mr. William J. Gore Dr. Francis M. Green ’47 Mrs. Eleanor L. Gregory Mr. and Mrs. Vincent J. Grillo, Jr. Mr. Michael F. Gummey ’90 Mrs. Carol Sue M. Habgood Ms. Lee Rumsey Haga ’65 Richard A. Hammond, Ph.D. ’70 Ms. Kimberly K. Hamstead Mrs. Nancy B. Harvey Hanna Mr. Verne C. Harnish Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Harris, Jr. Dr. Richard T. Hart ’71 Mr. Michael Haskins Mr. and Mrs. Denison H. Hatch, Jr. Mr. Edward H. Hawfield ’66 Ms. Meg R. Haydon ’76 Mr. and Mrs. Chris Heck Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Heflin III Dr. David A. Hehir and Dr. Amanda J. Shillingford Dr. Richard L. Hehir Ms. Meghann L. Helmick ’00 Mr. and Mrs. Garth Henry Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Herbein Mr. G. Clark Hering IV ’81 Dr. Stephen L. Hershey ’59 and Mrs. Betsy Hershey Mr. William L. Hewes, Jr. ’40 Dr. and Mrs. Robert L. Hickok, Jr. Mr. Christopher C. Hileman ’86 Mr. and Mrs. John F. Holloway Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Houston Mr. Michael W. Hyde ’87 Mr. Galicano K. L. Inguito III ’14 Ms. Ashley L. Isken ’08 Ms. Greta Hale Ito ’94 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Jackson Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Jeanson Ms. Elizabeth A. Jenkins ’79 Ms. Devin M. Johnson ’97 Mrs. Hilary C. Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Jerry A. Johnson Mr. Paul L. Johnstone, Jr. ’59* and Mrs. Catharine Wheelock Johnstone ’59 Mr. Alexis C. Jolly ’01 Dr. Robert C.W. Jones, Jr. ’63 Mr. and Mrs. Rob Jorgensen Mr. John D. Jornlin ’76 and Mrs. Janet S. Jornlin Mr. William D. Kahn and Ms. Jane A. Irving Dr. Lalitha Kambhamettu Dr. Elliot L. Kaminitz* Mr. Stephanos Karakasidis ’96 Mr. and Mrs. Mark J. Kator Dr. Kiran M. Kattepogu and Dr. Kaveeta V. Kumar Mr. Gregory S. Kaufmann ’96 Dr. Khuram Kazmi and Dr. Faaiza Kazmi Mr. and Mrs. John R. Keim Mrs. Leslie M. Kelly Mr. Michael P. Kelly ’75 and Mrs. Deanna H. Kelly Ms. Aileen Kenney ’99 Dr. and Mrs. Joseph F. Kestner, Jr. Mrs. Mary Ellen Jornlin Keyes ’71 Mrs. Kathryn Smolko Kiec ’95 Mr. Sunkyu Kim and Ms. Soi Shin Mr. and Mrs. Robert King Mr. and Mrs. Donald Kirtley Mr. William L. Kitchel III ’77 and Mrs. Elizabeth M. Kitchel
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Tower Hill Bulletin
Fall 2021
Mr. David H. Klein ’00 Mr. Robert L. Kline III ’77 Mrs. Loring Weaver Knott ’08 LTC Robert E. Knotts, USA (Ret.) ’74 Mr. and Mrs. Trevor M. Koenig, Sr. Dr. Kris A. Kowal and Dr. Wen Liu Mr. Jeffrey A. Kreshtool ’73 Mr. and Mrs. Bret Kroeger Ms. Margaret O. Kullman ’08 Mr. and Mrs. Mark A. Kurtz Mr. Douglas H. Lagarde ’80 Mr. William O. LaMotte III ’61 Mr. and Mrs. Karl Langlois Mrs. Carrie Lanouette Mr. David C. Larned, Jr. ’95 Mr. David L. Larson ’74 Mr. and Mrs. Tom M. Laskas Mr. and Mrs. Ted Lauzen Ms. Carolyn B. Law ’86 Mrs. Deborah S. Layton Mr. Leslie Leach and Dr. Kathleen Leach Ms. Phyllis Lefrak Mr. Jay Russell Lewis ’01 Dr. and Mrs. George P. Liarakos Ms. Nicole D. Liarakos ’86 Mr. Garrison du Pont Lickle ’72 Mr. Isaias F. Lima and Mrs. Rossi Y. Mena-Lima Mr. and Mrs. Bing Lin Mr. Edmond L. Lincoln ’67 Mrs. Sandra Loving Linder ’58 Mrs. Julia Johnson Lindquist ’58 Mr. and Mrs. Donald Lineback Dr. Lauren S. Lineback and Mr. Brian R. Selander Mr. and Ms. Renhua Liu Mr. John A. Lockwood ’60 Mr. William H. Lockwood, Jr. ’57 Mr. and Mrs. Stephan A. Lopes Mr. John H. Lopez ’57 and Mrs. Diana J. Lopez Mr. Thomas M. Lopez ’61 Dr. John P. Lorand ’54 Mrs. Lee Latimer Loughran ’86 Dr. and Mrs. George Lowry Mrs. Heather Weymouth Lowry ’97 and Mr. Matthew M. Lowry Mr. Knut H. Lykke ’57 Ms. Lynn Holland Lyon ’78 Mr. Malcolm P. MacDougall, Jr. ’63 Mr. Barton L. Mackey, Jr. ’78 and Mrs. Jennifer M. Mackey Ms. Emily M. Mackey ’09 Mr. and Mrs. Don MacLeod Mrs. Dolores Mahaffey Mr. John S. Malik and Ms. Diane Batoff Mr. William H. Marmion, Jr. ’60 Mr. Ralph D. Marshall II and Dr. Stefanie Marshall Mrs. Anjali Rao Martin ’91 Mr. Steven T. Martinenza ’01 Mrs. Katie Cavanagh Maslow ’61 Mr. and Mrs. Harold A. Matsanka Mr. Patrick F. Matthews ’86 Mr. Richard H. May ’53 Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Mayes Mrs. Sandra Jellinghaus McClellan ’53 Mr. Brett McCone Mrs. Susan W. McCoy Mrs. Jean Cucuzzella McCuskey ’89 and Mr. Andrew W. McCuskey Mr. Sean P. McGuinness ’72 Mrs. Jessica McIntyre Mrs. Jane Edwards McKinstry ’53 Mr. and Mrs. William B. McMillan
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph P. Quig Dr. Lawrence Rasero, Jr. Mr. Reece A. Ratliff ’21 Dr. Pulak Ray and Dr. Anjali Ray Mrs. Logan Weaver Read ’10 Mrs. Lindy Savage Recht ’71 Mr. and Mrs. Barton Reese Mrs. Stefanie Weickert Reponen ’61 Mrs. Carolyn Lewis Richmond ’58 Mr. Charles R. Rickards, Jr. ’82 Mrs. Jane Savage Riley ’74 Ms. Bianca Roberson Dr. Shawniqua Williams Roberson ’90 Dr. Donna M. Robino ’77 Ms. Diane L. Rohman Ms. Rhonda L. Rombach Mr. Frederick B. Rose ’66 Dr. Melissa Bonder Rose ’91 Mr. Anton H. Rosenthal and Ms. Ruth E. Ganister Mrs. Deborah Komins Ross ’89 Mr. and Mrs. Angelo J. Rossi, Jr. Mrs. Jane Richards Roth ’52 Mr. Jeffrey L. Rothschild ’89 Mr. Walter S. Rowland, Sr. ’57 and Mrs. Beverley Wellford Rowland ’56 Mr. Joseph Rubini ’78 Ms. H. Cheryl Rusten ’73 Ms. Lynn F. Rusten ’77 Dr. and Mrs. Kevin J. Ruth Mr. and Mrs. Randal F. Sackovich Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Salvin Ms. Cynthia Sardo Mr. and Mrs. Roland Sarko Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey A. Sawyer, Jr. Mrs. Judith Eastburn Sawyer ’55 Mr. Michael M. Sawyer ’75 Ms. Carol W. Sawyer-Porter ’72 Mrs. Kim Schiccatano Mrs. Allegra Hamman Schmidt ’73 Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey T. Schoenberger Mr. Edward L. Schroeder ’59 Mr. H. Konrad Schuermann ’59 Mrs. Brittany Schwartz Ms. Tasha A. Seago-Ramaly ’85 Ms. Mary Beth Searles ’87 Ms. Elizabeth Sencindiver Dr. Robert J. Sepelyak Mr. and Mrs. Kevin M. Severance Mr. John W. Shackleton, Jr. ’63 The Rev. Alfred R. Shands III ’46 Mr. and Mrs. Chester E. Sharrar Mr. and Mrs. Chester E. Sharrar II Mr. C. Russell H. Shearer Ms. Jill M. Shotzberger ’00 Mrs. Heidi Hunter Siegrist ’76 Mrs. Ann O’Hear Silliman Mr. and Mrs. Christopher P. Simon Mr. Randy Singer ’68 and Mrs. Jane Beacom Singer Mrs. Karen A. Sinton Dr. Brian J. Smigielski ’98 Dr. Andrew A. Smith III ’87 Mr. Dana S. Smith ’67 Mrs. Jennifer Novak Smith ’02 Mrs. Kristin Phillips Smith ’05 Mrs. Melva Carveth Smith ’72 and Mr. Jack Smith Mr. Paul N. Smith ’86 Mr. and Mrs. Rodger D. Smith Judge Thomas P. Smith ’60 Wade H. B. Smith, Ph.D. ’62
Tower Hill Bulletin
Fall 2021
HONOR ROLL
Ms. Carolyn Meadows Dr. and Mrs. Rakesh H. Mehta Mr. Gregory Mencio Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Tyler Mercer Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin W. Messmore Mrs. Robin Chamberlin Milburn ’75 Mr. Aaron C. Miller ’98 Mrs. Andrea Kaliski Miller ’71 Mrs. Annie Saunders Mingle ’78 Ms. Ellen P. Minor ’78 Mrs. Jennifer Jewett Misra ’98 Ms. Martha R. Mitchell Ms. Elizabeth J. Mongan ’06 Dr. Daniel K. Moon ’96 Mr. and Mrs. Albert Moretti Mrs. Molly Goeller Moretti ’97 and Mr. Alan A. Moretti Ms. Alexandra Vest Morris Col. and Mrs. Curtis Morris, Jr. Mr. Owen Morris III Mr. Paul F. Morris ’86 Ms. Alice H. Morse II ’66 Drs. George and Alexia Moutsatsos Ms. Deborah M. Moyer Mr. Daniel Mullins Dr. William F. Mullis ’60 and Mrs. Linde Lowdon Mullis ’60 Mr. and Mrs. Richard Mumford Ms. Julie McCausland Muoio ’87 Dr. Arben Nace and Dr. Nevila K. Nace Mr. William E. Neff, Jr. ’65 Kim Smith Nelkin ’72 The Hon. David A. Nichols ’58 Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. Nickel III Ms. Elizabeth A. Nickle ’02 Mrs. Robin Fulwiler Nohe ’77 Ms. Barbara Noseworthy Mr. and Mrs. Edward T. Novak Mr. and Mrs. William H. Nunn, Jr. Dr. Enitan Odutola and Dr. Akintola Odutola Mrs. Janelle Wright Okorie ’96 Mr. Robert A. Oldach ’72 Mr. Misael Gonzalez and Ms. Megan O’Neill Mr. and Mrs. Donald G. Oren Mr. John H. Orr ’70 Mr. and Mrs. Brian Orsetti Mr. Richard Orsetti and Ms. Sue Rinehart Mr. and Mrs. John E. Osborn Mr. Charles A. Page ’93 Mrs. Frances Heckert Pane ’57 Mr. Rishabh Parmar and Dr. Sirin Pandey Mr. and Mrs. Amruthbhai Patel Mr. R. Paul Peddrick ’84 and Mrs. Monica R. Peddrick Mr. Edmund R. Pennock ’67 and Mrs. Carole Cates Pennock ’67 Mrs. Amy Porter Peoples ’51 Mr. J. James Perkins Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Pierce Ms. Karen A. Pierorazio Mr. and Mrs. Michael Pietlock Mrs. Heather Johnson Pitamber ’01 Mr. and Mrs. Derek A. Pizarro Mr. and Mrs. Adam W. Poff Mr. Andrew A. Pogach ’97 Dr. Lee Moffett Preininger ’98 and Mr. Jeffrey R. Preininger Mrs. Elizabeth Johnston Preston ’44 Mrs. Caroline Gee Prezzano ’97 Mr. William L. Prickett ’81 Dr. Margaret Boyer Proctor ’72 Mr. Madhusudhan Pudipeddi and Ms. Sujata Swaminathan Mr. and Mrs. Spencer J. Qualls
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Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Smolko Mr. Mark J. Smolko ’93 and Mrs. Jennifer Geddes Smolko ’93 Mr. Geoffrey R. Snelling, Jr. ’81 Mr. Merwin A. Soash ’58 Mr. and Mrs. Michael M. Socha Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Soltow Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey F. Somers Dr. William Sommers and Ms. Kathryn E. Lee Mrs. Susan S. Speers Mr. W. Halsey Spruance ’56 and Mrs. Gretchen Vosters Spruance Mr. W. L. Stabler III ’71 Mrs. Katherine M. Stack Mr. Stanley R. Stager III ’58 Ms. Susan Stephenson Mrs. Jacqueline P. Stine and Mr. John Carragher Mr. Hunt Stockwell ’58 Mrs. Isabel G. Strasser Mrs. Barbara Dawson Streuli ’60 Mr. and Mrs. James Strickland Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey Stroud Mr. Steven K. Struthers ’86 Mr. David H. Sugimoto and Dr. Hye-Shin Kim Mr. John L. Sullivan ’89 Mr. Lawrence M. Sullivan ’88 and Mrs. Kristina Krapf Sullivan ’91 Mr. and Mrs. Patrick M. Sullivan Mr. Andrew P. Taylor ’76 and Mrs. Robin L. Taylor Mr. John E.T. Taylor ’76 and Mrs. Susan T. Taylor Mr. Ronaldo I. Tello and Ms. Maria N. Tello Bernabe Mr. John B. Tepe, Jr. ’65 Dr. Susan B. Thayer ’59 Mr. Douglas A. Thomas ’79 Mr. D. McCarty Thornton IV ’65 Mrs. Gillian T. Timon Mrs. Cynthia du Pont Tobias ’68 and Mr. Terrence A. Tobias Mrs. Lindsay Wise Tonderys ’96 Mr. and Mrs. Jason E. Toy Mr. Kory A. Trott ’07 Mrs. Gail Rothrock Trozzo ’60 Mr. Donald P. Truesdell, Jr. and Mrs. Jill M. Angstadt-Truesdell Mr. Hugh B. Tulloch ’57 Mrs. Margaret Cist Ughetta ’78 The Rev. Richard L. Ullman ’57 Mr. and Mrs. Brian T. Urbanek Dr. Thomas H. Valk ’65 Mrs. Patricia Reese Vanderwarker ’62 and Mr. Richard D. Vanderwarker, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Vanni Mr. Sebastian D. Vargas Dr. Anthony W. Vattilana ’89 and Mrs. Patricia Conomon Vattilana Mrs. Eva L. Verplanck Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Vest Ms. Judith Voytko Mr. and Mrs. Bruce M. Vrana Mrs. Anissa Mayr Wagner ’86 Mrs. Ann Beh Wagner ’78 Mr. David Wagner and Ms. Madonna McGrath Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph R. Wagner The Rev. Donald B. Wahlig ’81 Ms. Moira E. Walker ’80 Dr. Michael Wang Mr. Min Wang and Mrs. Li Zheng Ms. Katherine S. Ward ’62 Mr. David B. Warren ’55 Dr. Ellis A. Wasson Mr. Robert S. Watson ’81 and Mrs. Christine H. Watson Mr. Nathaniel A. Webster ’94 Dr. and Mrs. Peng Wei Mr. Gregory J. Weinig ’89 Ms. Hinda Weinstein
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Fall 2021
Dr. Daniel L. Weintraub ’76 Mrs. Mary Jane Weldin Mr. Bede W. Wellford ’72 Mrs. Patricia T. Wells Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Welshmer Ms. Agnes F. S. Werbe ’13 Dr. Katharine Lopez Weymouth ’94 and Mr. Timothy B. Weymouth Dr. and Mrs. Robert A. White Ms. Nancy Jamieson Wigley Mr. James J. Wild ’57 Mrs. Sherry Benzel Willard ’78 and Mr. Peter J. Willard ’77 Mr. Donald E. Williams ’69 Mr. Michael T. Wilson ’03 Mr. and Mrs. Jay Winchell Dr. Tarra Boulden Winchell ’01 and Mr. Kevin M. Winchell Mr. Robert Winfree Mr. H. Alex Wise ’64 and Mrs. Wendy Ward Wise ’68 Mrs. Lisa Cronin Wohl ’60 Mrs. Barbara Johnston Woodhouse ’47 Mrs. Corbin T.B. Pierson Woods ’89 Mr. James H. Worth ’51 Ms. Madelyn Baetz Yelton ’71 Mr. and Mrs. Rodney G. Yoder Ms. Christine D. Young ’70 Mr. and Mrs. Joseph J. Zakielarz IV Hannah Y. Zhou ’22 Mr. Xin Zhou and Ms. Leah Yang Mr. Yu Zhu and Ms. Lei Zheng Loyal Hillers’ Circle Up to $99 Anonymous (1) Mrs. Charlton E. Abbott ’97 Mr. Jamison O. Abbott ’92 Mr. John D. Abbott ’87 Mr. and Mrs. Nabeel Adeel Josephine S. Adsett ’21 Mr. Tyler T. Akin ’02 Mr. and Mrs. James L. Allen, Jr. Mrs. Lucinda Anderson Mr. and Mrs. David Anthony Ms. Katherine R. Applegate ’10 Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. Ashbrook Ms. Elena B. Attix ’18 Mr. Richard C. Attix ’18 Mr. Umar A. Aulia ’20 Ms. Jennifer Brown Baer Mr. Patrick B. Baetjer ’99 Ms. Lucille A. Bailer ’21 Ms. Margaret E. Bailer ’21 Mr. Douglas R. Barr, Jr. Ms. Lisa H. Barsky ’70 and Mr. William Blauvelt Ms. Louisa Bayard Mrs. Danielle Bellingham Mr. Dylan V. Bemis ’21 Mr. R. Hugh F. Bender ’03 Ms. Laura Fulton Bennett ’72 Ms. Emma G. Bidic ’19 The Rev. James G. Birney III ’68 Mr. Ian A. Booth and Ms. Mandee Maria Noval Mr. Richard J. Both, Jr. ’64 Mr. Rory N. Boulden ’99 Box Tops for Education Mrs. Tracey Bradley Mrs. Emily Ernst Branscome ’51 Dr. Walter W. Brayman ’58 Mrs. Marion Brinsfield
HONOR ROLL
Mr. Rory M. Britt ’18 Mrs. Sheryl Sachs Brotman ’82 Mr. Jefferson Riley Brougher ’21 Ms. E. Talley Brown ’81 Ms. Parker A. Brown ’19 Mr. and Mrs. Joseph O. Bunce III Mr. and Mrs. Patrick F. Bush The Rev. Laurence G. Byrne ’81 Mr. Richard C. Byrne, Jr. ’72 Mr. Stephen Cacciavillano III Ms. Alicia Cai ’21 Mr. Vincent Cai ’21 Mr. and Mrs. John Campbell, Jr. Mrs. Patricia Carlozzi Mr. Charles G. Case, Jr. ’97 and Mrs. Theresa Collins Case ’97 Mrs. Amy Champion Ms. Jemimah Chan ’21 Mrs. Margaret Giddens Chance ’02 Mrs. Sarah Smith Chapman ’90 Mrs. Jeanne T. Checkel Dr. Wu Chen and Mrs. Tina Zhao Ms. Emma S. Chesman ’21 Mrs. Ann Sawyer Chilton ’85 and Mr. Edmund R. Chilton Ms. Sophie S. Chilton ’15 Ms. Allegra N. Cimalore ’21 Dr. Caroline Shields Clifford ’83 Mr. and Mrs. Chris Colarik Mr. Edward Weston Colley ’21 Mrs. Theresa F. Collurafici Mr. Eric A. Conner ’92 Mr. and Mrs. Sean P. Connolly Ms. Sophia G. Considine ’21 Mr. George M. Corroon ’21 Ms. Kasa Lowndes Cotugno ’61 Ms. Kathryn I. Cover ’20 Ms. Nicole J. Crivelli ’21 Mr. and Mrs. James P. Crowne Ms. Mary Jane Conner Culbertson ’63 Mrs. Karen Curtis Mr. Jerry Dais Mr. and Mrs. Derrick M. Deadwyler Mr. Derrick M. Deadwyler III ’21 Sydney E. DeBaecke ’22 Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. DeMuth Ms. Lily E. DeSantis ’19 Ms. Caroline V. Deyrup ’21 Mrs. Eleanor Griggs Diemar ’62 Dr. Peter Doehring and Ms. Monique L. Giroux Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Douglass Mr. Ford B. Draper, Jr. ’60 and Mrs. Brian D. Draper Mr. Benjamin F. du Pont, Jr. ’20 Mrs. Raisa Shulkov Dunton ’06 Ms. Samantha L. DuPree ’21 Ms. Sonia M. Duprez ’97 and Mr. Michael H. Sheer ’95 Dr. Julia C. Durante ’07 Mr. John S. Edinger III ’11 Mr. Nabil El Majdi and Mrs. Fatima Ezzahra Sabre Mrs. Ellen Ellis Mr. Charles M. Elson ’21 Mr. Eric R. Epstein ’82 Mr. and Mrs. James Erhardt Ms. Deborah L. Esayian ’80 Ms. Mary Lyde Esposito ’99 Mr. Dylan S. Evans ’20 Ms. Baily A. Faller ’20 Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Fanandakis Ms. Nicole Fanandakis Mrs. E. Brooke Bryan Farkas ’55
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph J. Farnan III Ms. Karen D. Farquhar ’65 Ms. Marsha J. Fedgchin Mr. and Mrs. Michael Feil Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas K. Feil Mr. Bradley D. Finch ’91 Mrs. Lauren Smith Finnical ’98 Ms. Madison G. Fisher ’21 Mr. Jaeden T. Fitzhugh ’21 Dr. and Mrs. Stephen E. Formanski Rev. Katherine Franta Ms. Elizabeth M. Gaddis ’70 Mrs. Kathlyn R. Gamble ’07 Bennett K. Garnick ’32 Dahlia de Pelleport Garnick ’29 Mr. John P. Gaz Mr. Christopher Getman ’59 Dr. Carol McGrew Getty ’56 Mr. and Mrs. Michael S. Gilbert, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Gillerlain Mrs. Gwendolyn Marrs Gillies ’93 and Mr. James T. Gillies Mrs. Julie R. Goldston Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Gouge Mrs. Caroline Stetson Goulding ’87 Ms. Marni C. Grossman Mrs. Elizabeth Levy Gula ’88 Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hall Mr. and Mrs. Ronald A. Hall Mr. John B. Hannum, Jr., Esq. ’61 Ms. Jade A. Harnish ’21 Ms. Bonnie L. Harper Mr. Peter B. Harrison ’72 Ms. Jessica Hart Mr. Shameem Hasan and Dr. Fawzia K. Hasan Mrs. Justine Neff Hawley ’63 Mrs. Barbara Hanke Hayes ’65 Ms. Aileen D. Heiman ’00 Mr. and Mrs. Riley H. Herbein Mr. Anthony M. Hidell ’03 Dr. Irfan M. Hisamuddin and Dr. Laetitia N. C. Charrier Ms. Natalie W. Hobbs ’18 Mr. Thomas Hoch Dr. Richard A. Holmes ’90 Mrs. Barbara A. Hoover Ms. Kathleen F. Hosey Mr. Miles F. Huffaker ’82 Ms. Shazi Jadali ’21 Mr. and Mrs. Antonio R. Janairo Ms. Elizabeth H. Jennings ’97 Mr. Alan T. Jewett and Dr. Marilyn K. Lynam Ms. Sydney Robertson Jimenez ’60 Dr. D. Randolph Johnson ’60 Ms. Jane Johnston Mr. Aidan D. Jones ’63 Mr. Hudson W. Jones ’21 Mr. and Mrs. John Jordan Mr. Patrick J. Kaiser ’02 Mr. Archit R. Kambhamettu ’21 Mr. Rajasekhar Kancharapu and Mrs. Usharani Annepu Mr. and Mrs. Andrew W. Keim Ms. Brooke A. Kelly ’11 Dr. and Mrs. Peter B. Kettler Dr. Jennifer Cloud King ’94 Dr. Kathryn Sepelyak Kirsch ’05 Ms. Janet Kline Ms. Nina C. Knitowski ’21 Mr. John L. Koenig ’21 Mrs. Anita Kohli
Tower Hill Bulletin
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Ms. Jenny Korn Mr. and Mrs. Josh Koslov Mr. James H. Kramer ’62 and Mrs. Judith Kramer Mrs. Tracy S. Kramer Mr. and Mrs. James E. Kulda Mr. and Mrs. Seth Kushkin Mr. David H. LaMotte ’72 Ms. Olivia A. Langlois ’21 Mrs. Catherine Maddock Lawrence ’63 and Mr. William T. Lawrence Mr. Kyle F. Leahy ’21 Mr. Hillard Lee and Mrs. Robbin Gates-Lee Dr. Kristin Morrison Lefebvre ’94 and Dr. Brian G. Lefebvre Mrs. Paige P. LeGrand Mrs. Laura Hering Leigh ’88 Mr. Lawrence Leonard and Dr. Dawn Leonard Mr. and Mrs. Jerome R. Lewis Mr. Raymond D. Lewis ’04 Mrs. Irene du Pont Light ’63 and Mr. J. Thomas Light Mr. Todd J. Litterelle ’90 Mr. Robert W. Lockerman ’59 Ms. Milana R. Lofton ’21 Mr. Chad J. Lopes ’21 Mrs. Marian Brown Lorenz ’53 Mrs. Margaret P. Lounsbury ’37 Mrs. Robert S. Lovett Ms. Evelyn deHaven Lovett ’84 Ms. Ashlee M. Lukoff ’97 Ms. A. Rosalind Lynam ’04 Ms. Tiffany N. Lynch-Faulkner ’21 Ms. Faith A. Lyons ’12 Ms. Meghan E. Lyons ’09 Ms. Yuhe “Jessica” Ma ’21 Mr. Donoven H. Mack ’21 Mrs. Eugenie Lewis Mackey ’55 Ms. Quinn L. MacNamara ’21 Ms. Lynn A. Mahaffy ’79 Ms. Patricia Ann Malatesta ’21 Mr. Krish Malhotra ’21 Mr. Michael J. Malik ’18 Mr. Steuart G. Markley, Jr. ’89 Mrs. Zerrin Martin Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Martinez Ms. Carmen Martinez-Flores Mr. Richard B. Marvin ’74 Mr. Benedict Mathu and Ms. Miriam Ndola Mrs. Gail Morris Mazzei ’74 Ms. Emerson V. McCauley ’17 Mr. Alexander D. McCausland ’97 Ms. Judith F. McGeorge ’73 Ryan McGuire ’30 Mr. Jim McKay ’71 Dr. Kristin McKenney Mr. and Mrs. Stephen McPeak Mr. Andrew K. Mearns III ’73 Ms. Laurie Meeder Ms. Beatriz Mendez Jalyn M. Miller ’22 Ms. Nancy Miller-Baiz Mr. Elliot Mitchell and Mrs. Cheryl Gray Mitchell Mr. Evan M. Mitchell ’13 Ms. Hollister L. Mitchell ’85 Mrs. Linda Mitchell Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Moaikel Mr. and Mrs. Stephen C. Modzelewski Dr. Wallis A. Molchen ’00 Mrs. Michelle Foster Montgomery ’85 Mrs. Kathleen B. Moody ’11 Mr. James Moore
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Ms. Natalie Moravek Ms. Mary Elizabeth S. Morris ’07 Mr. John B. Morton III ’85 Mr. Robert C. Mosbrook ’56 Mr. William M. Mosbrook ’56 Mr. and Mrs. Nate Moyer Ms. Bella A. Mulford ’21 Mr. Reese G. Mullins ’21 Mr. Paul Mulvena Drs. Ananth and Sunanda Nabha Mr. Robert E. Naylor III ’82 Mr. and Mrs. John E. Newlin III Mr. Scott C. Nickle ’07 Mrs. Heather McClean Nickodem ’71 Mr. Ripley F. Nielsen ’10 Mr. Robert Norris and Dr. Deborah Hess-Norris Mr. William H. Nunn III ’21 Mr. Charles B. Nutting ’06 Mr. and Mrs. William V. Nutting Mr. and Mrs. Ryan O’Donnell Ms. Linda M. Ogden Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Owens Mrs. Francesca W. Pabon Ms. Hannah M. Pachalis ’21 Mr. Yash Pahwa ’21 Ms. Linsey R. Palma ’21 Mr. and Mrs. Donald R. Palmer Mr. Roland C. Pamm ’74 Mr. and Mrs. Suketu Patel Mrs. Renis Siner Paton ’51 and Mr. William K. Paton Mr. and Mrs. James V. Pedano Mrs. Madalyn Schultz Petit and Mr. George D. Petit Mr. Kieran L. V. Petrunich ’21 Mr. Michael Phineas Pilson ’21 Ms. Sarah W. Poston ’83 Mr. Daniel J. Pratt and Ms. Amy Samperisi The Rev. Margaret Kay Pumphrey ’63 Mr. Charles E. Quimby ’17 Mr. Harrison F. Quimby ’17 Mrs. Megan M. Quinlan Mr. and Mrs. Frederic J. Racapé Ms. Marion Grover Radin ’80 Mr. Sanjay M. Raju ’21 Mr. Maurice Rapp Ms. Elizabeth Dougherty Raskob ’66 Mr. Gaurav K. Rastogi ’21 Addison Rice ’28 Alexandra Rice ’25 Ms. Janet Rice Mr. Andrew C. Richmond ’21 Mr. Douglas C. Roberts ’71 Mr. Mark W. Bristowe and Mrs. Julie A. Roca-Bristowe Ms. Penny Rodrick-Williams and Dr. Chris Williams Mr. Keally J. Rohrbacher ’21 Ms. Grace E. Rovner ’14 Mr. Stuart S. Rumsey ’76 Mrs. Virginia Scott Rutter ’70 Dr. Catherine R. Salva ’90 and Mr. Marcus D. Heifetz Mr. Gabriel R. Santos ’21 Mrs. Janet Saunders Ms. Cheryl Saxton Ms. Lauren A. Scott ’21 Ms. Sabrina Scott Mr. George P. Searle ’11 Mrs. Melissa Bennett Sebel ’96 Dr. Bruce W. Shackleton ’65 Mr. Charles T. Shegog ’21 Mr. and Mrs. Leslie B. Shorey
HONOR ROLL
Mr. Eduardo Silva Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan D. Silvers Mrs. Hannah Grossman Singerman ’00 Mrs. Peyton Bird Sise ’63 Ms. Allison P. Smith ’18 Caitlin D. Smith ’23 Ms. Julia C. Smith ’18 Mrs. Louise Schoonover Smith ’59 Ginger Smith, Ph.D. ’66 Mr. Scott T. Smith and Dr. Nancy Fan Mr. Thomas deRosset Smith ’61 Mr. and Mrs. John A. Snyder Mr. Miguel Covell de Azevedo Bayley Soares ’21 Mr. and Mrs. Bill Soistmann Ms. Camille M. Spagnolo Mr. and Mrs. Matthew M. Spagnolo Mr. Gregory Spear Mr. Thomas G. Speers IV ’19 Mr. D. Corbit Spruance ’97 and Mrs. Kathryn Jackson Spruance Mr. Matthew C. Spruance ’21 Ms. Marjorie Bradford Stanford ’70 Dr. John R. Steinfeld ’60 Dr. and Mrs. Michael A. Stemniski Mrs. Helen Gunn Ruppe Stevenson ’73 Mrs. Caroline Hurst Stockton ’96 Dr. Curt D. Storlazzi ’91 Mr. John B. Stratton ’05 Mr. and Mrs. James D. Stroud Ms. Deborah Stuebing Mr. Nathan H. Sugimoto ’21 Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Sullivan Ms. Kathleen M. Sullivan ’21 Mr. Tom M. Swartz ’68 Mrs. Christina Checkel Sweet ’84 Ms. Siena J. Sysko ’21 Mr. Ryan A. Tatasciore ’21 Mrs. Nancy L. Tate Mrs. Mary Hobbs Taylor ’09 Ms. Xinyu “Cinderella” Teng ’18 Ms. Emily S. Tepe ’96 Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Theim Ms. Margaret C. Thomson ’71 Mr. Lawrence L. Thornton ’68 Ms. Catherine E. Timon ’21 Mr. Harry Tipper III ’67 Ms. Devin M. Tracy ’11 Dr. Kiley E. Trott ’05 Ms. Marcia Layton Turner ’83 Mr. Robert T. Turner ’77 Mrs. Sonia Tze Huse Mr. William R. Ushler Ms. Juliet A. Vadas ’21 Mrs. Angeliki F. Vargas ’90 Mr. Jay Vidyarthi Mrs. Lee Howard Vosters ’69 Dr. Laura E. Vrana ’07 Ms. Aditi Wadhwa ’21 Ms. Patsy Walls Ms. Hilary A. Walmsley ’79 Mr. Wayne Walters Mrs. Patricia Attix Wanner ’59 Mr. Kurt O. Wassén ’47 Mr. Benjamin R. Watson ’14 Mr. Robert C. Wellford IV ’00 Mr. Andrew M. Weymouth ’98 Mrs. Carolyn T. Weymouth Dr. Krishna White and Mr. Daniel White Ms. Sarah I. Whittington ’00 and Mr. Tanard E. Nixon
Ms. Marianna Hyman Wickman ’90 Mr. and Mrs. Jack W. Williams, Jr. Mr. Patrick L.M. Williams ’58 Mrs. Judith Herdeg Wilson ’80 Mrs. Amy Wolf Dr. Wei Yang Ms. Elizabeth Yates Ms. Madalyn E. Yates ’21 Mr. Gilbert Yule ’57 Mr. Joseph J. Zakielarz V ’20 Mr. Thomas E. Zehner ’20 Ms. Erin L. Zoranski ’99 * deceased
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CLASS NOTES ’50s
Bruce Macadam ’58 had a sculpture cast at the Polich-Tallix foundry; the finished work was placed in New Mexico. An earlier casting is at the Utsukushi-gahara Open-Air Museum in Japan. More images can be found at macadamsculpture.com.
’70s
Margaret “Margo” Thomson ’71 retired from the Materials Testing Lab of PennDOT in September 2020 after working there for just over 35 years. Susan Brooks ’73 published a cookbook, Cooking with Grace: 100+ Gluten-Free & Naturally Sweetened Recipes for Vibrant Health, in February.
’90s
Braxton Jones Lynch ’90 had a horse, Hidden Stash, run in the Kentucky Derby in May.
’00s
Charuni Patibanda ’00 was named New Castle County economic development director in February. Justin Hicks ’09 was on the Today Show in May modeling a “TEACH” sweatshirt in recognition of Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week. Hicks was most recently a teacher at The Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia, and we are thrilled to welcome him back to Tower Hill this year as a Middle School science teacher and Assistant Dean of Recruiting and Social Justice.
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’10s
Brian Felzer ’10 is a graduate of Muhlenberg College and Quinnipiac University School of Law. He has been admitted to the New York and New Jersey Bar and is practicing law in New York City. Ashleigh Brady ’17’s “Black Women are Art” collection was included in The Delaware Contemporary Museum of Art’s Unapologetic Conversations of Hair and Nonconformity group exhibit this past summer. Bo Anderson ’18 had a great showing with his Washington University in St. Louis baseball team at the NCAA DIII College World Series. Anderson helped lead the team to a third place finish and was named to the all-tournament team at first base.
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1. Justin Hicks ’09 models a “TEACH” sweatshirt in recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week. 2. Bruce Macadam ’58 had a sculpture, Dying King, cast at the Polich-Tallix foundry; the finished work was placed in New Mexico. 3. Braxton Jones Lynch ’90 and her husband, Damian Lynch, at the Kentucky Derby in May. 4. Lynch’s horse, Hidden Stash. 5. Artwork by Ashleigh Brady ’17 that was displayed in The Delaware Contemporary Museum of Art’s Unapologetic Conversations of Hair and Nonconformity group exhibit this past summer. 84
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ALUMNI
FAMILIES Pam Jennings Norton ’01 welcomed a baby boy, Maxwell Joseph, left, in May 2021. Tyler Akin ’02 welcomed a baby girl, Sophie Ann, center, in April 2021. Sean Baetjer ’05 welcomed a baby boy, Calvin, in December 2020. Blakely Ashley Larrabee ’06 welcomed a baby girl, Sophie Ann, right, in May 2021.
CONDOLENCES Glenn Tisdale ’41 passed away on Feb. 27, 2021. Kenneth Mowlds Jr. ’43 passed away on May 5, 2021.
Charles “Chip” Schutt ’61 passed away on May 23, 2021.
Anne Haon Cook ’47 passed away on May 24, 2021.
Madeline Neilson Rockwell ’66 passed away on March 4, 2021.
Robert Henry Richards, III ’55 passed away on March 11, 2021.
Former Tower Hill parent and history teacher Paul Harrell passed away on Nov. 5, 2020.
Richard Porter II ’58 passed away on June 6, 2021.
Former preschool teacher Blanche Messick passed away on April 7, 2021.
Paul “Leigh” Johnstone Jr. ’59 passed away on Feb. 18, 2021. Richard Dobbs ’60 passed away on Feb. 22, 2021.
Former Spanish teacher and Language Department Chair Bob Duprez passed away on June 13, 2021.
SEND US YOUR CLASS NOTES! What’s new? Have you changed careers? Won an award? Gotten married or welcomed a child into your family? Been published or promoted? Hillers, we would love to hear what you or members of your class have been up to! Submit a class note online or email thsalumni@towerhill.org, and it will be featured in The Lookout and in our Bulletin magazine. Photos are welcome! Please send high-resolution .jpg images that are at least 1 megabyte in size.
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GOLF OUTING
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7 The Annual Golf Outing was held at DuPont Country Club on June 14. 1. Bret Kroeger, Steve Cacciavillano, Jack Smith, Sam Hargrove and Tom Hoch. 2. Ted Hughes ’19 and Guthrie Speers ’19. 3. Louise Cummings and Kelly Crifasi. 4. Kate DeMeo and Judith Ventura. 5. Chris Donoho ’87, Monty Hayman ’87 and David Soleye. 6. Matt Twyman ’88, Linda Ogden, Laura DiVincenzo and Melissa Pizarro. 7. Joseph Cook and Charles DuPont ’67. 8. Laird Hayward ’02 and Lucy Nutting ’10.
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Stay Connected Several Hillers have already joined our new networking platform, Alumnifire! There is no cost to join. Through Alumnifire, you can be a mentor, provide informational interviews and/or offer career advice to current Tower Hill students. Alumnifire isn’t just for alumni! The platform serves as a way to connect with alumni, faculty, parents and Tower Hill’s professional community. Sign up at towerhill.org/alumni or scan the QR code.
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Tower Hill School 2813 West 17th Street Wilmington, DE 19806
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