2013 summer westover magazine

2013 Summer Magazine

Cogitare, Agere, Esse

To Think, To Do, To Be

The mission of Westover School is to provide an environment that inspires the intellectual, artist, athlete, and philosopher in each student. Westover challenges

young

women

to think independently, to embrace diversity, and to grow intellectually and spiritually.

Westover encourages in each student integrity, responsibility, and commitment to community.

Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover will strengthen our foundation and allow us to move

boldly forward. our campaign pillars are community, programs, and daily life . With your support, we will secure and enhance our intentional community of students and faculty and our unique, forward-thinking, leading-edge programs — the very heart of our school.

In This Issue Graduation 2013 & Year in Review 2

Words from Ann Pollina, Head of School • Graduation: A Pictorial Westover Celebrates the Careers of Michael Gallagher & Sue Mills Inspiring Legacies • Westover in Asia • Westover Abroad Athletics • Drama • Dance

Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover School

17

37

Ways To Be Involved • Campaign Impact Highlights Shaping a Vision for the Future • Inspiring Women Campaign at Work Frequently Asked Questions • Planned Giving Opportunities European River Cruise • Campaign Leadership

Alumnae Weekend Celebration

Weekend Overview • Remembering Anita Packard Montgomery ’47 Alumnae Awards • Weekend Candids • Reunion Class Photos Westover Social Media

Alumnae News & Class Notes 58

Alumnae of Note • Passages • Alumnae Photos Alumnae Governor News • Alumnae Events: Celebrating Westover Class Notes • Lantern Poetry

westoverschool.org

Ann Pollina’s Charge to the Class of 2013:

“Life is a grand orchestral suite. You have an important part in that orchestra and … you need to dedicate yourself to your part. Rehearse with diligence and play with pride. Your singular contribution will often make a difference between a beautiful symphony and a dissonant wreck. But never get so carried away with your particular part that you fail to notice what others are adding to the concert. Respect, admire, listen to others; understand their music and then ask how yours might fit with it. I believe you have made an excellent start to that here; it is the real secret to your class chemistry. Take it with you into the world. Each of you has your own tune, your own remarkable notes to play; work hard on your part, because the concert that is this world needs it, but never forget to take joy in listening, appreciating, and loving the music others make around you.”

“By taking with you into the world this supportive community that you created at Westover, you will be able to provide each other a network of support as you travel on your individual paths. Go in peace and do not forget that we, at Westover, are here for you, and I hope you will continue to be there for each other.”

2013 Commencement speaker & Trustee President Francene Young ’71 (Pictured Below)

3

“The School fosters a space where the difference between each girl only adds to our community. The varying cultures and religions of the girls here have added not only to the class discussions, but also to my everyday understanding and appreciation for the world.”

Katherine Solley ’13, senior class speaker (Left)

5

Westover Celebrates the Careers of Michael Gallagher & Sue Mills The Dedication in the 2013 Coagess yearbook to retiring Photography Instructor Michael Gallagher put it best: 30 years at Westover School Co-Chair of the Arts Department Instructor in Photography & AP Studio Art Director of Exhibitions Multimedia Specialist Mr. G – For thirty years you have encouraged Westover girls to express and uncover our love for art through photography. Not only have you taught us to challenge ourselves and push the boundaries, but your contributions to Westover through other avenues such as communications and the art gallery have enriched our lives even more. We will never forget the original facebook that helped us put names to new faces, final class critiques with essential Dottie’s doughnuts, or the classic “selfies” of you clad in your typical Patagonia or Hawaiian shirt. You are a man of many words and stories whom we have been honored to have as a teacher, friend, supporter, and mentor.

We are glad to be your graduating class after your illustrious career at Westover and wish you all the best as you go on to seek more adventures and continue exploring your passion for photography.

Sue Mills, P’97 & ’03 The Appreciation in the 2013 Coagess to Registrar Susan Mills also summed up the School community’s esteem for Sue and for her 13 years as Registrar: It is hard to believe that it takes only one Sue Mills to get 200 very demanding and, at times, difficult girls that perfect schedule. Yet you’ve done so for 13 years. “SMills,” you are the hidden gem of the Academic Corridor and a visit to your office, given it is not to arrange a detention, always leaves us laughing from your wild stories of your days as a rebellious teen. Your chapel talk made us aspire to live as wild as you have and every time serendipity finds us, we will make sure to greet her with open arms.

We wish you nothing but the best for all your future adventures. Santa Fe doesn’t know what’s coming!

6

Inspiring Legacies Francene Young ’71, President of Westover’s Board of Trustees, was the first student to attend Westover through A Better Chance (ABC). A Better Chance is the oldest and only national organization providing educational opportunities for academically talented youth of color in grades 6-12. Marking its 50th anniversary this year, A Better Chance annually recruits, refers, and supports about 500 students through its College Preparatory Schools Program at more than 300 schools in 27 states.

From left: ABC Students Victoria Graham ’16, Kayla Ntoh ’16, Jehiza Feliz ’13, Trustee President Francene Young ’71, Dena Simmons ’01, Frances Delfin ’13, and Crystal Pemberton ’00 were all in attendance at Westover’s 2013 graduation.

“Four years ago, this girl was sitting in a classroom in the South Bronx. Never being challenged at school made all of my work a breeze. That was until seventh grade. My teacher, Dena Simmons, Westover graduate of the Class of 2001, made it a point to challenge us. Her vision to make a difference in our learning pushed me to work harder. Dena moved up with us to be our eighth grade teacher and this is when I was introduced to Westover. Thanks to her perseverance and faith in me, I am here today, days away from receiving my diploma.

Jehiza Feliz ’13 & Dena Simmons ’01

“She believed in me just like Amanda Mortimer Burden, Westover Class of 1962, believed in Dena. Dena took Amanda’s gift and paid it forward to me.

“It is this eye for seeing the endless capabilities of people that I believe all Westover girls develop during their time here. We push each other constantly while pushing ourselves. We want to make a difference in the world so we take initiative and become leaders. I am proud to say that I have been surrounded by this amazing group of girls for the past four years, and I wouldn’t have wanted my high school experience any other way.”

Jehiza Feliz ’13 (Excerpts from her remarks, Alumnae Weekend 2013) 7

Westover’s Class of 2013

The members of the Class of 2013 were accepted at 141 colleges and universities, a diverse list that includes some of the best schools in the world. Here is a list of the schools that offered admission to members of the Class of 2013. The schools marked by asterisks are where our graduates plan to matriculate.

Adelphi University Allegheny College *American University Barnard College Baylor University *Boston College Boston University Bradley University *Bucknell University University of California, Berkeley University of California, Los Angeles *Carnegie Mellon University *Case Western Reserve University Catholic University of America Central Connecticut State University Chapman University College of Charleston Colby College Connecticut College University of Connecticut *Cornell University Davidson College University of Denver Dickinson College *Drew University Eckerd College Elizabethtown College Elon University Emmanuel College Emory University Endicott College Evergreen State College Fairfield University Florida Atlantic University Florida Southern College Florida State University Fordham University *Franklin & Marshall College Furman University *George Washington University Georgetown University Gettysburg College

*Hamilton College, New York University of Hartford Harvey Mudd College *Hobart & William Smith Colleges *Hofstra University Iona College Ithaca College Johns Hopkins University Johnson & Wales University Keene State College Lafayette College Lasell College Le Moyne College *Lehigh University *Loyola University, Maryland Manhattan College Marist College University of Maryland, Baltimore County *Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences *University of Massachusetts, Amherst Merrimack College Miami University, Ohio University of Michigan *Middlebury College University of Mississippi *New College of Florida *University of New Hampshire *University of New Haven New York University Northeastern University Northland College Norwich University *Occidental College Ohio Wesleyan University Pace University, Westchester Pace University, New York City Pennsylvania State University,

University Park University of Pennsylvania Providence College

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhode Island College University of Rhode Island Rice University Rider University Roanoke College Rochester Institute of Technology *University of Rochester *Roger Williams University *Rollins College Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Rutgers, New Brunswick Rutgers, Newark Sacred Heart University Saint Michael’s College Salve Regina University Sarah Lawrence College *School of the Art Institute of Chicago Siena College Simmons College *Smith College University of Southern California *University of St. Andrews St. Lawrence University *Stanford University Suffolk University *State University of New York, College of Environmental Science & Forestry Susquehanna University University of Tampa *Texas Christian University *University of Texas, Austin Trinity College Tulane University Ursinus College *United States Naval Academy *University of Vermont *Villanova University Washington College Wentworth Institute of Technology Wheaton College, Massachusetts *Wheelock College

9

Westover Embraces Human Rights as a Year-Long Focus Heading into the 2012-2013 school year, we decided as a faculty to frame our curriculum and activities around the concept of Human Rights. Implementation of the theme began immediately with a selection of summer reading options. Students and faculty returned in the fall for group discussions of the books, which gave some insight into what human rights are and how we could discuss those rights.

Within the curriculum, the History Department taught a human rights course called “Freedom,” which assigned students the task of creating a video-based presentation focused on human rights. One of the student groups submitted their video to the “Girls Impact the World” Film Festival. Many other classes took on the Human Rights theme by incorporating discussions around human rights violations and successes through the use of literature, publications, and historical contexts. In addition, the Arts Department presented plays, dance pieces, and musical arrangements that reflected the theme.

Beyond the classroom, the Human Rights theme made its way into a number of our Chapel programs, beginning with a convocation speech by Head of School Ann Pollina, which set the tone for the year, and included a Chapel Talk by a guest speaker, Adam Gaynor (pictured below), who spoke about Human Rights through the context of Passover. Our student clubs and organizations took on the theme first through a variety of different contexts, including Amnesty International, which made a greater push for letter writing on behalf of victims of human rights abuse, and the Environmental Action Committee and its showing of Solar Mamas, a documentary about women in less-developed countries making solar panels for use in their villages, which combined the topic of human rights with the club’s focus on the environment.

With a successful year behind us, we now look forward to next year’s theme, The Face of the Other, a look at diversity in our community and beyond, which has already begun with a school-wide summer reading assignment of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Ben Hildebrand Academic Dean

Westover in Asia Head of School Ann Pollina & Development Director Barbara Sabia traveled to Asia in June to visit alumnae, students, and their families.

1

2

3 5

4 6

9

7

8

10

1. Ann with (from left) CiCi Lu ’16, Isabella Yu ’15, and Yike Wang ’14 2. At the airport in Seoul, South Korea, Barbara and Ann were welcomed by (from left) Soo Jin Chi ’14, Nadia Kim ’16, Jenny Kim ’16, Eunice Oh ’14, and Sharon Jeon ’16.

3. In Seoul, South Korea, from left: Eunice Oh ’14, Ann, Barbara, and Eunice’s mother, Hee Soon Chang, who coordinated Ann and Barbara’s visit.

4. At a Seoul, South Korean, candy store, Ann Pollina encountered three employees who were making candy – and, as Ann noticed, were employing exponential math in the process. Ann videotaped the workers and will show her video of the workers using math in the workplace to students this fall.

5. In Seoul, South Korea, Barbara and Ann joined students, alumnae, and parents at a dinner.

6. In Osaka, Japan, Barbara and Ann with Tomo Nakanishi Kubo ’96 (right) with her husband, parents, brother, and his children 7. In Toyko, Japan, Ann and Barbara with Chizuru Kato-Nakamoto ’92 and her two children and Naya Koda Imahase ’93 8. In Shenzhen, China, Barbara and Ann with Brian Jones and Xue Hui (P’15, ’17) and their daughters Briana ’17 and Fiona ’15 9. Ann and Barbara met with officials of the Shangede School in Shanghai China, as well as Jessica You ’15 (left) and her father, Professor Y.H. Tsai.

10. In Toyko, Japan – from left: Kohei and Chika Ogawa (P’16) and their daughter Nao, Barbara, Ann, Marie Shiraishi ’15, and her parents, Keiko & Yukinari

To see more photos from the “Westover in Asia” trip, please visit westoverschool.org/asiatrip

11

Kate Seyboth Brings Technology Skills To Maranyundo School in Rwanda Kate Seyboth, Director of the WISE Program, has been sharing her technical expertise and her teaching experience with the faculty of the Maranyundo School for Girls in Nyamata, Rwanda.

Kate has twice traveled to Rwanda this year – once in March and once in June – for two week visits to offer her help to Westover’s sister school. The middle school for girls opened in 2008 to offer expanded educational opportunities. Initiated by Barrie Hogan Landry ’62, Westover’s connection to Maranyundo has included visits by administrators, faculty, students, and alumnae.

Zulma Dunn ’16 (left) and WISE Director Kate Seyboth at the Maranyundo School.

In her two visits, Kate said, “I have been working with teachers there on how to use technology effectively in the classroom and have been helping them to integrate technology in general.” When she first arrived in March, only 11 of the 30 computers in the school’s computer lab were fully functional; by the end of her first visit, 27 of the computers were up and running. In addition to the lab’s computers, each of Maranyundo’s teachers also has a laptop computer for their use.

During her March visit, Kate reviewed the school’s technology needs and made recommendations to its governing board, including its planned installation of a new computer lab.

One of the major technology challenges facing Maranyundo, Kate said, is that its internet system is satellite-based, which she described as “a small step above dial-up” technology. As a result, its internet system operates very slowly.

She also noted that they faced limited access to basic equipment, such as having enough video cables for all of the school’s projectors, the kinds of supplies that she takes for granted at Westover.

During her return visit in June, Kate brought software to install that enhanced the school’s technology, but she also focused more on working with teachers on current teaching methodologies to enhance their students’ classroom experiences.

Kate noted that her trips to Rwanda were her first experiences traveling to a country in the developing world. During her first visit, she was reminded “of how much I am tied to technology” and how her inability to easily use her cell phone or computer could provoke anxiety or frustration.

What most impressed Kate in her visits were the students. “The students there know that they have been given this amazing opportunity by being at Maranyundo, and their drive to do well is unbelievable. They work so hard every day and they appreciate what they have been given and want to make the most of it.”

Zulma Dunn ’16 Spends Spring Break in Rwanda 1

2

3

When circumstances prevented a Westover-sponsored spring break trip to Rwanda for students and parents from taking place, Zulma Dunn ’16 and her father, Kevin, decided to travel there on their own.

With the help of Ruth Yamoaa Curzan ’02, Director of International Programs, Zulma and her father spent eight days in March in Rwanda. Their itinerary included spending two days working as volunteers with Gardens for Health International, traveling to a national park to view gorillas in the wild, visiting a memorial to the victims of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, and touring Westover’s sister school, the Maranyundo School for Girls.

Zulma said she and her father “love doing missionary work,” so volunteering for Gardens for Health was a chance to offer meaningful help working with the poor. The program’s mission is to seek solutions to childhood malnutrition by providing educational programs about growing fruits and vegetables in their own gardens, the value of proper hygiene, and other healthful practices. “Women from all over Kigali [the Rwandan capital] came to Gardens for Health,” Zulma said. “Playing with their kids and making them smile was my favorite part of volunteering there. I didn’t want to leave, and I want to go back.”

For Zulma, “hearing the testimonies of the women who came to Gardens of Health and the challenges they face was extremely hard. It made me appreciate my life. It was a culture shock, but you learn a lot about yourself and how you handle things” by volunteering in these kinds of programs.

A day-long excursion to see gorillas in the wild offered other challenges for Zulma and her father. “It’s not like a Disneyland trip,” she said with a laugh. “You find yourself hiking through thick forests and falling into thorns and getting dirty.” But the reward – seeing a band of gorillas with their babies – was worth the effort.

The most haunting moments of her Rwandan trip came when they visited a church that has been turned into a genocide memorial. The church itself had been the site of a massacre in which hundreds of Rwandans were slain by their countrymen. “You walk in and you are surrounded by bloodstains and bullet holes,” she recalled.

“A statue of the Virgin Mary and the white altar were all bloody.” In the cellar are the bones of hundreds of victims. “There was a woman in the church who comes and sweeps there every day. The bones of her family are kept there.”

There was, however, an opportunity to see the hopes for the new Rwanda in action: Zulma and her father visited the Maranyundo School. “I was very impressed by the school,” she said. “The girls are beautiful and there’s a real Westover feeling of sisterhood there. You felt the presence of love.” The school’s design, with buildings encircling a green lawn, reminded her of Westover’s Quad. And Zulma encountered another link to Westover while she was there: WISE Director Kate Seyboth was there helping the school with its technology.

The strongest impact of her Rwandan visit, Zulma said, were the people she met throughout her travels there.

“They are just beautiful, extremely caring, and selfless. They are people who have touched my heart.”

1) Zulma Dunn ’16, her father Kevin, and a Rwandan child during a home visit for Gardens for Health, the health organization they did volunteer work while in Rwanda.

2) Zulma and Kevin at Gardens for Health. “My dad is holding a little boy named Cedric, who absolutely adored my father, and I am holding Aline who was taking pictures on my phone; she was like my little sister. Then there is Ange playing with my little sister’s iPad.” 3) Zulma & her father playing with a child

13

Westover Fall Sports Westover Crew TeamDay is Off to a Winning Start!

2012

There is nothing like the rush a rower gets when her boat glides skillfully through the waters. Four girls rowing in unison feel the power of their strokes as their boat cuts a clean path down a race course.

Five Westover girls – Riley Boeth ’13, Liv Burns ’14, Sarah Peterson ’15, Isabelle Morrissey ’16, and coxswain Julia Cooper ’15 – had the privilege of experiencing this when they participated in a Crew Pilot Program associated with Chase Collegiate School this past spring.

Westover was able to take advantage of a very special opportunity and the five girls who participated owe a great deal to Chase Collegiate’s Coach Lincoln Turner for all his guidance and expertise. They fulfilled all their responsibilities and then some and proved to be excellent guests, even forging special bonds with a rival school. It was an example of all the best of what sports can provide to individuals and schools.

The rowers competed in a “four with coxswain” over a 1,500-meter course. They practiced in a borrowed Chase Collegiate boat on Lake Quassapaug, and raced on Lake Waramaug, the Housatonic River, Quassett Lake, and Lake Quinsigamond.

The girls competed in a total of six races, pulling out one impressive win over Gunnery, Chase, and Canterbury. Their fastest time was a 6:19 over 1,500 meters. They proved to be flexible and resilient, as rowers must be!

Congratulations to all the girls for representing Westover in such fine fashion this season. Keep your fingers crossed for next spring!

Tiz Mulligan, P’ 06, ’08 Director of Athletics

Athletic Highlights from 2013 Spring Season • Katie Solley ’13 was named an All Star by the Western New England Preparatory School Girls Softball Association.

• Amber Shelton ’13 and Courtney Bliss ’14 were named All Stars by the New England Preparatory School Women’s Lacrosse Association.

• Savvy Lodge ’15 earned a 4th place and Dhalia Tejada ’15 a 9th place finish in the 9-Hole Competition of the Pippy O’Connor Golf Classic (pictured left).

• JV Softball was the most successful of the spring teams, going 7-1 on the season.

• For our loyal alumae: Despite a tough season, Varsity Softball beat Miss Porter’s.

The Athletic Hall of Fame Committee is seeking nominations for individual alumnae, teams, and coaches for selection to Westover’s Athletic Hall of Fame. For more information about the nomination process or to obtain a copy of a nomination form, please go to westoverschool.org/halloffame. Completed nomination forms may be mailed to: Tiz Mulligan, Director of Athletics, Westover School, P.O. Box 847, Middlebury, CT 06762

For more information on athletics at Westover visit westoverschool.org/athletics

Westover’s Drama Department Delivers with Presentations of Measure For Measure and Machinal

Westover’s Theater Program Honored Two Westover students were recognized for their achievements in theater when they were presented 2013 Halo Awards, a student theater competition organized by Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury. Alisa Tiong ’14 received the Halo for Best Scenic Design for her work on Measure for Measure; in her design, Alisa reset Shakespeare’s play to 1970s New York City.

Alisa Tiong ’14, Marla Truini, & Amelia Bell ’16

Amelia Bell ’16 received the “Above and Beyond” Award, a special recognition honor, for stepping into the role of Isabella in Meaure for Measure with less than a week to go before opening night after a fellow cast member had to withdraw. Overall, Westover received 13 Halo nominations for this year’s productions of Measure for Measure, Machinal, and Legally Blonde. More than 40 schools from across Connecticut competed for this year’s Halo Awards.

15

Westover’s Dance Program Gives a Stellar Performance During the Spiritus Annual Dance Concert This past April, over 21 dancers performed more than 20 pieces ranging from classical ballet, to modern, to tap, and Indian.

16

Many thanks to everyone who has supported the Campaign so far!

As we race toward the finish line, we need your continued support.

Ways to be Involved...

• The Annual Fund

$40M

$45M

Campaign Progress as of June 30, 2013

If you have never given – Give Now! If you are a lapsed donor – Come back on board!

If you are a regular donor – Increase your gift!

• Make a Stretch Gift Two pronged: Annual Fund & Endowment. For example: Making a $250 gift to the Annual Fund (from your checking account) and a $250 gift to Endowment (from your savings account) each year for five years, makes you a $2,500 donor to the Campaign!

• Make Provisions in your Estate Plans for Westover Your bequest may be counted in the Inspiring Women Campaign: If you are or will be 80 years of age

by December 31, 2014 or if you are celebrating your 50th, 55th or 60th Reunion

Campaign Impact Highlights Faculty Support Westover was able to sustain raises for faculty during difficult economic times when other schools were not only holding pay raises, but also actually cutting back on faculty.

Because of the Campaign, Westover was able to both retain and hire teachers with advanced degrees:

2008 – 2009 = 44% 2009 – 2010 = 50% 2010 – 2011 = 57%

2011 – 2012 = 61% 2012 – 2013 = 63% 2013 – 2014 = 67%

Student Support Westover was able to continue to serve the increased needs of our current students and reached out to the middle class families who were hardest hit by the recession. With the completion of the Campaign, we will once again be able to provide greater access to a Westover education to our neediest applicants.

Campus Stewardship Westover has maintained our beautiful, 100 year old buildings with regular maintenance of our slate roofs, brick pathways, and stucco walls.

Since the final installation of solar panels on the south side of Westover’s main, historic building and on the new south facing roof of the Fuller Athletic Center as well as on the roof of the Louise Buckley Dillingham Performing Arts Center, Westover has generated 23% of its own electricity.

Westover’s campus and grounds have always been one of the School’s greatest assets, its lawns, fields, and woodlands often used by teachers and students as a living laboratory for science classes, a source of inspiration for art classes, and a quiet space for reflection and study. One of the goals of the Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover is to support Campus Stewardship and Sustainability; $5 million from the campaign will be allocated to preserve and maintain the campus, as well as increase the School’s sustainability and green initiatives.

Campaign Impact Highlights Operations Because of the generous support of the Annual Fund, Westover has updated and renovated several classrooms throughout our historic campus, including providing the technology necessary for our flipped classrooms, including the addition of over 17 white boards and smart board technology.

Support From Alumnae Despite the difficult economic climate, the amount of each individual gift to the Annual Fund actually increased for the fiscal year 2011-2012.

Because of the support of the campaign, Westover is able to continue to develop our signature programs.

In the 2012-2013 academic year, 50% of Westover students participated in one of the following signature programs: Manhattan School of Music, Women in Science and Engineering, the Online School for Girls, and our Global Exchange Programs.

Because of the generosity of unrestricted gifts, Westover was able to develop new athletic programs in crew, cross country, and swimming.

InspiringCampaign Women Campaign Endowment Comparison Endowment comparison

2012

2011

2010

Endowment without campaign

2009

Endowment value

2008

2007

$0

$5,000,000 $10,000,000 $15,000,000 $20,000,000 $25,000,000 $30,000,000 $35,000,000 $40,000,000 $45,000,000 $50,000,000

19

We are pleased to present the next in a series of student and alumnae profiles illustrating the foundations of our Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover.

These are the women of Westover.

Inspired by the Arts, Shaping a Vision for the Future Cristina & Alexis

“Working as a curator is unique because I have the opportunity to work with both a creative and business mind set.”

Cristina Tafuri ’07 BA, Visual Art & Curatorial Studies. Eugene Lang College/The New School for Liberal Art MA, Visual Arts Administration. New York University’s Steinhardt School Curator

When Cristina Tafuri ’07 came to Westover, she already had developed an interest in the arts. But it was her teachers at the School, Cristina said, who “really lit a fire underneath me to keep going with it” in college and beyond. In particular, Ali Hildebrand, Cristina’s Art History teacher, “was so young and so enthusiastic that I really connected with her classes. Ali was so engaging and she made Art History so exciting.” An internship in a gallery gave her the practical experience to pursue her studies both in Art History and business studies at the graduate level. While completing her masters, Cristina has worked as a freelance curator for a series of exhibitions in New York City and plans to someday open her own exhibition space.

Alexis Zimmerman ’12 took a slightly different path.

“I took my first Art History class, the Victorian Era, my sophomore year just to fill up some gaps in my schedule,” Alexis recalled. “After that, I just kept taking art history classes at Westover and during my high school summers at Brown University and Yale.” During her senior year, she was selected as the Sonja Osborn Museum Studies Intern (SOMSI), Westover’s Art History curator program with HillStead Museum in Farmington. In that role, Alexis said,

“working with Ali, I really was able to take the lead and be independent. The people at Hill-Stead were wonderful and taught me so much about museum work. Westover’s Archivists [Muffie Clement Green ’65 and the since retired Maria Randall Allen ’42] helped me so much.” Alexis is planning on a double major in Art History and Economics.

Cristina and Alexis found their paths crossing in spring 2012 when both were responsible for curating shows on exhibition at Westover. Cristina was a guest curator for a wide-ranging exhibition of paintings, drawings, books, letterpress broadside editions, and photographs by alumna artist Pam Markham Heller ’67 in the School’s Schumacher Gallery. Meanwhile, Alexis, as the 2012 SOMSI intern, had created an exhibition in Red Hall of architectural renderings and photographs documenting the visionary design of Westover’s architect, Theodate Pope.

“Creating and hanging my own exhibition was a huge challenge,” Alexis recalled, “but knowing that I could take on such a great responsibility, and see it through until the end, gives me confidence in my work and in myself.”

“Westover gave me confidence in academics. With its rigorous curriculum, it pushed me and prepared me for college. I am not afraid of difficult classes or long hours of studying. As a result, I can balance studying with spending time with my friends, without having to compromise either.”

Alexis Zimmerman ’12 2012 Sonja Osborn Museum Studies Intern Boston University ’16

21

These accomplishments are made possible by your generous support of the Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover.

Sustainability at Westover: LED Fixtures Around Campus As part of Westover’s ongoing efforts to use “green” energy sources, the School contracted with Greenleaf Energy Solutions to install more energy-efficient lighting in a number of locations around campus to both cut the School’s electrical bills and substantially reduce its “carbon footprint.”

In March, the Woodbury-based firm replaced lighting in the Fuller Athletic Center gymnasium, Red Hall, the Dining Room, the Schumacher Gallery, and some exterior lighting with cutting-edge, energy-efficient Cree LED fixtures.

According to Greenleaf President Kevin Siebrecht, the lighting upgrade can save hundreds of thousands of kilowatt hours of electricity over the 15-year life of the project, reducing both the School’s energy costs and its share of air pollution that is a by-product of energy production.

Westover Business Manager Stephen Ladd noted that Connecticut Light & Power provides a grant to cover 40% of the cost of the project, and the resulting energy savings will pay for the balance of the installation costs within three years. “In essence,” Steve said, “we will be paying for the lighting and the installation through the savings the project produces.” Because the new bulbs have a 10-year life span, he added, the School will see additional savings with reduced equipment and related labor costs.

The lighting project is the latest in a series of sustainability measures the School has put in place in recent years, including the installation of solar panels on the main building, the Fuller Athletic Center, and the Louise B. Dillingham Performing Arts Center. The addition of a cogeneration system uses a natural gas generator to generate electricity while heating all the domestic hot water used in the dormitory and kitchen. With the combination of solar and cogeneration, 70% of the electric energy used by the School is produced on campus. Since the final installation of solar panels on the south side of Westover’s main, historic building and on the new south facing roof of the Fuller Athletic Center as well as on the roof of the Louise Buckley Dillingham Performing Arts Center roof, Westover has generated 23% of its own electricity.

22

For more information on Sustainability at Westover visit westoverschool.org/sustainabilty

These programs are made possible by your generous support of the Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover.

Investing in Girls (IIG) Program Features Visit to Wall Street

As the Invest in Girls (IIG) initiative completes its second year, Academic Dean Ben Hildebrand noted, “with more than 50 students in IIG next year, it is clear that this budding program is a substantial addition to our overall curriculum.”

The pilot program, undertaken by a non-profit group called Invest in Girls, Inc., is working with students from Westover and two other independent schools, Milton Academy, and Middlesex School. This year’s program included 14 juniors and 22 sophomores. For the third year of the pilot program, 17 members of the Class of 2016 will join the students already in IIG. In their four classroom sessions this year, the sophomores learned primarily about budgeting and the juniors about investments. Next year, the seniors in IIG will focus on philanthropy.

This spring, the IIG students had the opportunity to go on two industry field trips. The first was a tour of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and a presentation on Banking in America at the Museum of American Finance, which was made possible through Charlotte Beyer ’65 and the Principle Asset Foundation.

“Charlotte’s presentation and the story of her career path in finance was an inspiration for the girls as they begin to think about their own lives and careers,” said Jodi Wasserstein, Westover’s IIG Coordinator. “The juniors had been studying about stocks and the New York Stock Exchange, but seeing the NYSE in action brought to life what they learned in the classroom. The sophomores got a

great introduction to what they will be learning about next fall.”

Gabrielle Rossetti, IIG Program Director, said, “One of the biggest takeaways from the trip was the idea that there is no ‘right’ path in terms of choosing a career. They learned about Charlotte’s career path, how she majored in English, but ultimately landed in finance and ended up following her entrepreneurial spirit to launch a strong investor education business. We know that girls learn best when they can put into action what they are learning,” Gabrielle said. “The ‘Finglish’ (Financial English) comes to life during the trips and is applied to real life.”

Charlotte enjoyed the “dialogue” she had with the Westover students at lunch about the role of finance, their level of trust in financial institutions, and other related topics. “They were excited, curious, and quite exuberant.”

For Charlotte, “One of the highlights of the tour was a chance for the students to meet a woman who has been in the market for 34 years, who talked about what it was like to be one of the few women on the floor.”

Programs like IIG that encourage more women to enter finance, Charlotte said, will benefit the industry. “The more women who go into finance the wiser our decisions will be and the more exciting the opportunities will be for the world economy, because diversity, it’s now being shown, makes for better decisions in the boardroom and the teams at work.”

23

These projects are made possible by your generous support of the Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover.

Westover Makes Significant Additions to School Security Using $25,000 Matching Grant Westover has always placed the safety and security of its students first. However, heightened awareness in light of recent events at schools across the U.S. prompted the School to strengthen our security measures on campus.

As Head of School Ann Pollina noted in a recent letter to Westover parents, “A year ago, long before the Sandy Hook tragedy, we examined our lockdown procedures and general security, and received several recommendations around which we have designed a plan. December’s events made it even more vital that we implement that plan immediately.”

The first change undertaken this spring was the installation of wireless locks on all of the entrances to our dorms and to the main entrances to the School.

“This will make our lockdown procedures far more efficient,” Ann said. Students, faculty, and staff have

24

been issued ID cards that will allow them access to various buildings on the campus.

The full cost of the security system is $150,000 with an additional $100,000-$150,000 for the cost of the replacement doors. To underwrite this program, the School received a $25,000 matching grant from a foundation to help underwrite the cost of this project, and has met its goal through additional gifts to match the $25,000 grant.

As Ann noted in her letter to the families of current students, “Safety is of the utmost importance to us, our parents, and the extended Westover family.”

After she recently attended a day-long briefing on school security, she said, “The greatest take away I heard was this: Locks don’t keep kids safe. Caring communities keep kids safe. No community could be more caring than Westover; no adults better trained with your daughters’ safety in mind.”

Ongoing stewardship of the Westover campus is made possible by your generous support of the Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover.

Campus Stewardship at Westover Westover’s campus and grounds have always been one of the School’s greatest assets; its lawns, fields, and woodlands are often used by teachers and students as a living laboratory for science classes, a source of inspiration for art classes, and a quiet space for reflection and study. One of the goals of the Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover is to support Campus Stewardship and Sustainability; $5 million from the campaign will be allocated to preserve and maintain the campus, as well as increase the School’s sustainability and green initiatives.

Identifying – and protecting – ecologically significant areas of the Westover campus is part of an overall master plan currently being developed by the Board of Trustees. In addition, school administrators and faculty, working with professional consultants, have prepared a plan to preserve Westover’s pond and nearby watershed areas.

The result would be the creation and maintenance of an authentic nature preserve on the School’s campus.

Replacing mown lawns with meadows, paths, and the planting of new trees and native plants will create new wildlife habitats on campus. Adjusting and maintaining standards of care for athletic fields and campus roads will reduce run-off and erosion in watershed areas. To restore the pond’s water quality

to healthy levels, enzyme and microbe applications will be used to remove harmful, invasive species.

A related goal is to incorporate aspects of these projects within Westover’s curriculum and extracurricular offerings. Campus stewardship projects, for example, could be incorporated into the Biology classes’ forest camp, educating students about the environment while they are given hands-on opportunities to help preserve the School’s campus.

One part of the overall Campus Stewardship plan would support a part-time faculty position responsible for developing, administering, and integrating the School’s environmental activities within the Westover experience.

To help guide the Campus Stewardship program, an Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee has been established. The committee is co-chaired by Alice Hallaran, retired long-time science faculty member, and Jana Dunbar, science and WISE instructor; other members of the committee include Head of School Ann Pollina, former Alumnae Governor Emily Baldwin Nissley ’50, School Archivist and former Trustee Muffie Clement Green ’65, Trustee and Campaign Steering Committee Co-Chair Beth Smith Golden ’65, and Director of Planned Giving Paul Sutherland.

These programs are made possible by your generous support of the Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover.

The Sonja Osborn Museum Studies Internship (SOMSI) Celebrates 5 Year Anniversary The Sonja Osborn Museum Studies Internship (SOMSI) program marked its 5th anniversary this year. The program enables a Westover junior or senior to broaden and enrich her dedication to Art History through practical experience in museum work. The program draws on the strengths and the shared heritage of two Connecticut institutions, Westover and Hill-Stead Museum, which originally was the home of Westover’s architect, Theodate Pope.

The program is under the direction of Ali Hildebrand, Art History and Humanities instructor. “In providing museum experience along with academic research and writing,” Ali said, “the internship program enables students to explore a variety of opportunities art history can offer, from museum cataloging, to facilitating public programming, to curating exhibitions and presenting papers. The program uniquely engages student interest while building upon their career skill set, and provides a prestigious capstone to the art history program at Westover.”

The SOMSI program was originally established through a gift from Marcelo Tortoriello and Liliana R. Yelin (P’07).

The five SOMSI interns and their research subjects: • Bridget Hinz ’09, the painter James Abbott McNeill Whistler • Shell Tu ’10, the Japanese woodprint artist Utagawa Hiroshige • Sol Ye ’11, the early 20th century photographer Gertrude Käsebier • Alexis Zimmerman ’12, the architect Theodate Pope • Chae Uhm ’13, the painter Edgar Degas

The museum studies internship consists of a multi-part program that each student develops in conjunction with Ali and Hill-Stead staff members, based on the museum’s needs and the student’s interests. During the internship, the student travels weekly to Hill-Stead where she works with museum curators assisting in educational or public programs, working in collection management, and engaging in research or conservation of the collection. At the conclusion of the internship, the student presents her experience interning at the museum through two focused projects that investigate Hill-Stead’s collection and consider the shared histories of the School and the museum. Interns receive both a stipend for their work at the museum as well as academic credit.

Intern Chae Uhm ’13, The Tortoriello family, founders of SOMSI, Ann Pollina, Sonja Osborn, and Ali Hildebrand, Art History & Humanities Instructor.

Ongoing stewardship of the Westover campus is made possible by your generous support of the Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover.

Keeping Westover Beautiful for Future Generations This spring one of the most emblematic corners of Westover – beloved Red Hall – was refurbished with care and craftsmanship. “Our goal was to have Red Hall work well for us the way we use it today,” explained Head of School Ann Pollina. “It needs to be a place of beauty. It is our common space, our living room. And as our living room, it tells the outside world who we are. That message needs to be clear – modern education which respects tradition.”

The four original desks have been replaced with sturdier ones engraved with Westover’s seal. As

Ann noted, “It has become increasingly common for students to use those desks heavily, and spindle leg tables which worked well when the ladies were resting their needlework upon them work not quite so well for laptops and heavy backpacks.” The original lamps remain, but with new lampshades.

Christine Muldowney Dahl ’82 (P’14), an Alumnae Association Governor and designer, coordinated the Red Hall project. The project was dedicated to the late Alethea Kunhardt Walker ’45 (P’69, GP’00 and ’03) who had funded earlier Red Hall renovations.

Red Hall Alumnae Weekend, New Westover seal engraved into the desks in Red hall, the Commemorative Plaque, & Emily Overholser Gruber ‘03 with her husband, Eric, and their children Abigail and Owen. Emily is the granddaughter of Alethea Kunhardt Walker ’45.

“My first impression of Westover came on a dreary winter day. Mom whisked me right into Red Hall and I fell in love. She knew just what to do to make a huge impact on one’s visual sense of place. Back then she didn’t have the wherewithal to help make a remodeling of Red Hall a reality, but when she was able to do it, that became one of her personal missions. I thank Westover for allowing this to happen in such a beautiful way.” Toni Walker Hamner ’69 (P’00), daughter of Alethea Kunhardt Walker ’45

27

These accomplishments are made possible by your generous support of the Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover.

Ann Huidekoper Brown ’41 Awards The Ann Huidekoper Brown Art Awards are given each year at the Orchard Ceremony to students for their outstanding individual works of art. The recipients are encouraged to donate their award-winning work to the permanent collection of Westover, so that they may be exhibited in a public area on campus.

A number of recent award winners are featured in Legacy – 1983-2013, Thirty Years of Westover Photographers, an exhibition currently on display in the Schumacher Gallery of more than 120 photographs by former students of Photography Instructor Michael Gallagher.

The Ann Huidekoper Brown Art Award-winning photographers featured in the show include: Meghan Beebe ’10, Eleanor Rigby; Christine Cascella ’10, Panorama from Heaven; Mackenzie Dix ’10, Composite Print; Anna Eggert ’12, Mustang, color permanent pigment print; Alexandra Fonseca ’08, From the Diptych Series, Composite Silver Gelatin Print; Addis Fouche-Channer ’13, Bunny, color permanent pigment print; Amelia Fox ’08: Gold National Piece, Pam Cubed, Silver Gelatin Print; Diamond Howell ’08, Self Portrait as Van Gogh, Digital Print; Hannah Meduna ’12, Cameras, Toaster and Chanel, Permanent Pigment Print; Emily Morris ’13, Roxbury Airport, black-and-white permanent pigment print; Alexandra Pape ’12, Sunset, black-and-white permanent pigment print; Hillary Zeiss ’09, Come, Digital Print.

28

These accomplishments are made possible by your generous support of the Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover.

Two Westover Students Explore Filmmaking at NYU Amy Tiong and Nadia Gribkova, both of whom share an interest in filmmaking, had a chance to learn more about the medium when they were accepted into a three-month program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

From early February through mid-May, the two Juniors spent most of their Saturdays in New York City attending classes in filmmaking as part of Tisch’s Spring Future Artist Programs.

The Saturday workshops are offered to students interested in pursuing studies and careers in filmmaking, film scholarship, the music industry, dance, and choreography.

Amy and Nadia spent their mornings in a screening room with other students in the program, “watching movies and talking about composition and the approach a director chooses to tell a story,” Nadia explained. “We also pitched our

own ideas about documentaries for our individual film projects.” Guest lecturers from the Tisch faculty taught various aspects of filmmaking.

Not surprisingly, Amy and Nadia both chose aspects of Westover life as the subjects of their final projects, three- to five-minute mini-films. “Nadia filmed about the Westover Germans and I filmed a day in the life at Westover,” Amy said.

“We really got their attention,” Nadia said with a laugh, noting that their fellow filmmaking students at Tisch had been a bit perplexed by the idea that she and Amy were students at an all-girls school in Connecticut. Nadia said the program gave her “a sense of what a freshman year at Tisch is like.”

Both Nadia, a boarder from Moscow, Russia, and Amy, a day student from Waterbury, had their first experience in filmmaking by taking an introductory course offered through Westover’s Photography program. They are both now considering pursuing film studies in college.

Andy Arts Award Profile, Amy Tiong ’14 Amy Tiong ’14 is the 2013 recipient of the Andy Arts Award, which provides a summer scholarship in the arts to students who have shown a talent and an interest in the arts during their time at Westover. Amy will be attending a four-week program at Barnard College’s Summer in the City program in New York City, taking classes in filmmaking and screenwriting.

“Westover has really cultivated my artistic side,” Amy said. “When I first applied to the School, I thought I was going to pursue science, but through my years here I have done so many things – photography, video, dance, Glee Club – that I hadn’t originally planned on doing. They were all happy accidents.” Amy’s first experience in filmmaking was an introductory class in video at Westover, taught by Michael Gallagher.

The Andy Arts Award was established in 2001 by Beverly Heminway (P’74), through an endowed fund to honor her late husband, Andrew, who had a lifelong love of both visual and performing arts. A number of the past recipients have gone on to pursue studies in studio or the performing arts.

Amy’s sister, Alisa Tiong ’13, was the Andy Arts Award winner in 2012; she attended a four-week architecture 29 program last summer at the Pratt Institute in New York.

These accomplishments are made possible by your generous support of the Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover.

Westover students receive recognition at five poetry competitions, earning national, regional, and state awards Smith College Poetry Prize for High School Connecticut Poetry Society Lynn DeCaro Girls in New England Poetry Contest For the second year in a row, a Westover student was one of three finalists in this prestigious competition. This year’s finalist was Nadia Gribkova ’14 for her poem, “Daybreak.” (Pictured left with Bruce Coffin)

A student from Moscow, Russia, Nadia has “a lively imagination, and she is very good at employing mixed diction, with levels of abstraction and concreteness nicely interwoven,” according to Bruce Coffin, who serves as advisor for Westover’s poetry seminar.

“Nadia has an instinctive sense of the way lyric poetry makes use of all manner of language, colloquial and formal.” He noted that she achieves this even though English is not her first language. “She has a real interest in poetry and literature and reads a good deal of what is recommended in whatever time she can find for extra reading in her busy schedule.”

“I always loved Russian literature and Russian poetry,” Nadia explained. “This is something, I think, any average Russian child is raised with. Russian poetry is extremely melodic, rhythmic, and I think as child tries to hum a lullaby melody, I tried to imitate Pushkin, Yesenin, and Tsvetaeva,” Nadia said. “It is hard not to find inspiration as long as your eyes are open. Whenever I am working on a poem I think of it as the last poem I will write, a poem that people will look at and will be able to take a guess at who I am.” However, after Nadia has finished revising a poem, she added, “I never feel that my last poem had said enough. So I write again.” Two other Westover students – Liv Burns ’14 and Kira Hunter ’14 — were semi-finalists in the Smith competition.

30

For the second year in a row, Westover students took first place and three other honors at this competition – receiving four of the five prizes. This year, Afua Nsiah ’15 won the first prize with her poem, “My Mother’s Dressing Room.” The judge, poet Elizabeth Thomas, described Afua’s entry as “a haunting poem whose images stayed with me a long time after reading.”

Ailsa Slater ’13 won third prize, and Liv Burns and Katherine Solley ’13 received honorable mentions.

Connecticut Young Writers Trust Competition

Ailsa Slater received the first place award in poetry at this competition, with her poem “Blackbeard’s Daughter.” Kira Hunter was the third runner-up in poetry, and three other students – Riley Boeth ’13, Charlotte Iwasaki ’14, and Afua Nsiah were finalists.

More than 400 students submitted works of poetry and prose in this statewide competition. Bruce Coffin was one of two teachers honored this year in recognition of his efforts working with his poetry students.

Connecticut Scholastic Poetry Awards

Three Westover poets were recognized in this year’s competition, with Riley Boeth receiving a National Gold Key for her submitted poems, and two students – Emily Johnson ’13 and Katie Kuenzle ’15 – receiving Regional Silver Keys for their work.

After School Arts Program (ASAP) Celebration of Young Writers

Five Westover students – Liv Burns, Nadia Gribkova, Hannah Hudson, Afua Nsiah, and Ailsa Slater – were named Selected Young Writers by ASAP. Their poems were among those read at an ASAP event.

Q · The Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover is a comprehensive campaign.

What does this mean?

A · A comprehensive campaign is one that includes both the Annual Fund and the endowment.

Throughout the duration of the campaign every gift is considered a campaign gift.

Q · What’s the difference between the Annual Fund and the endowment, and how do they fit into the campaign?

A · Think of the endowment as a savings account—you’re able to use the income that it generates to either spend when you need it or invest it in the future. The Annual Fund, on the other hand, provides the cash that Westover uses each year to support the operating budget. Westover would need another $30 million in endowment to generate what the $1.5 million raised in our Annual Fund every year. This is why the campaign is so important, because both of these funds work together.

Q · Why is increasing the endowment so important to Westover?

A · The endowment supports the long-term sustainability of the School. If Westover is to be here 100 years from now and continue to attract the most talented students and faculty and support them, we need an endowment to sustain us in both strong and challenging economic times. At a time when technology is changing the world at a rapid pace, a strong endowment gives Westover the flexibility to adapt to changing needs.

Q · During the campaign, will people be asked to support Westover through a gift to both the Annual Fund and the endowment?

A · This campaign is two pronged: Annual Fund and Endowment. For example, making a $250 gift to the Annual Fund from your checking account and then a $250 gift to Endowment for your savings account each year for five years would make you a $2,500 donor to the campaign!

31

Q · What specific areas of the school will benefit from the campaign?

A · The campaign is about people—it will support the enrichment of faculty and students in all ways; and campaigns that support people—the lifeblood of the institution—are essential to delivering a superb education.

Q · How long will this effort be under way?

A · All gifts and pledges received by 12/31/14 will count toward the Inspiring Women Campaign for Westover.

Q · How do I become involved?

A · If you have never given, give now! If you are a lapsed donor, come back on board! If you are a regular donor, we thank you and ask you to consider increasing your gift.

Q · Does my reunion gift count towards the IWC? A · Yes, reunion gifts count towards the Inspiring Woman Campaign. Your reunion is the perfect opportunity to stretch your philanthropy to new levels. We hope that beginning with your reunion during the Inspiring Woman Campaign, you will consider a larger gift to Westover and continue this stretch going forward.

Make or Increase Your Campaign Gift with a Planned Gift!

Did you know that MANY PLANNED GIFTS COUNT TOWARDS THE INSPIRING WOMEN: CAMPAIGN FOR WESTOVER? IF you would like to participate in the Campaign but feel unable to make a cash gift or pledge over time, or if you wish your Campaign gift could be larger, consider a planned gift. Here are some examples of planned gifts that qualify for the Campaign: BEQUESTS IF you will be 80 years old on or before 12/31/14, OR IF you are celebrating or will celebrate your 50th, 55th or 60th reunion in 2013 or 2014, You can make a bequest to Westover that will count AT FULL FACE VALUE in the Campaign as soon as we receive written verification from you that you have made the bequest and do not intend to change it! Many Westover alumnae have made gifts to the Campaign in this way, with bequests ranging from $5,000 to $1,000,000. Every bequest is helpful as we move towards the end of the Campaign and secure the financial future of Westover.

CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITIES IF you create an annuity with Westover such that you make a gift of stock or cash and Westover pays you income for life in exchange, you will be credited with a campaign gift for roughly half the amount of your cash or stock gift no matter what your age.

INSURANCE POLICIES OR RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS IF you name Westover as a beneficiary on a life insurance policy or a retirement account OR IF you transfer ownership of a life insurance policy or a retirement account to Westover you will be credited with a campaign gift for the full present value of the Gift to Westover no matter what your age.

The Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover is a COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN. It includes gifts to the Annual Fund, endowment gifts for campaign purposes, and many planned gifts.

Paul K. Sutherland is Westover’s Director of Planned Giving. He joined the Alumnae and Development Office in 2003, following his service on the School’s Board of Trustees for six years. A lawyer by training, Paul has long been convinced of the importance of preserving and enhancing quality, single-sex educational opportunities for women. Paul’s “Wise Women of Westover” column appears regularly in Westover publications. If you are interested in learning more about planned giving opportunities at Westover, please call Paul Sutherland at 203.577.4590 or e-mail him at psutherland@westoverschool.org.

33

Join Head of School Ann Pollina on a 12-day European River Cruise June 20 – July 1, 2014

This is a wonderful opportunity to bring together alumnae, parents, and friends for an educational, social, and cultural experience. Thanks to the generosity of Kiki Tauck Mahar ’87, her husband Dan Mahar, and their travel company, Tauck Tours, Westover is able to offer this exciting program.

The cruise from Prague to Budapest offers a range of sites to explore and experiences to savor, from visits to castles and palaces, tours of beautifully preserved cities, and a region rich with centuries of arts and culture. The cruise includes visits to Prague, Passau, Cesky Krumlov or Salzburg, the Wachau Valley, Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest.

This 12-day river cruise will be available at a per person rate ranging from $5,990 to $8,440, depending on cabin selection.

For each reservation booked, Tauck Tours will donate $1,000 to Westover’s Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover and help us sail toward the finish line of our $45 million goal.

For more information contact Nancy Pelaez ’86, Director of Alumnae Relations, at npelaez@westoverschool.org, or go to westoverschool.org/rivercruise for updated information.

34

Campaign Leadership Campaign Executive Committee Campaign Co-Chairs Martha Bacon Martin ’65 & David Martin Beth Smith Golden ’65 Maura Tansley ’00 Ann Pollina, Head of School Sara Belcher Wardell ’60 Francene Young ’71

Campaign Steering Committee Beth Smith Golden ’65, Chair Muffie Clement Green ’65 Toni Walker Hamner ’69 Lolly MacMurray-Cooper ’63 Martha Bacon Martin ’65 David Martin Louisa Jones Palmer ’54 Mary Maier Walker ’54 Sara Belcher Wardell ’60, Chair Nicky Johnson Weaver ’63 Francene Young ’71 In grateful appreciation for her years of dedicated service on the CSC, Anita Packard Montgomery ’47 (P’74, P’76) , 1929 - 2013

Alumnae & Development Office Barbara A. Sabia Director of Development

Paul Sutherland Director of Planned Giving

Nancy Aordkian Pelaez ’86 Director of Alumnae Relations

Linda Pierce Assistant Director of Donor Relations

Lauren Fikslin Castagnola Director of Annual Fund & Constituent Outreach

Katherine Blum ’08 Alumnae & Development Associate

Bart Geissinger Director of Major Gifts & Campaign Coordinator

Lindsey Spinella Gifts Coordinator

Eileen McCormack Director of Development Operations & Services

Clare Tallon (P’14) Administrative Assistant

For a full listing of Westover’s Board of Trustees and the Alumnae Association of Governors please visit westoverschool.org/governance

2013 Alumnae Weekend Celebration The Alumnae Association Board of Governors takes seriously our role as the liaison between Westover and our over 3,300 global alumnae. In addition to our Westover Regional Networking Events and on-campus activities for current students, hosting Reunion Weekend every May is the Board of Governors’ “main event.”

Over the course of this year’s Reunion Weekend, we welcomed back to campus more than 220 alumnae! A heartfelt “congratulations” to the reunioning alumnae and a very special thank you to all the reunion chairs, committee members, and the Alumnae and Development Office for their collective hard work and dedication.

Once on campus, Westover alumnae were treated to a wide variety of events and entertainment that celebrate our traditions and expose us to the newest developments in curriculum, sports, and campus life. Alumnae could choose from student- and teacher-led panels and presentations on Westover signature programs like Investing in Girls, the Sonja Osborn Museum Studies Internship, WISE, and the Online School for Girls. Alumnae participated in the Saturday morning Chapel service led by Tom Hungerford and attended a Networking Happy Hour on Saturday afternoon. The Gospel Choir and Glee Club capped off an evening of celebration for retiring Photography teacher Michael Gallagher, and Ann Pollina inspired and informed us all during the Annual Town Meeting.

If you haven’t been back to campus in several years, now’s the time to celebrate Westover’s rich history as it merges with our cutting edge curriculum and facilities.

• to see a slideshow of Reunion Weekend events westoverschool.org/2013ReunionWeekendslideshow • to read Ann Pollina’s remarks at the Town Meeting westoverschool.org/AnnPollinaSpeech • to read Nikki Witkin Keldsen’s Reunion Weekend Chapel Talk westoverschool.org/ReunionWeekendChapelTalk • to view the Reunion Weekend Concert featuring the Glee Club, Gospel Choir, and other music groups, visit westoverschool.org/ReunionWeekendConcert

Ann Clark Priftis ’96, President, Alumnae Association

37

A Current and Former Trustee Luncheon was Held During Alumnae Weekend 2013

1

2

3

5

38

4

1. (L to R) Martha Bacon Martin ’65, Co-Chair of the Inspiring Women: Campaign for Westover, Arch Montgomery, and Head of School Ann Pollina 2. Ann Pollina (center) with members of the family of the late Trustee President Anita Packard Montgomery ’47: (L to R) Anita’s children Eliza Montgomery Zimmerman ’76, Arch Montgomery, and Carolyn Montgomery, as well as Anita’s niece, Mary Hopkins.

3. (L to R) Headmaster Emeritus Joseph Molder and his wife, Beth, with former Trustee Parker Handy (P’70, ’72, ’73, ’75, ’81), and his daughter, Gretchen Handy Comstock ’72 4. (L to R) Adele Q. Ervin ’42 and Priscilla Cunningham ’54 5. (L to R) Eunice Strong Groark ’56 and Trustee Nicky Johnson Weaver ’63

Remembering Anita Packard Montgomery ’47, A True Westover Woman “The other day I came back to Westover, to stand for a moment in Red Hall. It seemed to me to be the right place to remember Anita, for Red Hall is the centermost part of the School. It is where the pulse of the School is the strongest. Red Hall is the room where students mingle and greet one another, where students exchange test results or celebrate a college acceptance, or make plans for a surprise birthday party. It is where important school announcements are made or special events or activities are held. It is, indeed, a special and beautiful room, which is so often filled with student merriment and laughter.

“And if one thinks of student activity, and student energy, and student engagement, along with the memories that we all hold of Red Hall, it is easy to think of Anita. Anita’s life’s work was schools, and young folk, and family. And Anita was so central to it all.”

– Headmaster Emeritus Joseph L. Molder’s Remarks at a May 17th Memorial Chapel Service for Anita Packard Montgomery ’47 (P’74, P’76), 1929-2013.

Gifts in honor of Anita may be directed to the Westover School Endowment Fund in support of the Inspiring Women Campaign.

Nikki Witkin Keldsen ’88 Gives Inspirational Chapel Talk About the Importance of Westover Community, Alumnae Weekend 2013

“I hope you could imagine back to a time when the only responsibility you had was basically to yourself – to get yourself to class, to engage your brain, to please your parents by getting decent if not exceptional grades here at Westover. But was that really true? Were you only responsible for you? On the surface, yes, but if you contemplate further, even as a student here at Westover, you had a responsibility to the community that binds us all together even, for some of us, 25 years or more after our time here.”

Each year the Alumnae Association Board of Governors presents the Westover Award, the Maria Randall Allen ’42 Volunteer Service Award, and the Distinguished Young Alumna Award at the Alumnae Association Town Meeting held during Alumnae Weekend. Often people wonder how these women are nominated and selected for recognition for their dedication, commitment, and achievements. The short and, yes, easy answer is: You. Briefly, the qualifications are: • The Westover Award is presented to a person associated with Westover whose tangible accomplishments are significant and who, in life and spirit, has exemplified the Westover motto: To Think, To Do, To Be. • The Maria Randall Allen ’42 Volunteer Service Award is presented to an individual who has, through her work as a volunteer for Westover, demonstrated outstanding loyalty and a deep commitment to the mission of our School.

• The Distinguished Young Alumna Award is presented to an alumna who, on or before her 15th Reunion, has distinguished herself in the pursuit of unique and vigorous academic, artistic, athletic, or career challenges, or through meritorious service to the community.

“[After my cancer diagnosis in 2011] … my classmates reached out to me. I received cards, e-mails, phone calls, and amazing support from my Westover girls. It’s been 25 years since we’ve been students here and yet, despite the time and the miles – being together again is so encouraging. I hope you reach out to your classmates with the same care and concern because you love them as much as I love my classmates and because you shared such an amazing time together here at Westover.”

To read Nikki’s full speech please visit westoverschool.org/nikkichapel

Do you know someone who meets any of these qualifications? Give it some thought. A classmate, daughter, mother, niece, grandmother? A former teacher or staff member, or someone who has served as a Trustee?

Nomination forms can be found on the Westover website at westoverschool.org/alumaward You can also suggest a nomination by email, phone, or mail to the direct attention of Nancy Aordkian Pelaez ’86, Director of Alumnae Relations. You may also contact anyone on the Board of Governors; a list of board members can be found on the website at westoverschool.org/governance.

Westover women are a truly amazing and accomplished group of people who distinguish themselves in countless ways throughout their lives. They deserve to be recognized. Nominate someone today!

41

Michael Gallagher with (L to R) Trustee Sara Belcher Wardell ’60, Trustee President Francene Young ’71, and Michael’s wife, Jane.

Michael Gallagher’s Legacy: 30 Years of Photographers Photographs representing the work of more than 120 Westover alumnae – all former students of Photography instructor Michael Gallagher – are on display in the School’s Schumacher Gallery through September 27th.

“Legacy 1983-2013: Thirty Years of Westover Photographers” opened on Alumnae Weekend in May to conclude Michael’s three decades at Westover.

“I am a fortunate person,” Michael said. “Photography is my life’s work. I think that being a teacher is the highest calling in life. I have had the opportunity to combine these two missions to infuse young people, I hope, with a sense of joy of learning for lifelong results. I have had three invigorating decades sharing my passion for photography with the most delightful young women one could ever hope to know. Everyone’s story is unique but at one point our paths crossed in Westover’s photography studio. What happened then and since is represented in the exhibition.”

Michael noted that “the scope of the exhibition includes people who work in photography, who work in the arts, who have worked in unusual or interesting processes; people for whom photography plays a unique role in documenting their work, for whom photography is a special avocation, and for whom photography is important in authenticating significant junctures in their lives. The exhibition provides a venue to present the extent to which we use photography and to share memories of Westover photographers.”

42

The 2013 Westover Award presented by the Board of Governors of the Westover School Alumnae Association to Heather Mannella Nuzzo ’91 Your breadth of knowledge in the field of science and unflagging encouragement as you challenge your students to do their best.

Your willingness to explore new technologies and to enhance time-tested teaching techniques with Blended Learning concepts and Flipped Classrooms.

Your instrumental help in establishing The Online School for Girls, the first-ever consortium of allgirls schools to offer online educational opportunities for girls across the United States, and your dedication to its continued growth.

We recognize and applaud your selection as a National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) “Teacher of the Future.”

We appreciate and honor your innovative ideas and teaching techniques, which excite and inspire our young women.

You truly live the Westover motto: TO THINK, TO DO, TO BE

Heather Mannella Nuzzo’91 celebrating with her husband David, daughter Fenn, and her parents.

“I almost wasn’t a teacher. I was that student who was terrified of speaking in front of groups. It was my teachers here at Westover who made me start thinking about being a teacher – the Hallarans, Melinda Burbank, Bruce Coffin, Shamus Weber, Ann Pollina – because I saw how inspired they were as teachers. If you count my four years as a student and my 17 years now teaching here, I’ve been at Westover for 21 years, and that’s more than half my life. It’s safe to say that, aside from my family, Westover has been the single most influential aspect of my life. It was my classmates and teachers when I was a student and it’s my students and colleagues now that I am teacher that make it such an amazing place.”

Heather Mannella Nuzzo ’91

43

The Maria Randall Allen ’42 Volunteer Service Award This award is given to an individual in recognition of her significant service to Westover and her consistent support of the School. The award honors an individual who has, through her work as a volunteer for Westover, demonstrated outstanding loyalty and a deep commitment to the mission of our School. The award for 2013 was presented to Leigh Keyser Phillips ’68 (P’97).

In presenting Leigh the award, Life Governor Susan Silliman Tracy Addiss ’47 said: The recipient of this year’s Maria Allen Volunteer Service Award is Leigh Keyser Phillips ’68. She is a practicing attorney in Burlington, Vermont, with a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from Villanova. Her volunteer services for the School fall into many categories, and speak strongly about her love for the School and her commitment to pay it back over the years.

Leigh has been a Class Agent since 1968 when she graduated. In addition to being a consistent donor to the Annual Fund, she has served as Reunion Gift Chair, and hosts an outside reunion for her classmates every five years. Beyond her volunteer work with her class, Leigh was a Trustee from 1996 to 2002.

In recognition of these volunteer contributions to Westover, the Board of Governors is pleased to present Leigh Keyser Phillips with the Maria Allen Volunteer Service Award.

“My mother, who is Lenkie Angier Trumbull ’48, has also been a recipient of this award. I want to credit her with starting my volunteer career.

I was raised to give back to community … but most important to me has been my volunteer work at Westover. For two reasons: first was the education I got here. It prepared me for college, law school, and my career. My daughter [Hally Phillips Trementozzi ’97] had an incredible educational experience. The second reason is my class. When we were here at Westover, I don’t think we realized the bonds that we were creating.

Over the years it has developed into a community of women who have been uniquely supportive in their friendships for each other.”

Leigh Keyser Phillips ’68 (P’97)

44

Distinguished Young Alumna Award This award is given to an alumna, five to fifteen years out of Westover School, who is inspired as an intellectual, artist, athlete, philosopher or entrepreneur, and who demonstrates integrity, responsibility, and commitment to community in accordance with the Westover mission. The award for 2013 was presented to Oana Sanziana Marian ’98.

In presenting the award to Oana, Alumnae Governor Leigh Vaule Steele ’87 said: Oana Sanziana Marian has been a creative force to be reckoned with since her graduation from Westover in 1998. She studied contemporary poetry and photography at Yale, earning her degree in English and a host of awards including the J. Veech Prize for Distinguished Writing, the Clapp Prize for Poetry, the Michael Manzella Fellowship, and a Richter Travel Grant. She subsequently earned her Master’s in Writing from the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, and then traveled to Romania in 2004 to begin working in film.

Oana has published poems, translations and reviews in Phoned-In, Iron Horse Literary Review, and Words Without Borders. Her short film, Sunset, which she wrote and directed, was selected by international film festivals in the U.S. and Europe. Her translation of Norman Manea’s The Lair was published by Yale University Press. Along with Prudence Peiffer and Rowland Stebbins, Oana organizes The Folding Chair, a reading series in Brooklyn, New York.

Oana said her years at Westover encouraged her interest in poetry, noting that the School offers a “first-class education in poetry. I have yet to hear of any other place like it.”

“I just want to thank Westover for inspiring and nurturing the creative impulse in me and allowing me to be able to take a path that was different from others. Bruce Coffin was probably the most influential person in my life when I was younger and continues to be an editor in fact and also in my brain.” Oana Sanziana Marian ’98

Oana Sanziana Marian ’98 with classmates Magdalena Nuñez Fernandes and Catherine Novak-Ranier as she receives her award; Oana with Bruce Coffin.

The 2013 Westover Annual Fund Awards The Julia B. Kirlin Award is presented to the fundraising volunteers of the reunion class that have achieved the most distinguished results in support of the Annual Fund. This year’s winner is the Class of 1968. The members of the Reunion Committee are: Adeline Gwynne Kurz, Whitney Neville Harvey, Leigh Keyser Phillips, and Patricia Simonds Taylor.

“I always make sure to donate to Westover because I cherish the memories I made there. The friendships I developed, the education, and sports opportunities are all reasons why I support Westover. Besides, a school thrives best when those who loved it find ways to give back.”

Emily Pomeroy Schneider ’03 From Left: Leigh Keyser Phillips, Patricia Simonds Taylor, Whitney Neville Harvey, and Adeline Gwynne Kurz

The Adele Q. Ervin Award is presented to the class agent of a non-reunion class with the best

results in increased of participation and increase of total giving combined. This year the award goes to the Class of 1996 and their class agents: Katia Allexi and Christina Biello Cosmos.

The Alumnae Association Board of Governors Award is presented to the class from the most recent 15 years with the highest percent participation. This years winner is the Class of 2003 and their class agents: Sarah Bronko, Emily Pomeroy Schneider, Karimah Gottschalck, and Danielle Stewart Knope.

“I support Westover because becoming a Westover woman was the best choice I could have made for my future, an effect from which I see results blossoming daily. Westover is a special community and a community is something that works in a circular way; thus, the past must nurture the future, and everyone will see change in the present.”

Karimah Gottschalck ’03 46

From Left: Emily Pomeroy Schneider, Danielle Stewart Knope, and Karimah Gottschalck

Make your gift to the Annual Fund by going to westoverschool.org/giving

Reunion Weekend 2013 Candids

47

Reunion Weekend 2013 Candids

48

Reunion Weekend 2013 Candids

49

Reunion Weekend 2013 Candids

50

Reunion Weekend 2013 Candids

51

Reunion Weekend 2013 Candids

52

2013 Reunion Classes

1943

1948

Alison Barbour Fox ’43 (second from left) celebrated her 70th Reunion with friends (from left) Susan Silliman Tracy Addiss ’47, Adele Q. Ervin ’42, and Maria Randall Allen ’42

1953

1958

1963 To order professional prints of a reunion class photo, please visit westoverschool.org/reunionphotos 53

2013 Reunion Classes

1968

1978

1973

1988

1993 54

To order professional prints of a reunion class photo, please visit westoverschool.org/reunionphotos

2013 Reunion Classes

1998

2003

2008 To order professional prints of a reunion class photo, please visit westoverschool.org/reunionphotos

55

Make it a part of your routine to visit the

Westover Alumnae Portal!

You can make a donation, register for events, and discover a new way to connect with your classmates and all Westover Alumnae.

It is simple to join our online community where you can then search the directory for friends and networking, even help find lost Alumnae!

Staying in touch has never been easier.

Register & login at www.alumnae-westoverschool.org

In addition to the Alumnae Portal, Westover’s web presence has never been stronger!

Friend us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and LinkIn with us for professional development.

You can even read the latest student perspectives on Word Press and follow Westover trends on Pinterest. Don’t forget that our website is also mobile!

57

Alumnae of Note

Catharine Murray ’84: Working Through Grief In working through her grief over the death of one of her three sons, Catharine Murray ’84 has used her writing skills to share her experiences with others who are grieving.

In 2004, her son Chan died at the age of six after battling a rare form of leukemia. Following his death, Catharine began writing as part of her efforts to come to terms with Chan’s illness and death.

Catharine published Mothering Through, a book of a dozen poems she wrote on grief and healing. At the encouragement of friends, she later created a blog, lovelosshope.org, “in the hope that it might help people who are grieving,” she explained. “On it I post poems and essays on continuing to mother my children and live in my family during our grief over Chan’s death. I am enjoying being in conversation, through the blog, with people who wish to talk about grief. I also hope to share links to other useful sites on this subject. And of course, it feels good to finally have an audience after scribbling privately for so many years.” Catharine also offers readings of her stories and poetry as well as a workshop, Writing to Heal, in which she teaches bereaved adults to move forward in their healing by using the therapeutic benefits of writing.

In recent years, Catharine has divided her time between her home in Portland, Maine, and Thailand, where she met her husband and where they began raising their family.

Catharine credits her English teachers at Westover – particularly Thomas Hungerford, Bruce Coffin, and Shamus Weber – with helping her discover a talent for writing. “They had so much passion for what they were doing. They obviously cared about authors and their work and shared their excitement with their students,” she recalled. As a student, Catharine added, “I knew I liked to read but I didn’t think that I liked to write.

Back then it was painful to put myself down in words. But the fact that we had to write a lot started to give me a sense of ease in writing. It was the first time I ever felt as if I were listened to as an adult and that I had something worth saying.”

However, Catharine noted, “the person at Westover who inspired me the most was Eileen Tateo,” a long-time counselor at the School. “She taught me the importance of just listening at a very important stage in my life.

Her being so accepting and open to everything was a very important gift to a struggling 17-year-old girl.”

58

Alumnae of Note Dawn Arthur Guarriello ’93 Helping Boston Marathon Bombing Victims Through ‘Renovate for Recovery’ At this year’s Boston Marathon on April 15th, Dawn Arthur Guarriello ’93 was on hand to cheer on her husband, Greg, and the thousands of other runners competing in the historic event.

“I was watching with two friends on Commonwealth Avenue, just a few short blocks away from the finish line, when we heard the blasts and thought maybe that they were gunshots,” Dawn recalled.

Greg had completed the course about 45 minutes earlier. “When I heard ‘bombs at the finish line,’ I immediately worried for my husband’s safety.”

Her initial attempts to reach him by phone and text messages were unsuccessful. About 30 minutes after the explosions, Dawn finally received word that Greg had been at a nearby hotel at the time of the attack and that he was safe.

“I have always felt a connection to the Boston Marathon,” Dawn said. “I’ve run five consecutive Boston Marathons (2004-2008). I did not run this year because we are expecting our first child.” This year’s race was Greg’s sixth Boston Marathon and he has also coached approximately 200 charity runners through the Marathon Coalition. So the attack, Dawn explained, “hit so very close to home in our house.

This tragedy tugged at my heart and made me want to help.”

Dawn explained. “The name was a thought I had while on a run the week of the Marathon. We teamed up with the Boston Society of Architects and created a Committee of Volunteers and we began brainstorming how to make this idea a reality.” Renovate for Recovery, she noted, “is one of many groups affiliated with the Boston Survivors Accessibility Alliance (BSAA)” which is reaching out to contractors, engineers, suppliers, and other professionals and volunteers to help the victims of the bombing.

As part of the Alliance, “Renovate for Recovery is the first group called when a survivor submits an application for help,” Dawn said. “As architects, we are a critical piece of the puzzle because we meet with the family, assess the needs, determine a scope of work and go back to the BSAA to get help.”

As Co-Chair of the Committee of Volunteers, Dawn added, “I’m responsible for working with the state and survivor families and creating design teams that will work on each project. We’ve been blessed to have many, many volunteers (architects, accessibility experts, consultants, etc.) and organizing them is critical to my role. Our goal is to have 100% of services and products donated, but there are times when we are not able to do that.” In response, Dawn has helped secure direct funding through Commonwealth Cares, a non-profit organization that has offered to help survivors pay for services and materials that cannot be donated.

An associate at Design Partnership of Cambridge, Dawn is a project architect who designs schools.

She realized that she had the skills and a network of professionals who could help victims who lost limbs or were otherwise disabled in the bombings. And so, within days of the tragedy, Renovate for Recovery was formed.

As of late June, Dawn said, “we’re still trying to get a handle on how many families might use this service. We’ve already received some applications and rumor has it we could see anywhere from 10-30 potential projects – the more the better! – to provide home modifications, including handicap ramps and renovated bathrooms complete with roll-in showers, adjusted height sinks, and grab bars.”

“Renovate for Recovery began as an idea I had to help the survivors renovate their homes to make them accessible and begin the healing process,”

For more information about Renovate for Recovery, please visit architects.org/committees/renovaterecovery

Alumnae of Note Jen Downes ’11: Combining Art with Science Jen Downes ’11 was among a group of students at the Ringling College of Art and Design who created educational art works for the third exhibit of “The Art of Marine Science” at the Mote Marine Laboratory Aquarium last fall.

Jen and her fellow students in an Ecology of Water course collaborated on a series of visual art projects that were featured in an exhibition on ocean acidification.

Jen and her student team created an informational video on the construction of artificial reefs.

Because of Westover’s expectations about academics, Jen found herself being “one of the few students who constantly raised my hand to ask questions as well as state my opinion. I also found myself being frequently asked by other, older students ‘Can you explain this concept to me?’”

Jen said she was inspired to take the Ecology of Water course because of her experiences at Westover – a Marine Biology class taught by Alice Hallaran, a guest lecture by deep-sea explorer Edith Widder, and the Green Cup Challenge, a competition between schools to encourage environmental awareness.”

Jin Lee ’04: Giving Authors E-Printing Opportunities By day, Jin Lee ’04 works as a research consultant in the health care industry, but she believes her true avocation is “being a serial social entrepreneur – I love learning and doing different things.”

A year ago, when a friend was seeking to publish her first book, Jin and another friend, Christopher Early, “gathered our friends in the publishing, editing, and graphic design industries, and we formed Anacrusis Press LLC. I see Anacrusis less as a publishing house and more as an advocacy group for young adults to write and publish, which is a great way for them to earn money, get into colleges, and also get noticed.”

With a PhD in Developmental Neuropsychology plus “17 years of experience working in my parents’ restaurants,” Jin explained, “I understand how business for young adults operate. We focus primarily on e-books. The rise of e-readers has made e-books ever so popular because of their portability and cheaper price.” Jin added that Anacrusis also offers authors print-on-demand. So far, Anacrusis has published one novel, The Corsican, a science fiction adventure by Tina Shelton, in both print and Kindle editions.

As Vice President for Anacrusis, Jin is responsible for fundraising, talent scouting, and expanding the publisher’s partnerships with schools, non-governmental organizations, libraries, and companies. This summer, Anacrusis has launched a writing contest open to young adults, ages 13-25; the company will review submissions of original writing of 5,000-50,000 words in length received by August 1st, with the winner receiving free publication of the manuscript as an e-book, including editing, formatting, a cover design, and 35% royalty for every book sold. At least one other e-book is in the works at Anacrusis: Jin is hoping to complete a memoir of her senior year experiences at Westover, for publication in 2014. More information about Anacrusis can be found at AnacrusisPress.com. Jin can be reached at JinLeePhD.com.

Alumnae of Note Renée Bang Allen ’86 and 54 – The Musical Renée Bang Allen ’86 has combined her career in theater with her love of 1970s’ funk and disco to create 54 – The Musical, a celebration of the heyday of the celebrated disco era New York City nightclub.

A veteran of Broadway, Off-Broadway, and touring company theater productions, Renée decided to “reach beyond my comfort zone and stretch myself” by creating a show built around music and personalities of the disco era. “54 – the Musical was conceived in the front seat of my car during the summer of 2009 thanks to an excellent iTunes playlist, Renée recalled – in typical New Yorker fashion, and a decent car stereo. What I ended up doing is putting a playlist together of all my favorite songs from that era.” The book for the musical, she added, “was actually written whilst alternate-side-ofthe-street parking in Manhattan the fall of 2009!”

Renée traces her love for funk and disco to her childhood. “I remember vividly my mother and I singing Earth, Wind and Fire – her with her everpervasive Swedish accent – at the top of our lungs at a stoplight one balmy spring afternoon. The music had such a driving, tribal beat and just inspired so much joy – it was irresistible.” In creating the musical, Renée said, she used the songs themselves to propel her characters’ stories forward. “I want people to be able imagine themselves being part of a throng of celebrants at a disco – the disco of all time – while they follow a storyline happening all around them.”

Last November, Renée and her team of collaborators presented a concert presentation of 54 – the Musical at The Cutting Room in midtown Manhattan. “I wore several hats in the creation and production of the reading last November,” Renée said, coordinating the fundraising of more than $10,000 to cover the costs of the production. “This was all grassroots fundraising and my network of friends, relatives and acquaintances – not to mention Westover alumnae supporters – I was astounded by their interest and generosity. The night was a sold-out success. We found ourselves turning away people away at the door.” The cast that evening included Renée in the role of Robyn Connors, a young woman with dreams of becoming a singer. Renée hopes to secure backing for “a workshop production and, ultimately, a fully realized production hopefully by Spring 2014.”

Cristina Pretto ’12: Classics Award at Holy Cross Cristina Pretto ’12 was this year’s recipient of the Ernest A. Golia ’34, M.D. Book Award from the Classics Department at the College of the Holy Cross. The award is given to a first-year student who is a non-Classics major for excellence in any Classics course.

Cristina was nominated for the award by two of her professors for her “outstanding work in the Ancient Manhood Contested course.”

61

Alumnae of Note Elizabeth Kostojohn ’91 Drawn to a New Career It is never easy to leave an accomplished career to pursue a new one in a different field, but after leaving architecture Elizabeth Kostojohn ’91 has met with success as an artist.

“The switch from architecture to art was a very gradual and complicated process,” Liz explained. Seeking to spend more time with her family, Liz came to realize that she needed to change careers as well. “I love architecture, but if I had spent my entire adult life as an architect only, I would have felt unfulfilled. I needed to pursue art.” After leaving her position with an architecture firm in 2010, she explored forms of art under the guidance of an artist. “I dabbled with many different media,” she recalled. “After months of exploration, I finally came back to drawing. I have always loved to draw. Even while I was working as an architect, I often took figure drawing classes in the evening.

Now, I’m finally taking that love more seriously.”

In Fall 2012, Liz participated in a two-person show featuring 13 of her drawings at Wheelock College’s Towne Gallery in Boston. This year, the resident of Arlington, MA, is participating in several group shows, including “Off The Wall” at the Danforth Art Museum. This spring eight of her drawings were accepted into the Boston Drawing Project at Carroll & Sons Gallery. The Boston Public Library also purchased six of her drawings for their permanent collection.

“I hope someday to have a solo show,” Liz added, “or perhaps to have a review of my work in a publication. Above all, my main goal is to do my best and see where it takes me.” For more information about Liz and her art, visit elizabethkostojohn.com.

(Top to Bottom) Liz Kostojohn ’91, Are You Still There? #1, 2012, Graphite on Mylar, 20” x 15”, Are You Still There? #2, 2012, Graphite on Mylar, 20” x 15”

Westover Offers a Custom Blazer!

Through the design talents of Karimah Gottschalck ’03, Katherine Hooker, the London designer to the Duchess of Cambridge and other notable women of style, is teaming with Westover to offer an exclusive jacket inspired by traditional Westover blazers of the past.

The jackets, which debuted during Alumnae Weekend, and are hand-made in London from sky-blue Hebridean wool tweed from Scotland. The jacket can include original Westover antique brass buttons, a $30 option that will go directly to Westover’s Annual Mo Tansley ’00 wearing Fund. the jacket prototype (R) with Karimah Gottschalck ’03 (L).

Brass Button below

In a style that normally retails for $1,200 or more, the jacket is available to Westover alumnae and friends of the School for $450 (shipping included). The jacket is also available at a price of $420 if it is ordered with regular buttons instead of the Westover brass buttons.

For more information or to place an order, please e-mail Karimah Gottschalck ’03 at karimah2@hottschalck.com. Karimah, a member of Westover’s Board of Governors, manages the designer’s US office.

62

PASSAGES Weddings

Heather Colemore ’87 to David Mack June 29, 2013 Angela Ndinga-Muvumba ’92 to Tor Sellström April 4, 2013 Andria Elizer ’98 to Patrick Camacho September 28, 2012 Susan Broomhead ’00 to Richard Taylor April 20, 2013 Lindsey Krin ’00 to Frank Maturi June 15, 2013 Crystal Pemberton ’00 to Basim Miller June 27, 2013 Nicole Sieller ’00 to John Warnek July 7, 2012 Marisa Montanari ’01 to Mark Manley September 2012 Katie Perkins ’01 to John Marko, Jr. December 2012 Abigail Collier ’03 to Christopher Buhrman April 13, 2013 Mia Psorn ’03 to Samuel Levine May 26, 2013 Elizabeth North ’04 to Travis Boucher September 22, 2012

Births

Caitlyn Loring Thomas ’91 Adam James Thomas July 25, 2012

Simone de Fries Wieser ’91 Jule Madeleine Wieser August 5, 2012

Jordan Willis ’10 Mason James McKee April 26, 2013

Heather Mannella Nuzzo ’91 Fenn Vienna Nuzzo February 19, 2013

Ali Hildebrand Instructor in Art History & Humanities & Ben Hildebrand Academic Dean, Instructor in WISE & Science James Daniel Hildebrand February 1. 2013

Maria Petrone ’91 Lisa Cristine April 29, 2013 Christy Baecker Castleberry ’93 Colby Castleberry December 24, 2011

Hannah Lee Hackathorn ’96 Alexa Mi Jung Hackathorn February 1, 2013

Laura Oliver Williams ’32 January 11, 2013 Mary B. Ketcham ’33 June 28, 2009 Rosemary Pallotti Leone ’35 January 38, 2013

Ann Clark Priftis ’96 Harlan Cash Gilmore April 3, 2013

Anna Ingersoll Roberts ’39 March 10, 2013

Meredith Renda ’98 Sophia & Adam Idriss February 27, 2013

Clarissa “Claire” Clement Ewing ’45 March 24, 2013

Cathie Gemino Hillian ’99 Kaiden Chase Hillian March 1, 2013

Anita Packard Montgomery ’47 March 10, 2013

Rachel Clement ’00 Theo Jackson April 2013 Lisa Zheng Kirsch ’01 Mia Elizabeth Kirsch April 15, 2013 Ashley Kalaus Mariano ’02 Blake Mariano May 31, 2012 Megan Mann Burlington ’02 Meredith Emily Burlington April 15, 2013 Ruth Yamoaa Curzan ’02 Makeda Curzan May 23, 2013 Emily Overholser Gruber ’03 Owen Scott Gruber March 1, 2013

Trudy Martin, Art Teacher for 32 years

In Memoriam

Caroline Demirs Calio ’93 Jack Calio November 2012 Alison Mayhew Bennett ’93 Piper Bennett March 14, 2012

Michael Trentalange Private Music Lessons Instructor January 17, 2013

Elizabeth “Wendy” Allen Wheeler ’53 February 6, 2013 Ruth “Buffy” Heffelfinger Delaney ’53 January 13, 2013 Ann Whitfield Roberts ’53 April 16, 2013 Helen Tyson ’58 April 4, 2013 M. Gertrude “Trudy” Martin (P’85) Chair & Instructor, Arts Department, 1962-1994 May 31, 2013 Kevin Murray (P’00) Head of Buildings Maintenance, 1991-2004 June 11, 2013

M. Gertrude “Trudy” Martin (formerly Barnes), an arts instructor and chair of Westover’s Arts Department from 1962 to 1994, died May 31, 2013.

As noted in her obituary in the Waterbury RepublicanAmerican, “Over her long career she worked in/with ceramics, fabrics, painting, drawing and print making … Trudy will be remembered for her pure and loving nature and stubborn commitment to her life’s work.

Trudy knew she was an artist until the very end.”

At the School’s Centennial celebrations in April 2009, Trudy was one of a number of long-time faculty honored for their years of commitment and service to Westover and its students. As one alumna described Trudy, she was “wonderful, talented, a listener, friendly, a great inspiration!” A number of her art pieces still grace the School, including 178 blue-and-white ceramic tiles depicting Connecticut wild flowers, which she created in 1975, that surround the Common Room fireplace.

Trudy is survived by two children, Anna Barnes Dotolo ’85 and Matthew Barnes.

Alumnae Photos 2

1 3

5

4

6

7

8

9

10

1) Marra Stankus Clifton ’90 and Bryan Clifton married on Dec. 31. They are pictured here with Marra’s three daughters.

2) Wests Reunion in Alexandria with Sarah Bill, Rachel Lesher, Katie Perkins Marko & Mary DeStefano (Class ’01) 3) Becky Gregory ’00 and her fiancé David Friedman 4) Jess Sieller Hines ’97, Kate Walker ’00, and Tina Shields Fink ’00 at the wedding of Nikki Sieller Warnek ’00, also pictured Lynda Erbs ’00 and Sara Schipul ’00.

5) Anowara Aana ’01 and Alia Hussein ’00, with her son Humza and Lisley Yoo ’00.

6) Jeannette Matheson Lussi ’82 with her husband Craig and their children, Morgan, Tyler, and Hunter.

7) Jeannette Matheson Lussi ’82 8) Mason James Mckee, son of Jordan Willis ’10 with his Westover baby Tee! 9) Mia Psorn ’03 and husband Samuel Levine are pictured in Senior Garden 10) K.K. Hamner ’00, Toni Walker Hamner ’69, & George Hamner at her Graduation from U Maryland Law School May, 2013

Alumnae Photos 1

2

3

5 4

6

7

8

1) Simone de Fries Wieser ’91, her husband, and her two children, Jil and Jule.

2) Simone’s daughter, Jule.

3) Heather Donlan Sinberg ’91 and family in Costa Rica celebrating their youngest son Hudson’s first birthday 4) Danielle Stewart ’03 married Zachary Knope on September 9, 2012 at the Glen Manor House in Portsmouth, RI. Pictured (l-r): 2003 classmates Lauren Brady, Karimah Gottschalck, Amanda Newberg, Sarah Bronko, Zach & Danielle, Emily Pomeroy Schneider, Lindsay Bell, Jessica Haggerty, and Alyssa Stewart ’05 5) Babs Mallery ’60 (left) and a friend recently enjoyed an adventurous tour of caves in France (Rouffignac shown here) and Spain.

6) Anne Newbold Clark Godfrey ’46 & Margot Clement Clark ’67 (her niece-in-law) taken May 18, 2013 at Anne’s villa at Beaumont at Bryn Mawr.

7) Dylan and new baby Mia, children of Lisa Zheng Kirsch ’01.

8) Sarah Cugini ’00, Jess Borchetta ’01, Lisa Nelson ’01, and Courtney Yadouga ’01 take in an island sunset on a beach at St. John!

65

Welcome to Our New Governors Robin Cruz McClearn ’83 Robin Cruz McClearn ’83 is an attorney who has had an extensive career in banking and business management, and recently established her own firm, East Avenue Advisors, LLC, based in Holmdel, New Jersey.

“After completing graduate school I spent 10 years as a banker in Boston and the next 10 years managing our family-owned construction company in New York City,” Robin said.

“I left that role earlier this year to found my own firm with a focus on managing investments and real estate.”

A West, Robin is the sister of Kelly Cruz McCullers ’86 and Susan Cruz Barkey ’89, and the cousin of Christina Verduce ’93. “Westover had a tremendous influence on me and on my sisters and I am honored for this opportunity to contribute,” Robin said. “As my daughter and nieces approach secondary school, it is exciting to have a close view

of the progress at Westover since my time in Middlebury.”

After Westover, Robin attended Brown University, where she received an A.B. in History; she received her law degree at Boston University School of Law and her M.B.A. at the Boston University Graduate School of Management.

Robin and her husband, Cameron, reside in Summit, New Jersey, and are the parents of two children – Kate, 13 and Peter, 11. “We love to travel together and faithfully visit any country where friends and family choose to live,” Robin said. “Our family spends winter weekends skiing in Vermont and summer weekends hiking and water skiing in Western Connecticut. I am an avid cook and enjoy entertaining and volunteering at our children’s schools and in our community. We miss living in Boston but enjoy our new life in NJ with wonderful friends and family close at hand.” Robin is also a Trustee of the Women’s Association of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

Kelly Agnew Medvigy ’96 Kelly Agnew Medvigy ’96 of Catonsville, Maryland, currently teaches first grade at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Elementary School in Baltimore.

“While at Westover,” Kelly notes, “I knew I was a part of something special, but it was only after I left that I realized the lasting impact that my Westover education would have on my future schooling and life in general.” Speaking of her nomination to the Board of Governors, Kelly said, “I am excited to work with such a wonderful group of women to promote Westover and all of its wonderful opportunities!”

Kelly has been active as a volunteer for Westover. She has been an

Admission Representative for Westover at schools “talking to young women about all of the wonderful reasons to attend Westover.” She also enjoys staying in touch with her classmates as a Class Secretary and has served as a Reunion volunteer for her class.

At Westover, Kelly was an Over, a Lantern editor, an Admission tour guide, a member of Peer Support and the Cooking Club, and she played JV Soccer and Paddle Tennis. Following her graduation, she attended Gettysburg College, receiving a B.A. in Psychology. She later received an M. Ed in Educational Leadership from Loyola University.

She has chaired the Gettysburg College Baltimore Alumni Club, spearheading a number of alumni events in the greater Baltimore area. Kelly and her husband, Brian, are the parents of two sons, Owen, 6, and Grayson, 3.

Thank You to Our Retiring Governors...

The Board of Governors would like to take this opportunity to thank five of its members whose terms have ended in Spring 2013: Stacie Cass ’95, Gift Shop Committee; Priscilla “Piper” Perry Morris ’59, Governance Chair; and Elizabeth “Tibbie” Uhl ’78, Treasurer; who all joined the board in 2007, Hilary Carpenter Lynch ’85, Annual Fund Co-Chair, who joined the board in 2008; and Kiki Tauck Mahar ’87, who joined the board in 2010.

The years each Governor has spent traveling to our board meetings from Virginia (Stacie), Massachusetts (Piper), New York (Tibbie and Kiki), and Florida (Hilary), have provided our board the leadership and direction we needed from strong voices representing different generations of the Westover experience.

66

Welcome to Our New Governors Susan Handy Stover ’70 Susan Handy Stover ’70 is Senior Vice President for Graham-Pelton Consulting, a full-service fundraising and nonprofit management firm based in New York City.

“Westover has been a mainstay in the Handy family for more than 40 years,” Susan noted. “Two of my sisters have served as a Trustee and a Governor. I am delighted to now also serve Westover and to acknowledge all the School contributed to my education and my life.”

A West, Susan is one of five Handy sisters who are Westover alumnae: Gretchen Handy Comstock ’72, Nancy Handy Grogan ’73, Pam Handy Shepley ’75, and Sally Handy ’81. In addition, her alumnae relatives

include three aunts – the late Reid Handy Beyer ’37, the late Nancy Handy Hallett ’39, and Ethel Manville Woolverton ’47; and three cousins – Allen Beyer ’60, Charlotte Beyer ’65, and Caryl Beyer Steele ’70. While at Westover, Susan was First Head of Wests. She later served as a Second Century Campaign volunteer for the School.

After Westover, Susan majored in Sociology at Lake Forest College.

She is a former director of the Ausable Club Preservation Foundation and a former trustee of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District II. A resident of Lyme, Connecticut, she is the mother of James Stover and Anne Reece. She enjoys travel and outdoor activities.

Stephanie LeFrere Mercado ’86 Stephanie LeFrere Mercado ’86 is a residential interior designer and owns and operates her own business, LeFrere Mercado Designs, based in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

A West, Stephanie said, “I deeply value my Westover education and credit much of my success and who I am as a person to my time spent there. I strongly believe in a single-sex education and I am both honored and thrilled to be able to give back to the Westover community by aiding and promoting the School.”

Interior design has been her “second career” for the past 12 years, Stephanie said, after she returned to school to obtain an A.S. in Interior Design from the New York School of Interior Design.

She worked for an event design company in New York City and an international design firm in London before establishing her own

design firm in 2005. She is an Allied Member of the American Society of Interior Designers.

Earlier, Stephanie received a B.A. cum laude in Art History and Economics from Barnard College of Columbia University. Her first career was in finance on Wall Street, where she worked as an equity derivatives trader and later as an international equities sales trader.

Stephanie noted that she has lived most of her life since Westover in Manhattan, but that she currently resides in Wilton, Connecticut, with her husband, Carlos, and their children, Sophia and Max. She enjoys tennis, paddle, traveling, bridge, and poker.

I would like to thank each of them for helping to ensure that future generations of young women have the opportunity for superior education and a lifetime of amazing memories that only the Westover School experience can provide.

Ann Clark Priftis ’96 President, Alumnae Association From left: Stacie Cass ’95, Priscilla “Piper” Perry Morris ’59, P’86, and Kiki Tauck Mahar ’87

For more information about the Westover School’s Alumnae Governance, go to westoverschool.org/governance

67

Alumnae Events: Celebrating Westover Long Island, Hobe Sound & Vero Beach, Florida & Portland, Maine 1

2

4

3

6

5 7 1.On June 20th, Pia Guido Murphy ’91 (left) hosted an Alumnae Network event on Long Island. With Pia is Chou Chou Farley Minton ’44.

2. On March 8th, Trustee Nancy Reighley Cavanaugh ’71 and Karen Kjorlien Phillips ’71 hosted an alumnae reception in Hobe Sound, Florida.

3. Toni Walker Hamner ’69 with her niece, Emily Overholser Gruber ’03, and her children, Abigail and Owen 4. On March 11th, Toni Walker Hamner hosted an alumnae reception in Vero Beach, Florida.

5. In Portland, ME (L to R) Alumnae Relations Director Nancy Aordkian Pelaez ’86, Barbara Shand Neff ’86, and Leigh Vaule Steele ’87 6. Elinor Tomlinson Virden ’42 (left) and her daughter, Patricia Virden Mitchell ’70 in Portland, ME. 7. On May 5th, Leigh Vaule Steele ’87 chaired an Alumnae Network event, a private tour of the Portland Museum of Art in Portland, Maine.

Alumnae Events: Staying Connected St. John the Divine Cathedral in Manhattan On February 17th, Westover School’s Glee Club (top) and Gospel Choir (center) performed in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. Alumnae, parents and families gathered for a reception before the Sunday afternoon performance.

Look for Upcoming regional and local events! For details, westoverschool.org/alumnae Have an idea for an event or interested in hosting one?

Please contact Nancy Pelaez, Director of Alumnae Relations, 203.577.4593. Thank you!

69

Class Notes for the Summer Magazine 2013 Thank you to our Class Secretaries for submitting news to the magazine. Notes published in this magazine were received as of May 30th. News and photos received after this date will be published in the next magazine. Please submit news to your class secretary or directly to the Alumnae Office by November 1st for inclusion in the Fall/Winter Magazine. The next Reunion for all classes ending in 4 and 9 will be May 16-18, 2014! Mark your calendars to celebrate with your classmates.

1956

Fraffie Welch 189 Beacon Street Marblehead, MA 01945-1585 Well, it was like pulling teeth, but many thanks to the 7 old faithfuls who responded to my plea for news.

Suzy Chapman Hutchins got a chance to schmooze with Headmistress Ann Pollina in Vero Beach at the lovely home of Toni Walker Hammer ’69 and got firsthand news of exciting Westover today. She has another alumna, Selden Dunbar Illick ’58, right across the street. It was a trip to FL for Cindy Fulenwider Denham and Sonny, ending up on the Mississippi Queen for a fabulous ride from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, stopping to be tourists along the way, gazing at plantations and battlefields. Son Will is a freshman at the U. of Delaware and loves it.

Sue McInnis Howard and Eunice Strong Groark met up at a Garden Club of America affair, which Sue reports was a happy break from facing all the gardening women. Life is busy covering baseball, squash, drum concerts, and more up and down the East Coast! Connie Seely-Brown Cliffe reports nothing new since she and Fred visited me in Marblehead last year. Still very busy volunteering and looking forward to a big family reunion on Cape Cod this summer, ages 1 to 82!

Jen Robbins Manocherian reports that Fred, grandchildren, and she are all well. A healthy brood includes 13 grandchildren, all in school from kindergarten to college senior. She is the book writer for a new musical, Marry Harry, and she is also hoping to be Broadway bound with a dance musical she has been developing for many years! She feels like Grandma Moses just getting started!

Recovering well from intensive surgery, which was a spinal fusion with the insertion of 8 titanium rods in her back (a total surprise!), Marcy Tench Crimmins made a trip to FL in March with her sister. Prior to all that, she came up to Westport, MA, last fall with Betsy Froment Brown to visit John and Joanie Dominick O’Brien. The same trip included a visit to our gal on Broadway, Jen Robbins Manocherian.

Betsy Froment Brown celebrates 51 years of marriage to Jim and noted that lots of ’56-ers had reached the 75-year milestone in March. Her kids have flown her to the Cayman Islands to learn to snorkel! She boasts 5 grandchildren and the youngest, 3, and his mom are living at home keeping Betsy and Jim hopping. Stand by – she and Leila Peck Patterson will be in touch soon about our 55th Reunion!

From Susie Birge Isetorp: “I just returned this week from a great Crystal cruise with a good friend. We boarded in Vancouver, Canada, and visited Victoria, Seattle, Astoria, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and L.A. A highlight of the trip was high tea at the swanky Empress Hotel in Victoria (I fell in love with the piano player – he was divinely handsome and talented). The other ‘high’ was going on the Oracle sailboat in SF that won the America’s Cup in New Zealand in ’03. We sailed in the Bay and under the Golden Gate Bridge. We all had tasks to perform; mine was to steer the boat for a while. It was a bit strenuous overall but I survived. You may have heard that there was a tragedy with the Swedish sailboat that was practicing for the upcoming America’s Cup races in SF. The boat capsized and a young Brit was pinned under it for 10 minutes and lost his life. To think that I was in the same area a week ago!”

Cass Van Alen Ludington was also Broadway bound in June with a huge gaggle of family to see Matilda in great seats, third row C for the kids, and was hoping to get them all backstage to meet Bertie Carvel (Miss Trunchbul, who got an Olivier for his portrayal). Cass also reminded me how we used to spy on Dramat rehearsals. I was jealous because she made Num Num Club and I never did.

Well kiddies, that’s all she wrote. I was hoping for many more to come out of the woodwork and don’t think I won’t try again next year. I am still pumping out a weekly column, very involved in Rotary, serve on the Town’s Disabilities Commission, the board of the Friends of the Council on Aging and the Marblehead Forever Committee, which helps fund celebrations. I lunch regularly with Adele Ervin ’42 and Westover Governor Abby Mason Browne ’61, just to get a regular hit of Westover. Please let me know, any of you, if you’re coming toward Marblehead!

1957

Polly Merrill Hoffman 241 Sea Road Kennebunk, ME 04043-7575 Our Class Notes will appear in the Winter 2014 edition so I will be in touch this summer and hope to hear lots of news.

One sad note to report: I learned recently that Varick Katzenbach Niles’ husband, Nick, died in November 2012, after suffering for 3½ years with multiple myeloma. Many of us knew Nick, and I know the class joins me in sending our deepest sympathy to Varick and the rest of their family.

Save the Date! Saturday, May 24, 2014, for a 75th birthday get together at Barbara Edwards Hicks’ home in Rye, NY. Details to follow with possible date options. We hope for a big turnout!

1982

Carolyn Scott 151 Buger Road Rhinebeck, NY 12572 Lee Hammett Peterson 32 Buckwalter Road Spring City, PA 19475-2201 From Carolyn: Claire Richards still resides in Great Barrington, MA, and loves it, especially being so close to Kate Green Pichard, her family, Weezie Webber Fallon, and Joanie Wetmore Yahn. She is the CFO for a large community center and has been there for over 2 years.

When she wrote, Claire was planning to go to Israel for her niece’s graduation from medical school. She was to be there for 2 weeks. She is looking forward to spending more time at Westover over the next 4 years since Kate’s daughter, Morgane, will be starting this fall as a freshman. Yeah!

Vanessa Spang writes that she still resides in SF and working in faculty development at Academy of Art University. She finds it rewarding to help professional artists and designers successfully adapt their industry expertise to the academic environment, and she meets many interesting people. “My boys are now 11 and 13.

Yikes! I guess that means I am getting older too. We will come back East for a couple of weeks this summer to visit my mom and my brother and his family. Weezie Webber Fallon and her girls are coming to visit for a few days the 3rd week of July in Manchester while we are there, and I am really looking forward to catching up. If anyone else

is in the area and wants to come to the beach for a day or two, let me know! Then it’s back to SF for a night to pick up my husband and then our first trip to HI for a wedding.

All in all, we are grateful to be healthy and happy.”

Jeanette Matheson Lussi writes that she moved to Baltimore 4 years ago and loves country life. Her son, Hunter, 19, attends American U. Her daughter, Tyler, 18, will attend Princeton in the fall – “Go Tigers” – and her son, Morgan, 17, will be a junior at St. Paul’s in Baltimore. They are active in their chosen sports and are doing well. She and her husband, Craig, “divide and conquer.” She continues to run the assisted living business and is building a hospice house. She still runs races and triathlons and plays ice hockey. She received the age group award for the Baltimore Running Club. She also competed in the Triathlon Age Group Nationals in Vermont during Summer ’12. Hunter won his age group and is ranked 3rd in the country. She enjoyed being cheered on by her children during her sporting events.

“Life is very busy with our businesses and kids’ sports.

We are all healthy and happy.” Jeanette is passionate about helmet safety and recently collected 40 new bike/ speed helmets for the Special Olympics. She also helped to provide helmets to children for ice skating after her husband’s mom had a horrible accident on the ice. “They are all now safely skating.” Way to go, Jeanette!

Adela Pierson-Eguilior writes that she and her husband are practicing architecture in their own company called A2 Architecture and Consulting Inc., and she enjoys being her own boss. They opened the firm in ’09 and work on commercial, hospitality, and residential projects and are expanding to TX. She sees Holly Gyde Costaregni and Christina Sieminski on a regular basis for dinner, and they enjoy reminiscing about Westover. She sends her love to all.

Christine Muldowney Dahl and I see each other at Westover since both our daughters are there. Andie Dahl ’14 was elected 3rd Head of School and has begun the college search. If you haven’t been to Westover recently, make sure you look at Red Hall, which has been restored by the talented Christine. It looks fabulous! There are new red fabrics on the chairs, couches, and lampshades.

The new carpet has a beautiful border, which picks up the new curtain color. The students are happy with the new desks since they are slightly larger and sturdier than the drop leaf desks that were there. They also have a pretty engraving of the Westover seal on them. Christine celebrated her 20th anniversary with Nils in Playa De Carmen, Mexico, which is south of Cancun. She will be spending the summer on Martha’s Vineyard, and she continues to be busy with her design business.

71

1982 Continued

to attend all of her games and events. One of the best continuances of Rachel’s stay at Westover is her ongoing relationship and bond with many of her friends there.

We have actually had many come visit for overnights.

They are all such a wonderful group of girls. As always, I have kept in touch with many of our classmates from Westover. And I see Lisa Tagney Whitney ’83 from time to time around town. We are expecting our 5th grandchild at the end of this summer. So all in all, life is great. Hope everyone is well.”

From Lee: So much news this year! Annie Hunter Tingley writes, “I have seen Joanie Wetmore Yahn a few times since Reunion, and we have just had the best time! She came and spent the night with me in March and we were; up until 2 am talking. Then I had lunch with her last week, again, another long, chatty lunch. I am hoping to see Mela McDonnell Stewart when I take my stepson to camp in NH at the end of June. Last year we did the drop off, and then Sam and I spent the night with Mela and Jay in Concord.” She added, “Sam and I have a quieter house now with 2 in college and 2 in boarding school. We just have 2 at home now, which is a big change! My daughter Emily is a freshman at Hobart/William Smith, and she absolutely adores it. My 17-year-old, Carter, is a junior at Darien High School, and my youngest, Harry, is in 9th grade at St Mark’s in MA. He loves the boarding school life, although he is working very hard. Now that I am soon to be an empty nester, I am trying to figure out what path my life will take next. I send all of my love and many hugs to everyone from ’82!”

“Life is good,” writes Wendy Fisher Beach. She’s living in Basin Harbor, VT, with husband Bob and children Merle, 15, and Dan, 10. “We are busy with the resort, my real estate business, and the many activities that Merle and Dan require transportation to. I can’t believe that Merle is now the age I was when I showed up at Westover. How does this happen? Where did the time go? As the Spring brings green grass back to Vermont, I am again reminded that we live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.”

Alison Chase Moore, her daughter Maddie Moore ’11, and I had a wonderful conversation and caught up with one another. Maddie is enjoying St. Lawrence and continues to play golf. Alison’s marketing business is keeping her busy as well. As for me, Carolyn Scott, it has been a busy year with the college search process, and I am glad that it is over. My daughter, Heather Harris ’13, will be attending Hobart & William Smith Colleges this fall.

Kate Green Pichard continues to live in Great Barrington, MA, where she teaches Spanish at Simon’s Rock College.

She enjoyed reconnecting with classmates at Reunion and she is happy to report that her daughter, Morgane, will be attending Westover as a freshman next fall! So Kate and Morgane’s aunt, Claire Richards, will be visiting the School quite a bit in the next 4 years!

Sonja Hines Elliott sends news, as she writes, “maybe for the first time ever? I have no exciting news to report but since Reunion I vowed to try to reach out more. No cross-country trips, no special recognitions, and – due to a late start – no grandkids. Just me, hubby, and my 2 kids: Aisha, 8, and Bryan, 6. My life revolves around homework, chauffeuring to karate, choir rehearsal, play practice, and (of course) work! Hope all is well with all of my fellow alum.”

Amy Franklin McCoog sends love to everyone and adds, “As many of you know, after attending Westover as a freshman, our daughter, Rachel, transferred to Tabor Academy last fall. We live in Marion, MA, where Tabor is located. So, Rachel is a day student, and we are very happy to have her home where we can see her progress and growth. We have really enjoyed being able

Holly Gyde Costaregni reports, “We bought our ‘dream home’ in May ’12 and are now mostly settled and somewhat decorated. We are still living in Miami Beach in the winters and the Hamptons in the summers. Our kids are growing like weeds and look like they will take after their Mom with their height! Jack is 10 and Carly is 8. We had a great winter of travel. We went to St. Barth’s and chilled on the beach, CO to ski and visit my father, and AZ, to a dude ranch with my mother, stepfather, and brother’s family. This past week, Adela PiersonEguilior and Christina Sieminski and I met for dinner at our house. We call Christina ‘The Contessa’ as she goes to the store and picks out the food and arrives with yummy recipes. Once again, Adela and I were very happy! Christina stayed the night, as she and Tom have relocated to Vero Beach, sadly for Adela and I. Our monthly Westover nights have moved from a threesome to a twosome. Missed Amy Franklin McCoog this year while she and Tom were in Miami Beach.”

As for me, Lee Hammett Peterson, all is well in PA. It was great to see everyone last year for Reunion; we need to get together more often than once every 5 years! I spend my free time horseback riding and helping my stepdaughter train her colt. My family is getting bigger, with the addition of another grandchild this spring and one more due in the fall. I hope to see Christine Muldowney Dahl when I visit my parents on Martha’s Vineyard this summer. I keep in touch with Roberta Perrow on Facebook, and anyone not already in the Westover ’82 group on Facebook, send a request to join!

Once again I am touched by how close the Class of ’82 has remained after 30 years! We have a truly exceptional group.

1991

Liz Kostojohn 51 Westminster Avenue Arlington, MA 02474 There are many exciting things happening for the Class of ’91, so brace yourself! I think the fact that we are all turning 40 is probably one of the biggest, and possibly most distressing, events. Let’s focus on the positive, though.

Simone de Fries Wieser tells us that after almost 8 years, she and her husband decided to have a second child.

Jule Madeleine was born on 8/5/12. Congratulations, Simone! Simone’s older daughter, Jil, is now 8 and is a wonderful big sister. Jil enjoys school, plays tennis and hockey, and watches Star Wars. In ’12, Simone and her family found their dream home, a 100-year-old “beauty” situated right beside a forest and with a great garden full of apple trees. While the house needs some work, she and her family are so happy with it. Simone says, “Hello” to the U.S. and wishes everyone a wonderful time.

The past year brought much joy and chaos to Heather Donlan Sinberg and her family. Hudson Wyatt was born in Feb. ’12, and Heather’s family quickly adjusted to life with 3 children. Congratulations, Heather! Hudson is a pure joy and is spoiled by his mother and 2 older sisters, Abby, 10, and Sophie, 7, who treat him like their own baby. Heather’s photography company has grown and continues to thrive. She was honored to have her personal work shown at the Schumacher Gallery this past winter, thanks to Michael Gallagher. Heather continues to work on personal projects as well as branching out more into the commercial realm of photography. In fact, Heather went to Paris this spring to work on her fine-art photography and to run the Paris marathon, which she says was the highlight of ’13 so far. Mariah Greenberg Roncetti popped into Heather’s studio briefly this spring when Mariah was vacationing in Naples, FL. Heather says that she hopes to see more of us anytime we might be down in Naples.

This has been “the year of Tokyo” for Caitlin Corrigan.

Having never been to Japan previously, she has gotten her fill by going 3 times in 9 months. She said that these were great trips, even for a person who doesn’t like fish.

Caitlin is off to Beijing to finish up the second venue of the exhibition that has taken her to Asia this year. After that, she is looking forward to staying at home, enjoying the heat, humidity, and accompanying off-putting smells of NYC in the summer. Beyond work, Caitlin spends a lot of time discussing American Girls, sewing projects, and daffodils with her unofficial stepdaughter, Zoe. She is “first mate” and “assistant construction manager” to her boyfriend, Jorge, who thinks he has enough time to finish a cabin in the Catskills, build a sailboat,

refinish and upholster furniture, and work overtime at his real job. Since Jorge and Zoe are both bilingual, Caitlin’s goal for this year is to learn more Spanish than her current vocabulary of “cerveza,” “margarita,” and “huevos rancheros.” Helena Riesenfeld D’Arcy still works part-time, trying to juggle her brood as best as she can. Besides her 5 children – Thomas, 13; Michael, 11; Niklas, 9; Isabella, 6; and Daniel, 1 – Helena also has sheep, hens, and cats!

Guidelines for Photograph Submissions: Thank you for sharing your photographs with Westover School. We love including them in our publications.

When submitting photographs please follow these simple guidelines: Please provide the full names of every alumnae in the photo (from left to right), the date taken (if possible), location, and occasion (i.e. graduation, wedding). When other people are in the photograph, please take the time to let us know their relation to the alumnae pictures (husband, son, grandmother, friend, classmate & year).

Photographs will be published as space and photo quality permit.

Please send digital photographs as e-mail attachments to npelaez@westoverschool.org.

It is preferable, for printing purposes, that photographs have a minimum dpi of 300. We can reproduce hard copies of photographs submitted as traditional prints on photo quality paper. Thank you and we look forward to seeing more photographs!

73

1991 Continued

She says she is trying to stay sane and have some sort of life without ending up doing nothing else but school runs, supervising homework, cheering at matches, and listening to concerts. Helena just turned 40, which she says feels crazy but is actually rather nice. Happy Birthday, Helena! She sends much love to everyone.

Dolly Patterson writes that she and her family are still in Ridgefield, CT, with her 2 children, Luca, 7, and Mia, 9.

They currently attend a Montessori school in Newtown, CT, which happens to graduate many girls who move on to Westover! Dolly is enjoying her work teaching part-time at an environmental education and working farm just a few miles up the road. Spring is one of the busiest seasons with children from many neighboring towns coming in to attend various programs from Native American Studies to Farm Life with Honeybees. To keep her creative juices flowing, Dolly continues to sing with the Good News Gospel Choir. They have an active calendar, performing everywhere from Sunday jazz brunches to churches all over Fairfield and Westchester counties. Of course, she loves to see Kyla Reynolds P’an when Kyla is in CT visiting her husband’s family. They had a lovely dinner together over the holidays. Courtney Guditis Pitt tells us that she has written a book about Chicago, available on Amazon. Great job, Courtney!

She is in the process of writing another one. Her mom passed away in Nov. ’12. Courtney’s mom loved all of the Westover girls and was so proud of all of us. Courtney also just visited Maria Petrone and her new baby, Lisa Cristine, born on 4/29/13. Courtney said that Lisa is “an adorable giant!” with “beautiful blue eyes and really big feet.” Congratulations, Maria!

Meredith Shirey tells us that her adorable son, Matthew, is already 15 months old. She and her family still live in Lund, Sweden, where her husband is from. Meredith still works with UNICEF in Copenhagen. She is the chief of UNICEF’s vaccine center overseeing all of its vaccine procurement globally. She said that she plans to be in Cape Cod in Aug. ’13, so she hopes some other Westover alumae will be there as well! Veleska Hinds Wyatt is in the process of applying for non-profit status for the liturgical dance school that she started in ’10. Their goal is to expose at-risk youth to various forms of dance. The dance recital this past spring was standing room only!

She was amazed by the support that they received in the community. Feel free to “like” her Kainos Dance page on Facebook (hint, hint)! Now that her twins are 9, soon to be 10, things like communicating with friends seem more attainable. She sends much love to everyone!

Heather Mannella Nuzzo married her husband, David, in Apr. ’12, and found out that she was pregnant in June ’12. Her baby girl, Fenn Vienna, was born on 2/19/13.

Congratulations, Heather! Fenn is “growing like a weed,” and Heather and David love to watch her figure out new

things every day. She and David were looking forward to having the summer off with Fenn, since they are both teachers. Heather will take the Fall term off as well to stay home a bit longer, and plans to return to work in the winter term. Heidi Bioski tells us that this has been a “hallmark year” for her family. After having spent 16 years in Manhattan, her husband, Nathan, joined an early-stage tech company and the family has relocated to SF. Heidi asked Melanie Lazenby to sell her NYC apartment and says that Melanie delivered! Heidi noted that it’s always effective to use someone known for selling $35-million apartments … go, Melanie! Heidi is still “having it all”: working full-time on NY hours at Citi and then caring for her 2 adorable toddlers – Landon, 3, and Margot, 15 months, who seem to have endless energy. Her greatest accomplishment of the year to report is that after spending hundreds of hours filling out lengthy essays and personal statements, making multiple visits, being subjected to interviews, and having to craft “love letters” to several small, coveted schools, Landon is finally admitted to preschool and off a wait list. Heidi recognizes the absurdity of it and says that she didn’t even attend preschool! Besides the gut renovation of her 1905 home to endure in the coming months, which was set back because of problems with the architect (imagine!), Heidi and Nathan are looking forward to taking their first trip sans les enfants this summer. Heidi says that she loves SF almost as much as NYC, and she thinks that they might stay in the city forever.

Melanie Lazenby enjoys life in the West Village in NYC, with the exception of Hurricane Sandy, when she was displaced for 42 days due to flooding in her building.

She is home finally, but the lobby and amenities are still not fixed and constant construction abounds, even though she is very lucky compared to many others.

Melanie’s work as a real estate agent at Douglas Elliman is going great. She has broken the record for selling the most expensive apartment ever sold in the history of downtown Manhattan for a second time by selling a $42-million penthouse on Gramercy Park. She says this is very rewarding considering that she typically works 7 days a week and feels like she’s always on call. Great job, Melanie! Melanie’s favorite client ever was Heidi Bioski, who asked her to sell her beautiful Upper West Side home, although she was very sad to see Heidi relocate to SF! Melanie loved Heidi’s “Westover” loyalty when it came time to sell, and it was super fun to catch up with her (and her beautiful babies) before and after showings.

However, probably due to her hectic work schedule, Melanie tells us that she is still single, which she says can be quite fun actually. Melanie notes that she should probably focus more efforts on some work/life balance unless she wants to remain single forever and become “the crazy Chihuahua lady of NYC.” Melanie says that she misses and thinks of her Westover girls all the time, and sends her love.

1991 Continued

Zandra Sagona Gay just got back from FL where she met up with sweet alum, Leigh Owens Whitehead ’90.

They had a blast playing with the kids and sipping a few margaritas by the pool. When she wrote, Zandra was to see Courtney Altschul Olsen for coffee the following day, and had just gotten off the phone with Parrish Robe Chilcoat, so she’s staying in touch with many Westover people. Zandra loves to see all of the Westover alumnae updates on Facebook as well. She loves their house in Westport, CT, and loves being by the beach. Zandra works full-time as an independent stylist for Stella & Dot, which is now more than just gorgeous jewels. She tells us that it’s a lifestyle brand with a new line of bags, totes, scarves, travel cases, and more! After a big promotion to STAR Director in Dec. ’12 and being a Founding Leader for the company, Zandra says that it’s the best whirlwind she could have dreamed of and loves her job! Zandra also has some Westover team members, including Courtney Schomp Barden ’92 in NC. Zandra’s children are wonderful and getting so big: Carter, 9; Lexi, 7; and Reese, 5. Where does the time go? She’s happy to finally have them all in one elementary school. Zandra sends her love to our entire Westover class.

Vanessa Subotic Milewski says that she and her family are all well and living in Alexandria, VA. They moved there in Summer ’12 and should be there at least 1 more year. So, if anyone is near the nation’s capital, let her know! Katherine Sredl is still an assistant professor at Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business, Dept. of Marketing. She loves participating in the Board of Governors, volunteering for Westover, visiting campus, and seeing how the School is growing and changing.

Katherine says that it is nice to see Pia Guido Murphy and Lizzie Coffin ’92, who are also Board of Governors members, and to meet other alumnae. Katherine is really looking forward to going to Barcelona this summer.

Brie Willett Ondercin tells us that life is good in sunny Sarasota, FL. They had a very short spring and are now welcoming summer with mid-80 degree weather as of early May. In Fall ’12, Brie turned 40, and she says that she doesn’t feel any different. However, she hears that this is the age when your eyesight worsens and glasses are needed! Brie says that she hasn’t gotten around to making that eye exam appointment yet. She is busy with family life and work. Brie and Cliff just celebrated their 7th wedding anniversary. Congratulations, Brie! She says that watching Mason, 5½, grow into a smart, handsome and oh-so-funny boy is lots of fun. He loves to fish (just like his daddy), to play baseball, and he is getting excited about going to kindergarten this fall. Reese just turned 3 and is quite the demure, yet active, little girl. She loves her princesses and dolls but will gladly play baseball or attempt to climb trees with her brother. Every day, Brie has the pleasure of working in a historic mansion built in 1916. She works for Sarasota County Parks and

Recreation as an environmental planner identifying potential parks and preserves that lend themselves to nature-based outdoor recreational opportunities while still maintaining environmental sustainability and integrity. In their spare time as a family, they like traveling, going to sporting events, boating, fishing, and playing at the beach. She says that Siesta Beach is #1 in the country! Brie tells us to come visit and see their beach’s white, powdered sugar sand!

I am still on hiatus from working as an architect in order to be home with my son, Iain, 5. We’re having fun drawing crazy pictures and playing with Legos almost constantly, so perhaps I haven’t really stopped with architecture completely. I keep getting more gray hairs, which makes me wonder if there is a direct correlation between exposure to a pre-kindergartener and graying hairs, sort of how apples in a fruit bowl tend to make everything else over-ripen. I’m also continuing to pursue art, and I am happy that I have several of my drawings on consignment in a Boston gallery and in several group shows. I get to see Kyla Reynolds P’an often, but not often enough! I am hoping to see Caitlin Corrigan, Lindsey Shuford Collins, and Lisa Zorn Smeglin before ’14. Although we graduated from Westover 22 years ago, we still get together and laugh as if it were ’91 and we were on our fourth cup of coffee at Denny’s.

1993

Dina Madhani 144 E. 7th Street, Apt E8 New York, NY 10009 It was great seeing so many of us back for our 20th Reunion!

Claudia Biello is teaching Reading at grade levels kindergarten, 1, and 2, and she is the principal for the literacy summer school program. She’s also still at Wells Fargo every Saturday after 16 years, though she says don’t ask why! She’s hoping to teach in their new Pre-K-8 building at the start of the ’13-14 school year.

She’s really excited to be out of a portable classroom after 10 years of living in one! Claudia also bought a new home that she’s remodeled and decorated – and treasures having unbelievable closet space to house all her fabulous finds! She travels to Florida 5-6 times a year to visit Stetson friends and their growing families – the bonus of being a teacher is that the time off is very rewarding! She’s also “still Italian and single” and loving her life and all the opportunities she gets to experience daily with family and friends. She keeps in touch with Caroline Demirs Calio, adding that Caroline’s son, Jack, is absolutely adorable!

75

1993 Continued

Claudia notes Lisa Zorn Smeglin ’91 also has the cutest son, Aidan. Claudia grew up with Caroline and Lisa, so catching up includes their moms, too! Claudia is also frequently in touch with Candace (Candy) Achenbach ’96 and Morgan Barry ’96 because of their reconnection through Claudia’s sister, Christina Biello Cosmos ’96.

Claudia notes Candy has the best hair – in case anyone was wondering or didn’t know. She had the opportunity to make Wendy Leavenworth cry from laughing at Candy’s sister’s baby shower back in Jan. ’13, although she thinks Wendy was laughing with and not at her!

They reminisced and had too much fun over Pinot Grigio.

Claudia and her sister Marisa Biellos Shaker ’92 visited Peggy Morales ’92 in Brooklyn near the Promenade in Summer ’12, and she says Peggy is as beautiful inside and out as ever! Claudia was looking forward to seeing everyone at Reunion and notes we were the best class (I totally agree), and yes, NKOTB is still in the house (yes, this is a fact)! She sends her love to all.

Aimee Knorr still works at Boston Children’s Hospital and Winchester Hospital (almost 7 years now as a neonatologist). She’s been married for 3½ years to an awesome guy named John. He’s a real estate agent at Coldwell Banker in Cambridge, MA, and is the new president of the Cambridge Community of Realtors. The group raises money for Our Place, a daycare for homeless children, which is an awesome cause. In Summer ’12 they went to Jackson Hole, WY, and went hiking and fly fishing in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. They have two spoiled dogs: Cody, a cockapoo, and Sage, a Weimaraner. Aimee missed seeing everyone at Reunion as she was scheduled to work the whole weekend! We missed you, Aimee! Aimee notes to look her up if you are in the Boston area! Christy Baecker Castleberry lives in Falmouth, MA. She and her husband celebrated the birth of their 3rd child, Colby, on 12/24/11. He joined his big sisters, Emmie and Skyler, and everyone is doing well. Christy took a leave of absence from teaching for the ’12-’13 school year to be home with her kids and has loved being home with them. Also in MA is Susanne Charbonneau Carpenter who, after 3 years, is leaving Nashoba Brooks School to head to Walnut Hill School for the Arts as the Director of Admission and Financial Aid. She’s excited about the opportunity and looking forward to making the change this summer.

Abby Pope has been bouncing mostly between the Northeast and Miami, with a lovely trip to visit Tiffani Evans Roderick and the Bahamian contingent in ’12. She and Tori Campbell ’94 finally finished their collaborative artistic film, The Hunt for Good Americans, which screened at the Norwood Arts Club (I was there with Christine D’Angelo!) and The Drilling Company Theater in NYC in Summer ’12. There was a nice group of Westover alumae in the audience, and it was fun to get

everyone together. It was also shown at our Reunion in May. Abby says thank you for your support, ladies! Abby had a couple shows exhibiting her self-portraits at the Underline Gallery in NYC and Westover’s Schumacher Gallery in celebration of Michael Gallagher’s last year of teaching.

Alison Mayhew Bennett had a baby girl named Piper born on 3/14/12. She lives outside DC with her husband, Michael. She gets together, but not often enough, with Katherine Parker Grossman. Caroline Demirs Calio and her husband, Chris, also just had their first child in Nov ’12, a son named Jack. They are totally in love with him and Caroline reports that motherhood is better than imagined. Caroline recently saw the Biello sisters, Lisa Zorn Smeglin ’91, Christine D’Angelo, and me.

2000

Susan Broomhead Taylor 29 Pebble Beach Street Abilene, TX 79606 Nikki Sieller Warnek 115 Forge Hill Ln Phoenixville, PA 19460 Hi Class of 2000! It’s been another big year for us, with new degrees, new jobs, new spouses, and new babies at every turn! Thanks to everyone who sent in updates this year.

Shelby Mastroianni Neal expanded her family by one, giving birth to Eliza Catherine Neal on 11/29/12. Eliza joins big brother Ethan, who turned 3 in June. Shelby is finishing her 7th year working at Westover and is currently the Director of Student Services and Junior Class Dean. Rachel Clement and her husband, Tucker, also welcomed a baby this year! Theo Jackson was born in April ’13. Rachel says it’s been a wild ride … she thought medical school would have prepared her for sleepless days and nights, but having Theo has taken it to the next level. Tina Shields Fink visited from DC in May ’13 and helped keep Rachel and the baby smiling for a full week.

Marissa Famiglietti Apland and husband Shae are expecting a baby boy as well, due 7/13/13! Marissa continues to teach voice at both Chase Collegiate and Westover, and even in her 3rd trimester she’s teaching Zumba in Westover’s dance department. She has been performing in concerts up and down the East Coast, and will head back into full swing after the baby arrives this summer. Marissa was to sing at the wedding of Lindsey Krin.

2000 Continued

Which leads to the next update: By the time this magazine is published, Lindsey Krin will be Lindsey Maturi! She was married 6/15/13 to Frank Maturi. Twin sister Heather Krin Farisello was matron of honor, and Marissa Famiglietti Apland was singing (editor’s note – at nine months pregnant)! Lindsey is working on her Doctorate of Musical Arts at Boston U. and enjoying their new house in Southbury, CT. Three more weddings to mention! Two in the past and one on the way … Sue Broomhead Taylor was married in Apr. ’13 to Richard Taylor; Crystal Pemberton was married to Basim Miller at the end of June ’13; and Becky Gregory is getting married on 8/31/13! Becky and future husband David Friedman currently live in New Canaan, CT, and the wedding will be at Woodway Beach Club in Stamford, CT. Jacky Jacques James and her family moved to Atlanta this past year, where Jacky took a job with the fundraising office at Emory, her college alma mater. Jacky was looking forward to attending Crystal’s wedding this summer!

Another big move this year – Alia Hussain is headed to Jackson, MS, with her husband and son Humza, 2.

Alia finished up her chief residency year in Pediatrics at Winthrop U. Hospital in Mineola, NY, in June ’13. Her husband is starting his gastroenterology fellowship at the U. of MS, and Alia is starting a private practice doing what she loves – taking care of sick kids! If anyone else lives in MS, Alia’s looking to connect with Westover alumnae there!

Karsten Solberg-Jamieson and husband Jeremy are expecting their first child in Oct. ’13! Karsten and Jeremy recently moved from Boston to Rochester, NY, where she works at a small architectural firm, Chaintrueil | Jensen | Stark Architects, as a design lead. She also serves on the Rochester City Planning Board. Karsten’s husband has a tenure-track professorship at the U. of Rochester. In other news from academia, Emily Pollina is finishing up at Cornell and moving to the suburbs of Chicago for a year, where she will teach at North Central College. Thanks to Emily for taking the time to write, especially since she sent the e-mail immediately after giving her dissertation seminar!!

As for me, Nikki Sieller Warnek, I’m very excited to join the ranks of Class of ’00 mommas! John and I are expecting a baby boy in late July/early August. He’s already a little athlete, constantly kicking and jabbing me just so I don’t forget he’s in there. After our wedding in July 2012, John left his job as a physics teacher to run our CrossFit gym full-time. I still work for the NRC fulltime and coach at the gym nights and weekends. We love visitors, and this past year we had Sarah Schipul Swift and Tina Shields Fink both visit and do a workout with us. (Yes, they’re CrossFitters now too!) Speaking

of Schips, Sarah Schipul Swift is a doctor! She and husband Sam graduated with their PhD’s from Carnegie Mellon in Spring ’12 and moved from Pittsburgh to NC where Schips took a post-doctoral position at UNC Chapel Hill. Sam and Schips (and their dog, Ruby) are enjoying the area, and this past winter they got together with Rhiannon Rhodes who lives nearby. Another great Westover encounter was when Schips met up with former WISE teacher Kelly Keenan in Barcelona in May ’13 for a night of fun! Of course, Schips and Nikki have managed to get together a bunch over the last year, even though there are way too many states in the way these days!

Lynda Erbs had an exciting year, and is in the midst of some big changes! She continues to work at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and helped as part of the lighting team for the London Olympics’ opening and closing ceremonies. When Lynda’s not working, she’s delving into a new passion – learning about sustainable farming and healing through whole foods. She published a few diabetes recipes in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation journal, and recently started at the French Culinary Institute in their Farm to Table program. In Apr. ’13, Lynda got to spend some time in NYC with Kate Walker, who was visiting for a friend’s wedding. Kate summed up her life in a few lines this year: “Marriage: still happy. Family: still just Declan (who is 4 going on at least 35). Job: still teaching at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Life: still good.”

Maura Tansley lives and works in Worcester, MA, as a public defender in the district court. Maura says it’s a tough job but a great fit for her! Maura is now a proud aunt of 3, with Ryan joining Autumn and Lauren this past year. Sadly, Maura, Amelia Sutton, and Katie Aldrich parted ways in Spring ’12, when Amelia moved out of their apartment to get a place of her own. Despite not living together, their “3-way, polyamorous relationship” is alive and well (Amelia’s words, not mine!). Amelia took a new job this year, leaving her post as a hospitality publicist to become the Director of Communications at Altus Marketing & Management, a sports marketing firm in Boston. Amelia does stateside PR for Italian soccer club AS Roma and several charitable foundations for players from the Red Sox, Patriots, and Bruins! (Amelia noted, “If any Stovah grads love food and/or sports, I’m the girl to talk to in Boston.”) Amelia’s final piece of news is she is headed to France and Iceland for a few weeks in July/Aug. ’13 with her extended family. Amelia will spend most of her time selling her 3 nieces on the joys of Westover. The youngest one, age 6, is already on board, but the other two still need some convincing! Elizabeth Fitzgerald still practices law and lives in Sarasota, FL. Amelia and Katie visited over Easter weekend, which was a great reunion after not seeing each other since the Centennial!

77

2001

Courtney Yadouga 315 Ocean Parkway Apt 3H Brooklyn, NY 11218-4146 The Class of ’01 remains busy as always! Jen Oliveri finished her Master’s in Occupational Therapy in ’11 and was getting married in June ’13. Lisa Zheng Kirsch, along with husband Ari and son Dylan, welcomed Mia Elizabeth on 4/15/13. Congratulations!!

Congratulations to Caroline Rodgers Sweetenburg on her first Class Notes submission! She and Raymond live in Athens, GA, while he works on his PhD in stem cell research at UGA, and she continues to paint family and corporate portraits. They were expecting their 1st baby, a boy, 6/25/13! Caroline notes, “We plan on naming him either Westover or Shamus. Not sure which just yet …

In other exciting news, I can still recite the prologue to Canterbury Tales.” Well done.

Rachel Stock Lesher writes: “We bought a house in Old Town (Alexandria, VA) in Spring ’12 and just celebrated a year in our new home! We have really enjoyed getting to know our new neighborhood and find that there’s more to discover each weekend! I’ve been busy working full-time at WAMU 88.5 - American U. Radio as a prospect research analyst and attending graduate school. I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve just finished school! I recently graduated from American U. School of Public Affairs with a Master’s in Public Administration and a focus on Public Management. As for my Westover gals, I often get together with my neighbors, Mary DeStefano and Sarah Bill! I’ve also kept in great contact with my roommate, Katie Perkins Marko. I was a bridesmaid in her wedding in Dec. ’12 and attended her swearingin ceremony to the DC Bar in Spring ’13. It’s been so wonderful to be a part of so many celebrations!”

Katie herself notes: “In Dec. ’12, I married John Marko, Jr. in Charleston. Rachel Stock Lesher was a bridesmaid.

She and her husband, Nick, spent the week prior to the wedding with us, which was the best Christmas present ever. In March I traveled to DC to be sworn in to the DC Bar. Rachel played host this time and threw a cocktail party at her home in VA, complete with Sarah Bill and Mary DeStefano in attendance! In Apr. ’13 we added a second bull mastiff to our household when puppy Bunny arrived. Rachel and her golden retriever, Lucy, will visit in May!” It was great to run into Amma Osei and Ann Clark Priftis ’96 at Ann’s booth at the Architectural Design Home Show! Amma writes: “After several years with an onagain, off-again career relationship in the financial services industry, I have left BAML to join Heineken in

Apr. ’13 as an HR Business Partner, supporting their Caribbean Americas and Canada Export Business. The beer world is certainly much more interesting than stocks and dividends! Of course, it does not hurt that the company color is better suited for this West. In other news, I have recently discovered that I am neighbors with Elise Drew Leon ’03.”

Dena Simmons is in the process of writing her dissertation for her doctoral program at Columbia U. Her research is focused on teacher preparedness as it relates to handling bullying situations in the middle school setting. In Sept. ’13, Dena gave a TEDx talk entitled “What to Do If a Student Comes at You with Scissors?”

She gave her second TEDx talk entitled “It’s 10 PM. Do You Know Where Your Children Are?” in Apr. ’13. She sees Alex Thayer in SF often and had a lovely evening with Marisa Montanari in Boston in Apr. ’13. Rebecca Paolino is an attorney at Gerace & Associates, practicing criminal defense law in Hartford, CT. In ’12, she was elected Vice President of the Board of Directors of My Sisters’ Place, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Hartford, that helps homeless women and children by providing transitional and supportive housing and corresponding services. In Sept. ’12, Rebecca had the good fortune to attend Marisa’s wedding to Mark Manley in Saratoga Springs, NY. She had a beautiful weekend up in Saratoga, watching the horses competing at the racetrack and celebrating with good friends.

After taking a brief hiatus to do clinical research at the National Institutes of Health, Stephanie Bissonnette has spent the past year traveling the country to complete her 4th year of medical school, completing rotations in FL, NY, CA, OH, MA, and CT. She graduated from medical school at the U. of New England C. of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, ME, on 5/19/13. She then started her neurology residency at the OH State U. Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. She was lucky enough to share her 30th birthday with Lisa Nelson and Liz Feeney Sweeney, along with daughter Grace Sweeney, who was the life of the party. Lisa has just started a new job as a case manager working with adults and adolescents at non-profit PLAN of CT! As for me, Courtney Yadouga, I am still in Brooklyn, cooking up a storm all over NY and CT. My small event catering business, Mangia Philomena, is doing well, and I’ve recently launched a line of small batch truffles!

I’ve been fortunate to see a bevy of alumnae over the last year. I greatly enjoyed dinner with Jada Clement on one of her business trips to NYC, and, as I write this, am looking forward to having dinner with Anne-Nicole Hanus ’02 and one of our Goucher C. friends next week! And of course, I remain in constant touch with Lisa Nelson, Jess Borchetta, and Sarah Cugini ’00.

2001 Continued

The four of us ventured to the US Virgin Islands in Spring ’13 and had an amazing time vacationing in an eco-tent on St. John! Highlights included a snorkeling tour, yoga on a cliff, incredible sunsets on the beach, and many, many hermit crabs. Jess recently began working as a young adult/reference librarian at the Bedford Free Public Library in MA and enjoys being the official go-to source for the latest on teen literature. We eagerly await her upcoming smash hit novel about zombie pirate mermaids and the werewolves who love them. Til next year – keep in touch! Fondly, CMY

2013 Lantern Poetry, Selections by Bruce Coffin

EVASIONS

THE CHRYSANTHEMUM

The lampposts, like two cats in the grey morning, Crouch to watch over the town with fog hats, City bells strike the hours of the ghosts, who come out To sweep the sidewalks with their robes, smell the rainy air, And crush the ashes of last night’s smoking chimneys.

Our embrace tastes of sweet caramel when the children Sleep, but at the breakfast table, between two jars Of jam I see you escaping the kiss goodbye, Ready to fling yourself at a pencil skirt artist Who still shakes when she walks in heels.

The sharp scissors of loneliness slice into my skin Just as we learned in origami class: Cut, fold, fold again, as many times as you want, You will always see a bird with a golden gun, Until maybe one day the thief will steal the lives You arranged so neatly or you’ll forget to pick up the kids.

Just leave it to Nikky; she’s no joker with what has to be done, And she senses who is watching her—the monks Standing behind dark windows, knowing That all this late snow comes from the dead Who live in our stopped clocks. They sabotage The minutes to hold literary discussions in their boredom, Not knowing what to do with their heavy hands.

Tant de temps perdu qu’on s’en mord les dents, So much that night picks up her coat, fed up with our little concerns And day takes over the show, as he always does.

The husband and mistress drive away from the weed-choked Landings strips, swearing they never loved the ones they left behind.

The petals are now just A wrinkled dress With burgundy tiers of peau de soie, The skeleton and its leaves Stretch toward the barren Sides of the Waterford crystal, And just as hands fold Bright-colored figurines, Time creases and embellishes The chrysanthemum into wispy origami.

The flowers as they weep, The tapestry of inky red And olive green tickle the vision, Enthrall the eye with strange beauty While, at the lifeless vase Frozen in glory for all eternity, Not one second is relinquished.

How we cherish the time We have with the treasure That begs for cloaks and Wings lightly feathered To prolong its days!

How the glimmer of timelessness In the crystal deceives us!

But the real diamond, The modest fragility, Slips slowly across our fingertips To leave us grasping only air.

—Anna Chahuneau ’14

—Leigh Kulpa ’15

79

“Westover is something rare and unexpected: a rigorous school with a very big heart and soul. We are a community of learners of every age who think passionately about big ideas, care intensely about each other, and weigh seriously our responsibility to the wider world. Our 3,500 alumnae around the world are a testament to that truth. So many alumnae whose leadership and passion for what they do have contributed not only to Westover’s successful first century but to the good of their world. Our alumnae are active in classrooms, boardrooms, and living rooms in places around the corner and around the world, living lives that make a difference.”

Ann Pollina, Head of School

Marketing & Communications Office Publications Staff Kristin Martinkovic White ’91 Director of Marketing & Communications

Elizabeth McErlean Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications Richard J. Beebe (P’10) Staff Writer & Editor The Westover Magazine is a publication of the Marketing & Communications Office in conjunction with the Alumnae & Development Office.

Magazine Design & Layout: Mia Ferrara Pelosi ’95, miapelosi.com Please direct comments, corrections, and suggestions to Kristin White, Director of Marketing and Communications, at kwhite@westoverschool.org

Westover School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, or national or ethnic origin in administrations of its admissions, financial assistance, educational or other school policies. Every Westover student is admitted to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School.

Thank You! Annual Fund Exceeds Goal!

Your generosity and loyalty raised $1,502,916 for Westover’s Annual Fund!

Each year, Annual Fund donors make a profound impact on the day-to-day life of the students and faculty at Westover through your generosity to the Annual Fund.

Your gift contributes to scholarships for deserving students, innovative classroom technologies, and the maintenance of our beautiful campus.

We appreciate you. Thank you for making Westover’s Annual Fund a success!

The WesTover Magazine Westover School 1237 Whittemore Road P.O. Box 847 Middlebury, CT 06762-0847

westoverschool.org

Change Service Requested.

Please Note: Since this publication cannot be forwarded without additional postage, please keep us informed of address changes.

Please Save the Date for...

Alumnae Weekend 2014

Classes ending in 4 & 9 Celebrate their reunions this May 16 - 18, 2014 highlights inClude:

Friday Night Meet & Greet Career Networking Happy Hour Afternoon Workshops Class Dinners

Chapel & Annual Town Meeting Alumnae Association Awards Student & Faculty Panel

Saturday is Alumnae Day for all Alumnae!

Go to westoverschool.org/reunion or call Nancy Pelaez in the Alumnae Office if you would like to volunteer: 203.577.4593