Derryfield Today, Spring 2004

The Final Step for 2004From Every Perspective

Finding the Right Fit

todaySPRING 2004

Derryfield

NEWS FROM THE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL

Honk!see details on page 5

contentsTable of

www.derryfield.org 1

Derryfield Today is published by the Advancement Office at The Derryfield School. If you note errors, please notify us at603.669.4524 ext. 123 or send an email to [email protected]. Correspondence may be addressed to: Director ofCommunications, The Derryfield School, 2108 River Road, Manchester, NH 03104-1396. The Derryfield School welcomes students of any race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin. The School does not discriminate in its hiring, admission policies, or programs on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, or disabilities.

FRONT COVER: Seniors celebrate after CommencementExercises on June 12th.

INSIDE FRONT COVER: The Cat (John Bassett ’08) preparesto cook Ugly (Anthony Bernatas ’08) in a scene from Honk!

BACKGROUND: Students get a bird’s eye view of baseballand lacrosse games at the Upper Fields.

TOP: Seniors line up for the graduation procession.

features

departments

SPRING 2004

FEATURES

The Final Step for 2004 10by Annie Branch

Finding the Right Fit 16by Annie Branch

From Every Perspective 22Ellie Cochran ’69

Distinguished Alumni 29Major David Grosso ’78

DEPARTMENTS

Message from the Head 2Around Campus 4Cougar Athletics 12Summerbridge Spotlight 14Update on Alumni 18Life After Derryfield 22Alumni Profile 29

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Tricia LucasChairManchester, NH

Arthur CovielloVice ChairHollis, NH

Steven BurkeTreasurerBedford, NH

Pamela VanArsdaleSecretaryBedford, NH

Dianne ConnollyCorporate SecretaryWindham, NH

Randle RichardsonHead of SchoolConcord, NH

John Allard ’83Manchester, NH

Bradley Benson ’78Derry, NH

James CahillConcord, NH

Jim DavisNew Boston, NH

William Davis IIHopkinton, NH

Dr. Louis FinkBedford, NH

Terry FlahiveBedford, NH

Patrick GriffinBedford, NH

Joseph HortonManchester, NH

Maria Holland Law ’75Bedford, NH

Donna K. LenckiCandia, NH

David LockwoodManchester, NH

Lourdes MaldonadoManchester, NH

Eric NickersonWindham, NH

Jeffrey PollockBedford, NH

Gay Shanahan ’76Duxbury, MA

DERRYFIELD TODAY

Annie BranchEditor

O’Neil Griffin Bodi, Inc.Design

Puritan PressPrinting

CONTRIBUTORS

Kathryn RobinsonDirector, Summerbridge

Ben RussellDirector, The Philadelphia Story

Sandra TownsendLanguage Department

ADVANCEMENT

Alice Handwerk Director of Advancement

Gail GordonAdvancement Assistant

Annie BranchDirector of Communications

Jen PierceDirector of Alumni Relations

T he end of the 2004 school year has been marked byculminating events and celebrations that have evokeda mixture of pride, sadness, and joy. These emotions

are powerfully felt and expressed at times like these, andcome from some core Derryfield values. Among these valuesare intellectual curiosity, creative expression, the pursuit ofexcellence, and strong educational and personal connections.While there were some challenging emotions, it was movingto feel the strength of these values at Derryfield.

The eighth‑grade sendoff and twelfth‑grade graduationare different ceremonies by design, but each strongly reflectsthese values. Eighth grade sendoff is the graduation ceremo‑ny of the Middle School, although smaller in scale and lessformal than graduation. Faculty members effectivelydemonstrated their affection for and knowledge of their stu‑dents through concise, creative, and penetrating tributes foreach eighth grade student. The statements are filled withcomments about academic and personal exploration andgrowth. Some of the teachers also revealed their talent andcreativity, along with their fondness for the class by choos‑ing and performing some beautiful songs.

The Boettiger Theatre was full for the more formal 2004graduation ceremony, but the intimate feeling andDerryfield values were still evident. Most impressive andheartening were the student speeches and performances.

The Welcome was delivered by Geoffrey Kirsch, theValedictory by Mike Moran, and the Farewell by BethFrieden. Many more seniors and some underclassmenplayed roles in the musical performances. I was struck bythe honesty, humor, compassion, talent, intelligence, andinsightfulness of the student presentations. They spoke andsang about intellectual growth, creative expression, mentor‑ship, friendship, and personal growth. These students repre‑sented their classmates and The Derryfield School betterthan we could have imagined.

Impressively, many of the graduating seniors missedother social opportunities to attend an event at school on theevening of their graduation. They returned for a farewellcelebration for 32‑year Derryfield teacher, coach, advisor,and friend, David Haight. Not only were there touchingtributes from former Headmaster, Bill Pfeifer, and formerHead of School, Nancy Boettiger, but David was also cre‑atively and humorously roasted by friends and colleagues.David and the Derryfield faculty were also honored withover $35,000 in gifts to the Bailey Milne Fund to help ensurethat faculty and staff children can attend the School. David’scommitment, kindness, creativity, intelligence, multiple tal‑ents, and love for Derryfield make him both a symbol of ourvalues and a mentor and friend to all of us.

We certainly owe our thanks to David, our graduatingseniors, and to so many others who have helped create thisexceptional educational community.

headRANDY RICHARDSON

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Message from the

2 Derryfield Today – Spring 2004

“I was struck by the honesty, humor, compassion,

talent, intelligence, and insightfulness of the

student presentations”

Randy RichardsonHead of School

Strength of Values

AUGUST

Fall Varsity Preseason Begins 16

Alumni Golf Tournament 27

Retreats 30 & 31

SEPTEMBER

First Day of School 1

Back to School Picnic 10

Back to School Night 23

OCTOBER

Grandparents’ Day 1

Reunion 1-2

Country Fair 2

PSAT 16

Summerbridge Saturday 30

NOVEMBER

Admission Open House 20

DECEMBER

Holiday Concert 10

Summerbridge Saturday 11

T A K E A S W I N G !

golftournamentJoin members of the Derryfield family fora fun day of golf on August 27th at the10th Annual Kickoff Classic Golf Tourn‑ament at Candia Woods. Come win prizes,relax with friends, and raise money forscholarships at Derryfield. Last year’sevent raised $17,580 for scholarship. Call603.669.4524 ext.137 for more information.

A U G U S T – D E C E M B E R

calendareventsIMAGES FROM COMMENCEMENT WEEKENDFor more photos, visit our online gallery in the ‘What’s Happening’ section of www.derryfield.org.


Clockwise from top right: David Haight prepares for the ceremony as Chuck Sanborn looks on. n Ellie Cochran

’69 bids farewell to Drew Moerlein ’04. n Cara Bishop ’04 and Farrah Desrosiers ’04 line up for the procession.

n Jennifer Melkonian briefs the Class of 2004 on the plan of action. n Faculty Member Jack Sanford accepts a

diploma from Tricia Lucas on behalf of his son, Bryan ’04. n Beth Frieden ’04 gives her farewell address.

campus


STORIES

Senior Blood Drive

Hunger Banquet

Service Awards

Honk!

Senior Projects

Thespians Honored

Bon Voyage

La Dictée

The Philadelphia Story

Habitat

David Haight Retires

Creative Writing Contest

A Jimmy Buffett Evening

Founders’ Day

The Final Step for 2004

FIGURE THIS...The following members of the Derryfield

community will be leaving this year:

n David Haight after 32 years

n Ellie Cochran ’69 after 16 years

n Kathryn Robinson after 5 years

n Bryan Duff after 4 years

n Ben Russell ’94 after 4 years

n Diane Allen after 3 years

n Jeanne Mellish after 3 years

Senior Blood DriveThis year’s Senior Blood Drive, organizedby Ariana Hodes ’04, surpassed all expecta‑tions. On March 2nd, 42 pints of bloodwere collected from 22 new donors and 23previous donors. Red Cross representativeswere amazed by the turnout, especiallyconsidering that donors must be 18 to giveblood. Key Club advisor Kathy Hill said,“Seeing the veteran student, faculty, andparent donors help the first‑time donorsthrough the process was wonderful.”

Hunger Banquet On April 29th, middle school studentswere told to bring a small donation in lieuof lunch. When they arrived, students weresplit up into groups to participate in aHunger Banquet. The 15% that representedthe population of the world that eats a reg‑ular, balanced meal ate a full meal attables; the 30% that represented the popu‑lation that has enough food but not a bal‑

anced diet ate beans and rice on chairs; andthe 55% that represented the populationthat has an unsteady food supply ate riceand water on the floor. The students thensplit up into advisor groups to discusshunger issues in the world. Students raised$300 for New Horizons Soup Kitchen.

Service Awards Eighteen seniors were honored withService Awards on Awards Day this year.Cara Bishop, Joseph Cahill, Farrah Des‑rosiers, Beth Frieden, Joseph Guerra, AliHafez, Samantha Keefe, Whitney Krause,Julia Lehman, Michael Moran, CatherineReno, Emily Runnells, James Silvestro,Elizabeth Townsend, Julia Voorhees, Kath‑erine Weber, Ashley Westbrook, and RobertZeller were the recipients of the 2004award. Service honorees must perform atleast 50 hours of service per year and beinvolved in a significant way in either KeyClub, Conservation Club, Summerbridge,or community volunteerism.

Around

Julia Spiegelman ’04 becomes a first-time donor atthe Senior Blood Drive.

Middle School students line up for rice and beans duringthe Hunger Banquet.

Honk!This year’s Middle School musical

was an entertaining combination offantasy, slapstick humor, and morals.Written by George Stiles and AnthonyDrewe, Honk! is the story of Ugly,whose odd, gawky looks instantlyincite prejudice from his family andneighbors. Separated from the farmand pursued by the hungry Cat, Uglymust find his way home. Along hisadventurous journey, he not only dis‑covers his true beauty and gloriousdestiny, but also finds love and accep‑

tance in all its forms.Supported by a cast

of over 65, JohnBassett ’08, as the

Cat, and AnthonyBernatas

’08,

as Ugly, delivered shining perfor‑mances that conveyed the show’s mes‑sage of tolerance while entertaining theaudience. Liz Baseman ’08 warmed theaudience’s heart with her performanceas a loving and accepting mother toUgly. Creative costumes and vividscenery enabled the talented youngactors to tell their story with style andflourish. According to Director Jim

Speigel, “The Derryfield Middle Schoolkids were all totally and completelywilling to suspend their disbelief, andtransform themselves into all the won‑derful characters from Honk! Because

of their incredible effort and amazingtalent the true meaning of

the show wasachieved.”

Senior ProjectsThis year, five seniors chose to spendthe final six weeks of their senior yeardoing an Independent Senior Project.They shared their experiences in a briefpresentation at an assembly in June.Laura Desjarlais completed an eques‑trian work/study program at CedarCrest Farm in New York. Shalini Patelvolunteered with the Concord FeministHealth Center. David Pham produceda CD of original lyrics and instrumen‑tals. Maura Spiegelman continued avolunteer internship with PlannedParenthood of Northern New England.Robby Zeller worked on programenrichment and restructuring at theSentinel Baptist Camp.

Thespians HonoredThis spring, several Derryfield studentperformers were inducted into theInternational Thespians Society. TheITS is the only organization to honorsecondary school students for out‑standing work in theatre. Studentsmust commit 100 hours to dramaticproductions to be eligible for member‑ship. The new inductees for 2004include Cara Bishop ’04, Chris Connors’04, Julia Spiegelman ’04, Ashley Travis’05, Glen Frieden ’06, Jacob Keefe ’06,Robert Lemire ’06, Clinton Oas ’06,Tyree Robinson ’06, Alex Rolecek ’06,Kayla Sirkin ’06, Sarah Umberger ’06,and Evan Urtz ’06. The 2004 inducteesjoin 15 other Derryfield performers asmembers of the most active NewHampshire chapter of the ITS.


The Cat (John Bassett ’08) woos a housecat (JuliaMaldonado ’08).

AROUND CAMPUS

Mother Duck (Liz Baseman ’08) wonders whereher son, Ugly, has gone.

Bon VoyageCombine ten days, ten students, andten families. The result? A highly suc‑cessful homestay in France last March.Saint Germain‑en‑Laye is a picturesqueand historic city on the Seine River,within commuting distance of Paris.Arriving Friday, March 19th, studentsspent the first weekend with their hostfamilies, who had organized their own

cultural and recreational activities, in‑cluding going to see Hair, attending asoccer match of Paris‑Saint Germain vs.Ajaccio, visiting Versailles, and seeingParis by night. On Monday morningthey were together again, weatheringchilly March temperatures to walk thestreets of Paris, accompanied by Yvesand Roselyne Herpe, longtime friendsof chaperones Mme. and Mr. Town‑send. Students saw a wide range ofsights, from the futuristic city of LaDéfense to the twelfth‑century remainsof the fortifications of what was thenParis. Their French improved drama‑tically, as they strove to follow Yves’narrative and his wife Roselyne’sthoughtful conversation. They alsorose to the daily challenge of commu‑nicating with their French families.

“The trip far surpassed my expecta‑tions,” Mme. Townsend commented.Having done five previous homestays,in Limoges and Nimes, she knew theintrinsic value of the family experience,which eliminates the insular nature ofgroup travel. “I applaud the students

for their initial actof courage andleap of faith insigning up for

the trip.

They were wonderful ambassadors,bringing their enthusiasm, curiosity,and good will to their families and theFrench community they lived in for abrief while. Perhaps they learned theessential lesson that traveling is lessabout the places you go than it is aboutthe people you get to know there.”

In exchange for the warm hospitalitythey encountered, three Derryfieldfamilies will be hosting their “corre‑spondents” this summer. Familiesinterested in hosting one of the Frenchstudents, for all or part of their visit,should contact Madame Townsendimmediately [email protected].


Mr. Townsend points out a local landmark to agroup of Derryfield students.

The Derryfield group poses in front of the EiffelTower.

AROUND CAMPUS

la dictéeF É L I C I T A T I O N S

nick couraud ’04Derryfield senior, Nicolas Couraud, placeda close second at the Manchester ClubRichelieu’s Oratorical Contest, held at theChateau Restaurant on March 3rd. Derry‑field was one of five Manchester highschools represented in the competition.Nick presented a four‑minute speech onthe influence of Médecins sans frontières inFrench‑speaking countries and in the worldat large. Because the first‑place winner hadother commitments on April 3rd, Nick wasselected to represent New Hampshire thatweekend at an international competition of“La Dictée” at the Chateau Frontenac inQuebec City.

The Philadelphia StoryThe Derryfield Players took a quieterturn after the ambitious challenge ofmounting Les Misérables during thewinter, turning their energies to thesmaller ensemble production of PhillipBarry’s classic romantic comedy, ThePhiladelphia Story. Written in 1939 incollaboration with lead actress Kath‑erine Hepburn, both writer and starwere looking for a theatrical success toelevate them from difficulty and badcritical notice. The Philadelphia Storygave them each that renewed acclaim,just as it continued the string of suc‑cesses in Derryfield’s theatrical season.

The production was staged to reflectthe world of 1938, the year the scriptoriginally indicated, as it was felt bydirector Benjamin Russell ’94 that thecharacters, their motivations, and theiractions were set firmly in the eventsand culture of the times. The actorsworked diligently not only to learntheir lines, but to speak them with therapid‑fire delivery that was common tothe screwball comedies of the period.Additionally, the task of playing partsthat were many years older than them‑selves, not to mention possessed of aformality and body language that is no

longer extant in this day and age, wasone that required significant effort toportray convincingly. But the actorsbrought an intensity to their roles, adetermined honesty that pulled audi‑ences in to speculate on the outcome ofthe complex matrimonial shell gamethat played out before their eyes.

The story revolves around TracyLord (as played by Ariana Hodes ’04)who experiences a particularly frigidcase of cold feet on the day before hersecond marriage. When her first hus‑band (played by a very suave GlenFrieden ’06) forces her to realize thatperhaps the failure of their marriagewasn’t entirely his fault, she seekssolace not in the arms of her seeminglyideal fiancé (Chris Kiley ’05), but in theraw, honest worship of reporter MikeConnor (David Moore ’04). This latestdevelopment doesn’t sit well withConnor’s photojournalist partner (asplayed by Beth Frieden ’04), whowould much prefer that Tracy chooseone of the other two men in her life asthe wedding grows ever closer. SeniorsMatthew Connors, Julia Lehman,Shaylen Roberts, and Andrew Tsai alsodelivered cunning comic turns in thefinal production of their respectiveDerryfield tenures.

HabitatWhile most students spent their springvacation sleeping late or tanning on abeach, Drew Moerlein ’04 and BryanSanford ’04 were digging ditches andmixing cement. After three years ofplanning, the two seniors headed toCosta Rica for the first week of theirvacation to volunteer for Habitat forHumanity. They stayed in the home ofthe head of the organization andworked on a housing site for four days,leveling the floor, moving soil piles,sifting sand for cement, and diggingmost of a septic tank hole. During theirfree time they sampled local cuisine,played soccer with fellow workers, andtook a trip to the nature reserve,Manuel Antonio, on the Pacific Coast.Moerlein says of the experience, “It issuch a powerful experience to workwith the people and families that willsoon be living in the houses we wereconstructing. It was a beautiful andgenerous country, and working withHabitat for Humanity truly was aonce‑in‑a‑lifetime experience.”


Tracy Lord (Ariana Hodes ’04) coaches UncleWillie Tracy (Matt Connors ’04), who is having dif-ficulty pretending to be her father.

AROUND CAMPUS

Liz Imbrie (Beth Frieden ’04) and Mike Connor(David Moore ’04) commiserate in an early scene.

Drew Moerlein ’04 and Bryan Sanford ’04 withtools of their trade at Habitat in Costa Rica.

David Haight RetiresBefore the dust had settled from grad‑uation ceremonies, members of theDerryfield community were back oncampus to honor a man who has quiet‑ly dedicated 32 years of service to theSchool. David Haight has impacted thelives of over one thousand Derryfieldstudents during his time at the School,and those numbers were reflected inthe attendance at his retirement dinner.As guests arrived, they signed a bookcreated for David by Andy Moerlein.

After dinner, guests moved to theAuditorium to celebrate and roast theirguest of honor. Faculty members EdLemire and Betty Jipson hosted theprogram, which featured reflections byformer Heads of School Bill Pfeifer andNancy Boettiger. Jim Speigel created amontage of all of David’s appearancesin Derryfield dramatic productionsover the years. Bruce Berk, Rob Bradley,and Dick Anthony lightened up the

mood with a thorough roasting of theircolleague and friend. The program wascapped off by a few words from JimHendrix ’77, Ellie Cochran ’69, andRandy Richardson, who presentedDavid with several gifts and announcedthat $35,000 had been raised in hishonor for the Bailey Milne Fund. Atthe end of the evening, it was clear toall what a positive impact David hasmade during his time at Derryfield.

Creative Writing ContestCongratulations to winners of the 2004Creative Writing Contest, announcedat the final All‑School Assembly. ForNon‑Fiction, first prize went to NicholasNardini ’05; second to Beth Frieden ’04;third to Jennifer Cox ’06 and LeslieStonebraker ’04; and honorable men‑tion to Geoffrey Kirsch ’04. For Fiction,first prize went to Nicholas Nardini’05; second to Kimberly Cohen ’05; andhonorable mention to Christina Nyquist’05 and Geoffrey Kirsch ’04. For Poetry,first prize went to Beth Frieden ’04;second to Geoffrey Kirsch ’04 andLeslie Stonebraker ’04; and honorablemention to Isaac Wheeler ’06 andGeoffrey Blanding ’04. The CreativeWriting Contest is judged by a panel ofmembers of the English Department.

A Jimmy Buffett EveningThe 2004 Parents’ Association Auction,chaired by Nigel Donovan, was themost successful auction ever. On theevening of Sunday, May 2nd, the Way‑farer Inn was transformed into JimmyBuffett’s Margaritaville by several cre‑ative parent volunteers. Past parent,Rick Morgan, and current parent,Carol O’Reilly, arranged a $5,000 spon‑sorship through their company, BostonPrivate Value Investors in Concord.The evening featured a reception andsilent auction, followed by dinner anda live auction. The festive atmosphereloosened purse strings, and coerciveauctioneer, Jim Morgan, frequentlypushed the bidding to new heights. Atrip to Tuscany raised the most moneyof all items, and Steve Cohen won atrip to LaQuinta Resort in the auctionraffle. Some of the more popular itemsincluded dinner and a movie withLatin guy Chris McNeil, a pie a monthfor a year from Andy Moerlein, frontrow seats for graduation, and tickets tosee Jimmy Buffett at Fenway. The eventraised over $65,000 for the School anda fun time was had by all.


Derryfield parent Jim Morgan rallied the troopsto bid on items during the live auction.

AROUND CAMPUS

Bruce Berk, Rob Bradley, and Dick Anthony roastDavid Haight during his retirement party.

David Haight and his family laugh over memoriesof his time at Derryfield.

Founders’ DayOn Friday, April 16th, members of theDerryfield community gathered forFounders’ Day, kicking off the School’s40th Anniversary celebration. Many ofthe Founders of Derryfield were pre‑sent, and their contributions to theSchool were honored. FoundersBarbara Stahl and Selma Deitch Sigel,both leaders in the Derryfield andgreater Manchester communities whopassed away this winter, were remem‑bered for their tireless efforts on behalfof the School. Dr. Selma Deitch Sigelwas a Founder not only of Derryfield,but also of Child Health Services inManchester, and was a strong support‑er of Summerbridge Manchester. Dr.Barbara Stahl, who had been slated to speak at the ceremonies, was thesenior faculty member at Saint AnselmCollege, a respected research scientist,and a member of the Board of Trusteessince Derryfield’s founding. Dr. Stahl’sdaughter, Susan Stahl Hardy ’70, spokein lieu of her mother, remembering lifeat Derryfield as a member of one of the

first classes to attend the School fourdecades ago. She spoke of how aDerryfield education encouraged herto be a better student and taught herskills that she uses to this day.

The newest members of the NationalHonor Society were inducted, andMaria Holland Law ’75, President ofthe Alumni Council, awarded theDistinguished Alumni Award to MajorDave Grosso ’78, Battalion OperationsOfficer for the 2nd Battalion, 10thSpecial Forces Group, Fort Carson, CO.Major Grosso spoke of how he came toappreciate his Derryfield educationonly as he discovered a career he waspassionate about. He also took amoment to honor those who are cur‑rently engaged in combat (see page 29).

Robert Zeller ’04, the 2003 Founders’Scholar, spoke at the end of the cere‑mony about keeping life in perspectiveand taking advantage of opportunitiesposed. He then announced the 2004Peter S. Freedman Founders’ ScholarAward Recipient, Alexa Warburton ’05.Warburton, a member of the NationalHonor Society, Key Club, and VarsityField Hockey Team, has maintained anexemplary academic record and set a

positive example for her peers. ThePeter S. Freedman Founders’ ScholarAward is presented annually to thatmember of the Junior Class who hasbest combined academic achievementwith personal responsibility, indepen‑dence, and ethical sense.


2003 Founders’ Scholar, Robbie Zeller ’04, withthe 2004 recipient, Alexa Warburton ’05.

AROUND CAMPUS

Derryfield Founders gather with Susan Stahl Hardy ’70 (right) after the Founders’ Day Ceremonies.

N A T I O N A L H O N O R S O C I E T Y

2004inductees

Class of 2004Joseph J. GuerraAriana H. HodesGeoffrey R. KirschJulia L. M. LehmanAndrew T. Tsai

Class of 2005Jenna A. BeeLeigh C. CameronKimberly B. CohenJulie E. Grimm

Brett A. McLarnonNicholas R. NardiniSammi A. Phillips

Class of 2006Glen E. FriedenConnor R. GarstkaKristen M. MoranKatherine F. MyersKatherine J. RicheyAnna K. Sims

The following Derryfield students wereinducted into the National Honor Societyduring the 2004 Founders’ Day celebration.

Seniors arrived early on Saturday,June 12th, gathering in the courtyard tocollect flowers and take a few last pic‑tures as Derryfield students. As theClass of 2004 lined up on the walkwayleading to the graduation ceremony inthe auditorium, the faculty gathered bythe schoolhouse. The procession wasled by Board Chair, Tricia Lucas; Headof School, Randy Richardson; andCommencement Speaker, DavidHaight, who was retiring after 32 yearsof teaching. Once the students hadgathered in the auditorium and ChuckSanborn had given the Invocation,Geoffrey Kirsch ’04 came forward togive the Welcoming Address. Kirschpulled from the wisdom of WilliamShakespeare, Winston Churchill, andJoseph Campbell, finishing with aquote from the play, Waiting for Godot:“At this place, at this moment of time,all mankind is us, whether we like itour not. Let us make the most of it,before it is too late!”

David Haight’s CommencementAddress, entitled ‘Dr. Ruth and thesensual side of history,’ certainly keptthe audience’s attention. Haightrevealed that a few seniors had recent‑ly expressed regret that they had nevertaken his World Civilization II class, sohe decided to give them an overview,dividing his presentation into thirteendifferent time periods. Haight beganwith the Renaissance, speaking of thisperiod as, “an attitude, a perspectiveon life, a time of intellectual creativity,

of imagination, of a willingness to trynew things and to think in new direc‑tions, to look at things in ways thathave never been viewed before.” Hedescribed a table with the era’s mostinfluential people, discussing thechanges that had occurred at theirhands in such a short period. Haightglossed over the next eleven periods ina few sentences, classifying them as tooromantic, too violent, or covered byMr. Berk, quickly arriving at theModern Renaissance. Haight advisedthe seniors, “All of the assumptionsthat have been made about you and allyour own assumptions about theworld will begin to change today. Youalready have all the talents of aRenaissance class – balance and per‑spective, creativity and knowledge,

The Final Step for 2004


2 0 0 4

recipientsaward

Mike Moran ’04 gives the Valedictory Address asCommencement Speaker, David Haight, looks on.

COMMUNITY AWARDS

The D.A.R. Good Citizen Award n Farrah Desrosiers ’04

The Mayor's Award n Farrah Desrosiers ’04

The Alumni Service Award n Joanne Taube ’69

The Alumni Award n Farrah Desrosiers ’04

The Matthew L. Young ’88 Memorial Scholarship n

Victoria Starr ’05

The Class of 1994 Award n Julia Lehman ’04

The Rotary Cup n Farrah Desrosiers ’04

Citizens Bank Scholar Award n Lejla Kadic ’06

ACADEMIC AWARDS

English n Beth Frieden ’04 and Geoffrey Kirsch ’04

Music n Abigail Feinberg ’04 and Julia Spiegelman ’04

Art n Whitney Krause ’04

Drama n Shaylen Roberts ’04 and Drew Moerlein ’04

Dennis F. Holland Mathematics Award n James

Silvestro ’04

Barbara J. Stahl, Ph.D. Life Science Award n Geoffrey

Kirsch ’04

Physical Science n Andrew Tsai ’04

History n James Silvestro ’04

French n Julia Spiegelman ’04

Latin n Geoffrey Blanding ’04

Spanish n Beth Frieden ’04 and Whitney Krause ’04

Computer n George Dirth ’04

SPECIAL AWARDS

Rensselaer Medal n Brett McLarnon ’05

The Wellesley Book Award n Jenna Bee ’05

The Harvard Book Award n Leslie Stonebraker ’05

The Dartmouth Book Award n Alexandra Warburton ’05

The RISD Book Award n Shalini Patel ’04

THE HEAD OF SCHOOL AWARDS

The R. Philip Hugny Award n James Silvestro ’04

The Ralph J. Scozzafava Award n Michael Moran ’04

The William B. Pfeifer Award n Katherine Weber ’04

The Marcus D. Hurlbut Award n Robert Zeller ’04

and a sense of humanism. And nowyou have the opportunity to bring tolife those changes you can envision.”He referred back to the table of influ‑ential minds of the era, this time at theclose of the Modern Renaissance, andhe told the class of 2004, “I want thosepeople to be from this class. I wantthem to be you.”

Concert Choir, joined by its seniormembers, sang You Raise Me Up, afterwhich Mike Moran ’04 gave hisValedictory Address. Moran spoke ofhow, during his time at Derryfield, helearned to deal with stress in a moreproductive way. He gained a new per‑spective on academic success, learningthat knowledge is more than repetitionof facts. “I won’t leave Derryfield andbe ready for college because I knowthe derivative of sine is cosine or thatduodenum is found in the small intes‑tine; I will be ready because my brainhas been molded and has acquired adeep capacity for thinking. And withthe ability to think, I have faith that allelse will fall into place.”

Senior Class President, FarrahDesrosiers ’04, then announced the2004 Class Gift, which included a DJstation for the McIninch Room and aspeaker system for the gymnasium,with the remaining funds being donat‑ed to the Bailey Milne Fund in honorof David Haight. Randy Richardsonpresented the Head of School Awardswith the help of David Haight. The R.Philip Hugny Award was given toJames Silvestro, The Ralph J. Scozza‑fava Award to Michael Moran, TheWilliam B. Pfeifer Award to KatherineWeber, and The Marcus D. HurlbutAward to Robert Zeller. After the fac‑ulty chorus performed a heartfelt ren‑dition of Walking Tall, it was time toconfer diplomas to the 55 members ofthe Class of 2004. For the last time, out‑going Chair of the Board of Trustees,Tricia Lucas, handed out diplomas tothe graduating seniors. Faculty mem‑ber, Jack Sanford, accepted a diplomaon behalf of his son, Bryan ’04, whohad already left for basic training inthe Marine Reserves.

Once the members of the class hadreceived their diplomas, Beth Friedengave the Farewell Address. She spokeof the impact her classmates have hadon each other, and that this influencehas helped to shape each member ofthe Class of 2004. “At one time, wewere all undiscovered countries. As wehave discovered each other, we havechanged. Honest connections help usmake decisions, they help us survive,and they help us become the peoplewe are now. We cannot expand ourworlds without expanding ourselves.”

The thirty‑seventh CommencementExercises culminated with a duet byKatherine Weber ’04 and AbbyFeinberg ’04, For Good, the singing ofSing Out for Derryfield, and aBenediction from Chuck Sanborn.Upon filing out of the auditorium, thegraduates formed the traditionalreceiving line in which faculty, family,and friends could convey best wishesfor the future to the Class of 2004.


Tricia Lucas leads the graduation procession for the last time as Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Seniors Joelle Emery, Whitney Krause, and ElizabethTownsend listen as David Haight gives his speech.

AROUND CAMPUS

A BUSY SEMESTER...

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accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blan-

dit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue

duis dolore te feugait nulla

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Girls’ Varsity LacrosseSeason Record: 6-8Farrah Desrosiers ’04, Co-Captain, All-State (Honorable

Mention), Class of 1970 AwardKate Dewey ’05, All-State (1st Team)Julia Lehman ’04, Co-Captain, Class of 1970 AwardRachel Romanowsky ’06, All-State (2nd Team)

Boys’ Varsity LacrosseSeason Record: 7-1James Silvestro ’04, Captain, Class of 1970 Award

Varsity BaseballSeason Record: 14-5NH Championship Quarter Finalists (Class S)Derek Boelig ’05, All-State (1st Team), Granite State All-

Conference Ian Law ’07, All-State (2nd Team)Jeffrey Lyford ’04, Co-Captain, All-State (1st Team), Granite

State All-Conference, Class of 1970 AwardBryan Sanford ’04, Co-Captain, All-State (3rd Team)Nick Stepro ’05, All-State (2nd Team)

Varsity SoftballSeason Record: 13-6NH Championship Quarter Finalists (Class M/S)Joelle Emery ’04, Captain, Senior All-Star, Granite State All-

Conference, Class of 1970 AwardVictoria Starr ’05, All-State, Granite State All-Conference

Boys’ Varsity TennisSeason Record: 16-0New Hampshire State Champions (Class M/S)Charles Carrier ’05, Granite State All-ConferenceDoug MacKenzie ’05, Granite State All-Conference, Player

of the YearDavid Moore ’04, Co-Captain, Class of 1970 AwardEthan Schwelling ’04, Co-Captain, All-State, Granite State

All-Conference, Class of 1970 Award

Girls’ Varsity TennisSeason Record: 14-3NH Championship Finalists (Class M/S)Juliane Katz ’04, Co-Captain, Granite State All-Conference,

Class of 1970 AwardDanielle Nolitt ’06, All-ConferenceElizabeth Townsend ’04, Co-Captain, Granite State All-

Conference, Class of 1970 AwardShenley Searing ’06, Granite State All-Conference, Player of

the Year

Girls’ Varsity CrewFounders’ Day Regatta: 1st boat – 10th; 2nd boat – 9thNortheast Junior Regional Championships: 1st boat – 6th;

2nd boat – 7thNEIRA: 1st boat – 12thWinner of 2004 Davison CupJulie Grimm ’05, Captain, Class of 1970 Award

Boys’ Varsity CrewFounders’ Day Regatta: 1st boat – 8th; 2nd boat – 2ndNortheast Junior Regional Championships: 1st boat – 4th;

2nd boat – 5thNEIRA: 1st boat – 9th; 2nd boat – 4thWinner of 2004 Davison CupThad Duprey ’04, 2004 U.S. Junior National TeamBen Jundanian ’04, Class of 1970 Award

Clockwise from top left: Melissa Law ’05 swings through witha pitch. n Members of the varsity baseball team watch as ateammate takes a swing. n Julie Katz ’04 swings throughon a serve during warmup. n Nathalie Morison ’06 escapeswith the ball on a sprint. n Boys’ first boat digs in off thestarting line. n Ethan Schwelling ’04 connects on a serve.n Ali Hafez ’04 blocks a pass by an opponent. n Girls’first boat takes a move in a race against Gunnery.

Spring wrap-up2004 ATHLETIC AWARDSTHE LAMPLIGHTER ATHLETIC AWARD

Farrah Desrosiers ’04

THE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD

Katherine Weber ’04 and Michael Moran ’04

THE KEN PIATT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Bryan Sanford ’04

MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Bryan Sanford ’04

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Joelle Emery ’04

2004 COACHES’ AWARD

Jeffrey Lyford ’04

2004 COACHES’ AWARD

Joelle Emery ’04

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN AN

INDEPENDENT SPORT

Noah Harwood ’06–Cycling

Martin Topol ’06–Olympic Style Weightlifting

TOP TEN CLUB

Christopher Cameron ’04

Farrah Desrosiers ’04

Joelle Emery ’04

Ali Hafez ’04

Whitney Krause ’04

Jeffrey Lyford ’04

Michael Moran ’04

Catherine Reno ’04

Bryan Sanford ’04

Ethan Schwelling ’04

Elizabeth Townsend ’04

Julia Voorhees ’04

athletics


Cougar


COUGAR ATHLETICS

drive

Directing Summerbridge has been agift. When I was first introduced toSummerbridge and Derryfield, I

had no idea how much my involvementwith these communities would shape myprofessional and personal life. It took me awhile to fully grasp the power of this pub‑lic/private partnership and its role in thecommunity; yet as the program does for itsstudents and teachers, it gave me time tobuild my skills, take risks, challengemyself, develop my educational convic‑tions, and reach for my potential.

This summer marks my sixth and finalsummer directing Summerbridge. This hasbeen the most challenging, consuming jobthat I have ever lived, and yet it has beenthe most rewarding. I don’t know manyschools like Summerbridge. It is a placethat is full of spirit, academic rigor, hon‑esty, diversity, and positive energy. It’s asafe community where students know theywill be supported and valued in their dif‑ferences. Summerbridge is the most student‑centered environment that I know of. Ihave learned a great deal about myself asan educator and leader, and being a part ofthis mission has allowed me to shape myunderstanding of education. At the end ofthe summer, Kate Erskine, the currentAssistant Director, will take over asDirector. Kate is excited and eager to takeon new challenges and responsibilities, and

to lead the new professional team. Katebrings great experience as an educator, adeep understanding of the mission andneed of this educational model in Man‑chester, and an unyielding commitment toboth the students and teachers. We are for‑tunate that we found Kate four years ago.

Ben Russell is also leaving at the end ofthe summer session to pursue a master’sdegree in library and information sciences.As a Derryfield graduate, Ben has been avalued member of the Summerbridge andDerryfield communities for many, manyyears. For the past four years, Ben has beenour Administrative Assistant. In that job heoversees many of the clerical aspects ofrunning a school, but he has also strength‑ened our team by being a mentor teacher;librarian; database manager; writer of ournewsletter, The Sizzler; designer of our pub‑lications; writer and overseer of the eighthgrade school‑year curriculum; and a mem‑ber of the Derryfield faculty (teaching anddirecting). Ben’s honesty, high standards,humor, and commitment to this uniqueand powerful model of ‘students teachingstudents’ have shaped and strengthenedthe program for the past eleven years.

This is a year of transition for our profes‑sional team. We make a point to let our stu‑dents and teachers know that the programisn’t defined by the “professional team”;the purpose, magic, and mission comes


spotlightA BREAK THROUGH PROGRAM

Summerbridge

DIARY: A STUDENT’S SUMMER MORNING

n The bus pulls into the Derryfield parking

lot to cheering teachers dressed as super-

heroes with spangly masks and towels and

sheets pinned around their necks. Jed

gives me a cape when I get off the bus.

n During morning attendance, Tulani

teaches us all a new cheer and Carrie

reads a poem with two of her students. I’m

eating breakfast when my name is called,

and my mouth is full, so I only say, “Here.”

I’ll ask a riddle tomorrow!

n English. We are reading A Game of Catch

and Aaron has us divide into groups and

draw the characters, but we can only draw

something that has been described in the

story! We look for adjectives and write the

descriptions next to our drawing. My group’s

drawing doesn’t have a nose or hands!

n Math. Vylinh gives us a recipe and we

have to multiply or divide the ingredients

so that the recipe makes just the right

number of cookies for the class. A lot of

the amounts of ingredients are fractions,

and dividing fractions is hard. Vylinh tells

us we can eat the cookies during snack.

n Forensics. Megan teaches us about

blood types and how to properly use a

microscope. We look at slides. My blood

type is AB-negative.

n Italian. Jason videotapes us as we read

(in Italian!) a pretend newscast using our

new weather vocabulary. We will play the

video at All-School Meeting next week.

from the students and teachers. Still, astrength of the Summerbridge Man‑chester program has been the longevityof its professional staff in their posi‑tions. As we make this transition, wewill look to the larger Derryfield,Manchester, and National communitiesto support the mission, students, teach‑ers, and new professional leaders intheir work. As I pass the baton, I’d liketo share the primary areas of focus forthe program as it nears its fifteenth‑year milestone.

Development for the program, pub‑lic relations, and future sustainabilityare critical. The key to the program’sfinancial security and sustainability liesin building our endowment. Currentlyour endowment is $1.6 million; thathas been a wonderful and critical pillarfor the program. Still, we believe thefunding and ability to provide thiseducational model lies in building ourendowment, allowing the model of‘students teaching students’ to exist in

perpetuity. Our goal is to significantlyincrease the endowment over the nextfive years. The program has workedwith Derryfield trustees and communi‑ty members to build a five‑year finan‑cial plan that will address the fundingneeds and goals of the program. Weplan to share the work and success ofthis educational model with more cor‑porations, foundations, and individu‑als who are interested in strengtheningopportunities in the educational fieldin the city of Manchester. Building alarger endowment will help bring theprogram out of adolescence and intomaturity.

Support of graduates in their highschool years continues to be an area offocus for the program in truly meetingour mission and serving students intheir academic pursuits. As many ofyou know, we have an outstanding andeffective summer session. When ourschool is in session, we are able toengage, support, and challenge ourstudents in meaningful ways. We feelthat we serve our students well duringthe summer session and throughoutmiddle school, but there is still consid‑erable room to strengthen our connec‑tion and appropriate services for ouralumni during their high school years.We hope to make our Alumni Program‑ming more structured, intentional, andvaluable for our Summerbridge gradu‑ates as they transition into high schooland navigate the path to higher educa‑tion. Building our alumni services andprogram is the most important pro‑grammatic work during the next fiveyears. In next year’s staff transition,

our new Office Manager will also serveas an Alumni Coordinator to workclosely with the Directors in assessingour current alumni program anddeveloping some of the key servicesand support that the program can pro‑vide to its graduates.

There are many ways for individu‑als to connect to and support theSummerbridge mission; we welcomethe chance to share this inspiring andpowerful model of ‘students teachingstudents’ with you. I have truly appre‑ciated the opportunity to work forSummerbridge and Derryfield, andthank you for your support of the pro‑gram and its students.

– Kathryn Robinson

summerbridge.derryfield.org 15

Ngan Hoang waits cheerfully for her turn with hermakeshift drum as students perform traditionalJapanese music during a recent SummerbridgeSaturday.

Ethan Schwelling ’04 helps Julian Alonso with thesubtleties of Japanese calligraphy as Kevin Leelooks on.

SUMMERBRIDGE

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A BUSY SEMESTER...














A BUSY SEMESTER...




options

Finding the Right Fit for Every Graduateby Annie Branch

College

Samuel Adams Undecided

Bryce Aubrey Pace University

Michael Beasley Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Cara Bishop Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Geoffrey Blanding Colby College

Joseph Cahill University of Vermont

Christopher Cameron Trinity College

Christopher Connors University of New Hampshire

Matthew Connors University of New Hampshire

Kevin Corcoran Loyola University New Orleans

Nicolas Couraud University of Vermont

Crystal Czaja University of New Hampshire

Laura Desjarlais Lake Forest College

Farrah Desrosiers Boston College

George Dirth Oregon State University

Thaddeus Duprey University of Pennsylvania

Joelle Emery Tufts University

Abigail Feinberg Boston Conservatory

Daniel Freeman Brooks Institute of Photography

Beth Frieden Whitman College

Annmarie Gaffney University of New Hampshire

Joseph Guerra University of New Hampshire

(Honors Program – School of Engineering)

Ali Farid Hafez University of Vermont

Ariana Hodes University of New Hampshire

Benjamin Jundanian Cedarville University

Remzi Kahya University of New Hampshire

Juliane Katz Ursinus College

Samantha Keefe Clark University

Geoffrey Kirsch Tufts University

Whitney Krause Vassar College

Julia Lehman Vassar College

Jeffrey Lyford University of Hawaii at Manoa

Cale MacMichael-Magruder Carnegie Mellon University

Timothy Mastrogiacomo George Washington University

Drew Moerlein Syracuse University

David Moore Tufts University

Michael Moran University of Pennsylvania

Shalini Patel Syracuse University

David Pham Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Sarah Pitman Trinity College

Katy Reno University of New Hampshire

Shaylen Roberts Skidmore College

Emily Runnells Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Bryan Sanford University of New Hampshire

Ethan Schwelling Emerson College

James Silvestro George Washington University

Nicole Speidel University of New Hampshire

Julia Spiegelman Bryn Mawr College

Maura Spiegelman Smith College

Elizabeth Townsend Middlebury College

Andrew Tsai Rochester Institute of Technology

Julia Voorhees Smith College

Katherine Weber Bucknell University

Ashley Westbrook Norwich University

Robert Zeller Middlebury College

In a time when US News and WorldReport ranks colleges annually andThe Wall Street Journal publishes

articles on how well high schools placetheir students, it is no wonder that students and parents are increasinglyanxious about life after graduation.Students at The Derryfield School areconstantly testing the limits of theirability in and out of the classroom, tothe extent that the additional pressureof getting into the right college can bedetrimental. The goal of the CollegePlanning office at Derryfield is not toplace as many students as possible inthe Ivy League, but to find schools thatmeet each student’s specific academicand social needs. College Counselor,Bruce Berk, reinforces this point ofview: “In these days of increasing com‑petition and parental expectations,Derryfield continues to fare extremelywell in the college process, yet for thisschool, and for all schools, the missionof college planning should be to findthe right fit and not the right name foreach of our graduates.”

Dr. Michael Thompson, the 2003 E.Charles Sanborn Visiting Fellow, spokein part on this topic when he visitedthe School last fall. Thompson, aprominent psychologist who workswith schools around the country,emphasized to a group of juniors and

seniors that there are more choices outthere than just the top ten ranked col‑leges in the country. In his opinion, thefit is what is most important, and thereare over 3,000 institutions in the U.S.alone to choose from. According toBeth Frieden ’04, who will be attendingWhitman College in the fall, “When Iwas sifting through the tons of collegemail and hundreds of college reputa‑tions, it turned out to be really helpfulto get recommendations from someonewho knows me and knows colleges. Alot of people are forthcoming withadvice, but Mr. Berk’s advice is person‑al and professional, and it led me tomy final decision.” Frieden choseWhitman in part because of a foreignexchange program that enables stu‑dents to study drama in England.

In the Class of 2004, students whohave a definite idea of what they wantto do are attending specialized institu‑tions like the Boston Conservatory,Brooks Institute of Photography, andRochester Institute of Technology.Other students are drawn to specialprograms at larger schools, like the act‑ing program at Syracuse and the politi‑cal science program at George Washing‑ton University. Knowing what they arepassionate about allows these studentsto develop their talent in programs thatare designed to meet their needs.

For those who are less sure of theirfuture, colleges are increasinglyencouraging students to take a year offbefore college, to allow them to gainexperience and perhaps arrive atschool with a new vision of their aca‑demic plan. There were three membersfrom the Class of 2002 who deferredcollege for one year, and instead pursued language opportunities inGermany, made handmade guitars inLondon and served as a medical internin Costa Rica, respectively. Each admitsthere are challenges, but all are enthu‑siastic about their decision.

Regardless of the path taken,Derryfield strives to help each gradu‑ate find an environment where he orshe will continue to flourish as a life‑long learner.

ABOVE: Alumnae Katy Reno, Juliane Katz, and JuliaLehman laughing as they form the receiving line.OPPOSITE: The Class of 2004 leaves the BoettigerTheatre after receiving their diplomas.TOP: Class of 2004 senior portraits.


alumni


The news contained in this section coversthe period of March 6, 2004 – June 16,2004. For more recent news, or to post anote, please visit the Alumni Community atwww.derryfield.org.

1968Kathryn Worrell Newton writes, “Craigand I enjoyed our class reunion dinner andwish we could get together more often. Itwas a fun time! Our new house is comingalong well – but slowly. We now expect tomove in during July. After we move, wewould love to have any of you come andvisit. Vermont is beautiful in the fall!”

1971Rick Kalil co‑curated an art exhibition atTufts University this May of work by fel‑low alumnus Marshall Carbee, entitled‘Pardon My French: The Art of MarshallCarbee,’ at the Slater Concourse Gallery inthe Aidekman Arts Center.

1972The ‘Your Business’ section of The ConcordMonitor on May 9th reported that GaryHirshberg will speak at Bentley College’s

McCallum Graduate School of Businesscommencement in Waltham, MA.

1974Hilary Chaplain writes, “I’m in New Yorkbetween trips and just thought I’d send outa quick update and a Hong Kong invita‑tion. I’ve just returned from Brazil where Iwas in attendance at the FILO InternationalTheatre Festival in Londrina, Brazil. Itaught Hospital Clowning with threeClown Doctors from Doutores da Alegria ‑Thais, Soroya, and Wellington. In case youdon’t know, I have been working with theBig Apple Circus Clown Care as a clownnurse (Nurse Nice) entertaining hospital‑ized children and their families for the past16 years. The Brazilian group was startedby Wellington Noguiera, who originallyworked with us in New York. We had anincredible exchange in Londrina – teachingtogether was an amazing experience. Wespoke the same language both in terms ofclown and in terms of the hospital work. Itwas like family! And to top it all off,they’re fun and talented remarkable peoplethat I felt very fortunate to have as friends.At the end of the week of teaching, we allparticipated in a Clown Cabaret. We werejoined by a well‑loved, 82‑year‑old Circusclown named Picolino II and his partnerFusca Fusca; Xuxu, a well‑known street,

THE ALUMNI SERVICE AWARDJoni Taube ’69 has been honored with The

2004 Alumni Service Award. Taube is not

only a dedicated alumna, but also a Derry-

field parent. She co-owns Art-3, a shop

that offers prints, framing services, and

gifts, as well as consultations for corpo-

rate clients. Taube has been an active

Class Agent, and was involved in the cre-

ation of the Sculpture Garden. She helps

set up Derryfield art shows, and donates

artwork and art books to the School. Taube

lives in Bedford with her husband, Eliot,

and daughter, Kayla ’05. Her daughter,

Jenna ’00, recently graduated from Tufts.

IN MEMORIAMRobert Quay ’99, who attended Derryfield

in the 8th grade, died as the result of a

mountain biking accident in New Mexico

in June. After leaving Derryfield, Bob went

on to attend Souhegan High School and

was a graduate of Williams College. He

was an active volunteer and President of

the Williams Outing Club. A memorial ser-

vice will be held on August 14th at the

Amherst Congregational Church.

ERRATAThe Bailey Milne Fund was listed as hav-

ing been founded by former Headmaster

Bill Pfeifer in the Winter Issue of Derryfield

Today. We neglected to mention that

Pfeifer’s son, Brad ’79, co-founded the

fund with his father.

Update on

Cecilia Mackenzie Sweeney (Chris ’84)

theatre, and circus clown who is also avery well known actor in Brazil namedLuiz Carlos Vasconcelos; MedicalDoctors from Buenos Aires who alsowork as clowns; and some local clowndoctors from Londrina. It was a fabu‑lous night of performance and I feltthat I was truly at my best. As a result,they hope to invite me back next yearwith my solo show, and they will rec‑ommend me to other festivals. I’mthrilled – I’ve been working very hardtowards this and I’m starting to reallysee my efforts rewarded! Lastly, I willbe performing in a festival in HongKong in mid‑June and want to spreadthe word. If you know anyone livingthere, please forward them the infor‑mation about the shows. And makesure they stop to see me after theshow! My brother and his family livein Hong Kong, so I’ll be able to visitwith them while I’m there. And whowould go all that way without a littlevacation! My friend Rima and I arespending eleven days in Sabah,Malaysia, on the island of Borneobefore I start at the festival. Pleasenote, lots of rain and cool weather in

Brazil – the rainy season is starting inAsia. No sun jealousy! Here is the festi‑val information: A Life In Her Day,June 16th‑18th at Faust InternationalTheatre Festival, Hong Kong. For fur‑ther details and ticket info, the websiteis http://www.faustworld.com/festival/. Please forgive the impersonalnature of a group letter, but I figured itwas the best way to get to everyonequickly and efficiently! I haven’t beenin touch with some of you for so long!”

1978Pete Norton lives in Boothbay, ME,with his wife, Sue, daughter, Kate (8),and son, Tim (2).

1982Karen Haack married Mark Ravanesiin June of 2003. They honeymooned onthe Amalfi Coast and live in Boston.

1984Mary Downes writes, “We just boughta house in Goffstown, just off the backroad, near the old route I used to taketo Derryfield every day with MattPurington, Todd Clow, and JayVillani and various other Weare‑ites.Very strange! We just joined the AllardCenter YMCA, too. Our two kids,Haley and Rowan, are happy to havetheir own back yard to romp in, andmy commute to Concord is actually

very calming. I’m looking forward toour 20th Reunion!” n Edward Haletkyjust moved to Wrentham, MA. Hewrites, “It is nice to be back in NewEngland.” After renovating a barn forhis office, Edward is enjoying the sightof trees while he writes two books. Hehas also published two more articles. n

Christopher Sweeney writes, “ChristyCrabb and I are delighted to announcethe birth of our second daughter,Cecilia Mackenzie Sweeney, 7 pounds,14 ounces, at 2:32 a.m. on Monday,


UPDATE ON ALUMNI

Woofie Fleming Amidon ‘79 and her husband,Arnold, enjoying the Derryfield Alumni gatheringat a Red Sox Game in May.

Former Summerbridge Director, Natalie Gray, withher husband, James, and daughter, Alice Antha.

reunionS A V E T H E D A T E

2004 scheduleLook for an invitation in the mail!

Friday, October 1Reunion Cocktail Reception

Saturday, October 2Country FairRound Table with Chuck SanbornCougar Athletic EventsClass Parties

April 12, 2004. She joins first daughter,Fiona (3). Fiona dotes on her little sis‑ter, though she’s a little put out withMom and Dad for actually payingattention to the new arrival. You’ll notethat Cecilia (named for Saint Cecilia,the patron saint of music and musi‑cians), due five days earlier, was con‑siderate enough to wait until just afterEaster, so that Mom and Dad could fin‑ish their Eastertide church choir dutieswithout drama or interruption.”

1985John Van Hooser writes, “Tracey and Iare proud to announce the birth of oursecond son, Scott Xin‑Cheng, onFebruary 28, 2004. Scott joins his bigbrother Jack, who turns two on May1st.”

1986Heather Koerber Nunes writes, “I’mstill living in the semi‑suburbs ofBoston, where we manage to maintaina vegetable garden, raise chickens, andmake a few gallons of maple syrup onour one‑acre plot. I now have threechildren: Hadleigh (6 1/2), Emmett (4),and Ada (1). I tutor middle‑schoolmath weekly at a school in Cambridge,in addition to my sewing business andhabit. I started training for triathlonsthis season – see anyone at WaldenPond? My brother Christopher ’89 gotmarried to Amy Marx last July.” n

Natalie Searle Wrightson’s parentswrote, “We are the joyful grandparentsof Myles Robert Wrightson, born May19, 2003 to Kyle and Natalie SearleWrightson.”

1987Debra Dupont Tremblay and her hus‑band, Craig, announced the birth oftheir daughter, Piper Grace, born onJanuary 25, 2004.

1988Jennifer Scott writes, “With my husband David Jefferds, I want toannounce the birth of my daughter,Arden Maria Jefferds, on October 16th,2003. Luckily, she gets to see Aunt Rae‑Rae (Rachel Scott ’92) relatively often,and she’s quickly hit the babbling androlling stages. We’re delighted withher!” n Barbara Brittell’s mother e‑mailed Chuck Sanborn and gave thefollowing news about Barbie: “After atime in the Soviet Union/Moldovia sheleft once ‘the wall came down’ andpracticed rural, and emergencymedicine as a PA/MPH in Maine. Shehas also been on the teaching staff ofWilderness Medicine Associates andhas taught all around the country.Barbie now has the first class running


UPDATE ON ALUMNI

Chuck Sanborn, Lindsay Allen ’94, and Tracy Allen ’89 catch up during the Red Sox game in May.

Debra Dupont Tremblay with her daughters, Piperand Hailey.

on the Antarctic front. She embarkedon her Antarctica adventure last year.She is serving with the NSF inAntarctica, where it is winter now.There will be no more daylight untillate August, and the weather will dropfrom ‑30 to ‑150 before the winterends.”

1989Erin Perry Bourgeois and her hus‑band, Jon, welcomed a son in the fall of2003. n Rebecca Gallagher Thomaswrites, “I’m here in Germany and lik‑ing it a lot. I’d like it a whole lot moreif my husband wasn’t in Iraq fighting awar. I’m working at the dental clinic atthe army base where we’re stationed,which is about 30 miles fromFrankfurt. Germany is beautiful. Ihaven’t seen a whole lot. I did sometraveling over the summer with mytwo sons. My oldest started kinder‑garten this year and he loves it.” n

Kimberly Frederick writes, “I’m teach‑ing U.S. and Middle Eastern history atConcord Academy in Concord, MA.I’m also a houseparent and basketballcoach, and I’m loving it!” n ShelleyEmley‑Jones and her husband, Ben,are moving with their two kids, Ely (31/2) and Ruby (1 1/2), to California inJune to begin a new adventure. Benwill work for Electronic Arts andShelley will continue teaching Englishto Speakers of Other Languages(ESOL).”


UPDATE ON ALUMNI

continued on page 24... Bitsy Jorgensen ’99, Chris Nickerson ’01, Alex Moerlein ’01, and Christopher Callaghan ’02.

Zach Learner ’00, Meredith Johnson ’00, Josh Lucas ’00, and Lori Evans ’00.

Andy Kosheff ’78, Brad Benson ’78, Jon Kosheff ’78, Neal Winneg ’78, and Jim Hendrix ’77.

Derryfield alumni, parents, and faculty gathered on the evening of June 12th to celebrate David Haight’s32 years of service to The Derryfield School. For more images from the evening, visit the What’sHappening section of www.derryfield.org.

Alumni Honor David Haight

E llie Cochran ’69 has seen TheDerryfield School from nearlyevery angle possible. She has

been a student, alumna, volunteer,trustee, employee, and parent. Sheknows every face in the Derryfield andgreater Manchester communities, andhas used that knowledge to makeDerryfield the best school possible.

Ellie graduated in the second classof the School’s history, after which sheattended Colby‑Sawyer College. Elliecreated the School’s first alumni maga‑zine, and was later invited to join theBoard of Trustees. She has been anemployee of the School for sixteenyears, but she has been working for

Derryfield for much longer than that.Her son, Andrew ’01, attended theSchool while she was working asDirector of Community Relations.

Also known as Ms. Derryfield andMs. Manchester, Ellie and her knowl‑edge of the community allowed her tocreate a flourishing Community ServiceProgram and to continuously promotethe School to the Manchester commu‑nity. Ellie spent this year working witha new staff in the Advancement Officeas Assistant Director. Her knowledgeof the people and history of the Schoolencouraged a successful transition. This

summer, she begins work for the NewHampshire Charitable Foundation, butcontinuing in her tradition of volun‑teerism, Ellie will Chair the 40thAnniversary Planning Committee andher 35th class reunion. Before headingout the door, Ellie took a moment toreflect on her time at Derryfield.

What was it like being atDerryfield in the early years?I arrived at Derryfield as a sophomore,after spending my freshman year atCentral High School. Many of myfriends from Webster School wereattending Derryfield. I really wanted asmaller environment, and my parents

did not want to send me to boardingschool. Those early days at the BoysClub and Manchester Institute were anadventure. It was great being down‑town and feeling like you were part ofan experiment, although when wemoved to our new campus on RiverRoad we were thrilled to be in a brandnew building out in the country.

Which teacher had the greatestimpact on you as a student?I was so fortunate to have Ed Bailey inmy life. He was my science and mathteacher, and had the patience of a saint!I was definitely not a science or mathstudent, but he always took the time tohelp me with my work and, more im‑portantly, keep it all in perspective. Hewas Derryfield’s original multi‑tasker.One of my greatest joys at Derryfieldwas returning as a staff member andhaving my office next to Ed’s. He was awonderful mentor and friend.

Ellie’s 1969 yearbook portrait.

From Every Perspective


“I have found throughout my life that you get so much more out

of life's experiences if you get involved.”

LIFE AFTER DERRYFIELD

Ellie with her son, Andrew ’01.

Ellie Cochran ’69

How has the School changed mostin the past 40 years?I think the biggest change has been inthe physical plant. When I was a stu‑dent at Derryfield we had one build‑ing, and over the last 30 years we haveadded the gym, library, auditorium,and middle school. What hasn’tchanged is the amazing faculty andtheir desire to get the most out of theirstudents. They constantly inspire me towant to do more to make Derryfield aneven better place.

What made you come back toDerryfield?I had always enjoyed my volunteerwork at Derryfield, having the oppor‑tunity to work with people like ChuckSanborn and Steve Hahn. I actually felta loss when I went off the Board ofTrustees. I happened to mention that toKathy Barger, the Director of Develop‑ment at the time. The next thing Iknew, Headmaster Marc Hurlbut wasasking me if I would be interested incoming to work as the Director of the

Capital Campaign to raise the fundsfor the auditorium. After one year Iwas hooked, and kept coming up withideas of things I could do at the School.

What was it like having your son,Andrew, attend Derryfield whileyou worked here?I’m not sure how Andrew wouldanswer this question, but for me, it wasa dream come true. I could watch ourson mature, get to know his friends,and probably keep him out of sometrouble! I loved being here while hewas a student, watching his games,seeing him understand the value of hisDerryfield education, and I reallymissed him when he left for college.

What’s next for you?Derryfield has created a life‑long learn‑er out of me, and the lessons I havelearned while I have been here will beinvaluable in my new position asSenior Foundation Officer for the NewHampshire Charitable Foundation.One of the things that drew me to mynew position was the ability to remainin contact with so many of the wonder‑ful people I have come to know fromthe extended Derryfield family. I knowI will always maintain a strong connec‑tion to this special place.

What will you miss most?I have always thoroughly enjoyed myrelationships with the students andtheir parents, and I will definitely missthose ongoing relationships. But mostof all I will miss the walks in the hallswhen you have the chance to talk to

students and teachers and get a realsense of why you have chosen to be atDerryfield. It is unique.

Do you have any words of wisdomfrom your experience as a stu-dent, alumna, trustee, parent,past parent, and faculty member?I have found throughout my life thatyou get so much more out of life’sexperiences if you get involved. Thefriends that you make and the interest‑ing opportunities that come your wayonly happen if you are willing to takea risk and try to grow from the experi‑ence. I have been blessed to have beena part of this community and I cherishthe memories that were created here.


Ellie dressed as Twiggy her senior year atDerryfield.

Ellie hard at work for Derryfield on the phone.

1990Ian Czaja and his wife have had theirsecond child in May of 2004, a sonnamed Nikolai. n Joshua Hardingwrites, “Greetings all! I just returnedfrom a 3‑month stint in Balad, Iraq,where I was the wing protocol officerfor the 332nd Air Expeditionary wing(of Tuskegee Airman fame). My wife ofseven years, Nicole, and our two chil‑dren, Gabe (4), and Ava (1), are movingin July to Randolph Air Force Base inSan Antonio, TX.”

1991Heather Rotch Bradeen and her hus‑band, Rex, welcome a son, WesBradeen. n Christopher Perry writes,“Hello! Kirsten and I are very pleasedto announce the birth of our son, EvanMichael Perry, and daughter, NoletteMae Perry. The twins were born onMarch 21, 2004, at Southern New

Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua.They were born at about 34 weeks’ ges‑tational age and weighed 4 pounds, 11ounces and 4 pounds, 10 ounces,respectively. After a brief two‑weekstay in the NICU, the twins came homeand Kirsten and the babies are doingvery well. The twins decided to beborn on the day of their baby shower,which was being planned by KarinLoscocco Witt. We felt blessed thatKarin and her husband, Mike, (bothdoctors) were in town for the birth andwere able to consult on the care of thetwins and provide moral supportthrough the initial scary hours afterthey were born. We are all doing welland adjusting to the lack of sleep thatcomes with newborns. The twins havea website at www.PerryTwins.com,and they would love it if you couldcheck in on them from time to time.” n

James Galluzzo writes, “Greetingsfrom me and my family, currently inGermany. I am studying Russian inGarmisch. I recently visited Moscowon business, and it was great. I hope allis well with each of you. Drop me aline.” n Lee Barger moved fromDenver to Glenwood Springs last sum‑

mer to a new position with the sameengineering firm. He enjoys living inthe mountains with mountain biking,fly fishing, and kayaking out his frontdoor. That is, when he’s not skiing.

1992Rebecca Haight Gibson and her hus‑band, John, welcomed their first child,Lila Grace Gibson, on April 16, 2004.Proud grandfather, David Haight,reports that she weighed in at 9pounds, was 20 inches long, and is“wicked cute.” n Willis Turbynewrites, “I am spending a few weeks inOgden, UT, at the Utah Music Theateroverseeing the construction of the setfor Zorro. It’s a beautiful area.” n

Andrew Sklarin reports, “In the fall Iwill become the Director of Marketingand Sales for Van Der Meer Tennis! Iam not on‑court as much as I wouldlike, but it’s a good job and I am excit‑ed to undertake it. I am getting settledin to my home and still learning myway around Hilton Head Island andsurrounding area.”


UPDATE ON ALUMNI

...continued from page 21

Rebecca Haight Gibson ’92 with her husband,John, and new daughter, Lila, at her father’sretirement party in June.

Derryfield student Tim Allen ’05 sits with recent graduates Lindsay Nolitt ’02, Kyle Rushton ’03, andMatt Rushton ’00 at David Haight’s retirement dinner.

1993Katherine Hurlbut Chappell writes,“My husband, Andy, and I are gettingready to celebrate our son Brady’s firstbirthday on April 2, 2004. We are alsoplanning to write our theses this sum‑mer to finish our master’s degrees atDartmouth.” n Ryan Tuttle reportsthat Brant Hughes moved to Salem,MA, sold his Harley, and is pretendingthat he is an adult. Mikey Spector stilllives in Atlanta and has a yellow labnamed Daley, after his favorite golfer.David Botsford lives in Phoenix and isstudying to get his Ph.D. in clinicalpsychology. n Margaux d’Auteuil isteaching in New York City at a QuakerSchool (Friends Seminary), which isthe oldest private school in the city. n

Lisa Boucher and Mark van Oosterumare happy to announce that they weremarried on April 10, 2004, and are nowliving in Cambridge, MA.

1994Michael Wall is engaged to AutumnJohnston. An August 7, 2004, weddingis planned.

1995Lesley Keiner is leaving Washington,DC, to attend UMass graduate school.She is working towards a degree indecorative arts with an eye to becom‑ing a museum curator.

1997Jessica Shute writes, “Hi Everyone!Hope the year is going well forDerryfield. I have taken up new resi‑dence in Charlestown and am in themidst of teaching my third year of sev‑enth grade English in Melrose. Bestwishes to all.” n Amanda Fiedlerwrites, “I just finished my first year ofgraduate school at The School of theMuseum of Fine Arts, Boston. I am stillplaying soccer once a week with otherDerryfield alums, Jessica Shute,Matthew Purtell, Geoff Fiedler, TylerMerrill and Ryan Garceau. Sadly, I amrealizing that expertise in soccer does‑n’t seem to translate very well in the

art world – oh well, they are keepingme on my toes.” n Andy Moerleinpassed on the following emailfrom Emily Newick: “Greetings fromKathmandu. Namaste! (The onlyNepali word I know.) Kathmandu hassuch great energy – a little differentfrom Vermont. The streets are packedwith people and crazy drivers, drivingon the left hand side of the road too,which makes crossing the street lifethreatening for this country girl. Youhave to contend with the cars, buses,bikes, motor bikes, cows, and carts, allof which operate in some form ofchaos, wildly passing one another andconstantly beeping. Aspects of the cityremind me a lot of the cities in Central


UPDATE ON ALUMNI

On the evening of May 7th, under the lights and a spectacular sunset, a group of20 Derryfield alumni gathered at Fenway Park to watch the Red Sox take on theKansas City Royals. The Red Sox pulled off a narrow win and everyone had agreat time catching up. The Class of 1999 wins the award for best representation –in attendance were (from left to right) Kate Davis, Chris Norwood, PikeSeverance, Ben Kinder, and Julie Aguiar (and Stacey Starner, not pictured).

T H E C L A S S O F 1 9 9 9

stories fromfenway park

America. Developing cities everywhereshare a certain sameness – an intrigu‑ing recklessness; concrete buildingswith painted advertisements and oldwooden doors, broken streets and side‑walks, garbage, little bodega‑style minishops in closet size openings, openmarkets with fruit, and goats and liveanimals abound. One major differenceis the Asian aspect – many of thewomen wear what I would considertypical Indian dress in beautiful mate‑rials. And there are temples and

shrines, not churches. It is really fun todrive through and just look out thewindow – a lot of stimulation. I spentthe last three days at the Pulharimonastery outside of Kathmandu,where a remote eye camp was beingheld. The monastery was unbelievable– up on a hill overlooking the Kath‑mandu valley and with a new buildingbeing constructed that is so magnifi‑cent, it is hard to describe. It was aboutsix stories, with amazing painting onthe exterior and interior (they havebeen working on the paintings for thelast three years and everything is doneby hand by the monks). The exterior ishand carved in many places with dif‑ferent geometric shapes. There arewalkways all around it at the groundand top level, so it is light and airy. Allover the hill where the monastery is,there are Tibetan prayer flags blowingin the wind. I’ll have to show pictures,as it is hard to describe. One of the bestimages was on the steep hill leadingup to the monastery, which madeswitchbacks back and forth, narrowroad with very sharp curves. I waswalking down it and some kids wereat the top of one of the descents withplastic soda crates that glass soda bot‑tles come in, probably two feet by twofeet, like a shallow milk crate. They flipthem up, with the skinny side on theground and they sit on the top, about18 inches off the ground, and then they“sled” down the paved hill. They flew.It was so funny. Anyway, that’s theword from Kathmandu for now. Workis going well. Always interesting to tryto get stuff done in a non‑deadline cul‑

ture. But it has been great to meet all ofthe people that I have been ”working”with over the computer for the past sixmonths. And the eye hospital here isreally amazing. I’m here for anotherweek, so hopefully will have someother snippets to share. I hope thisfinds everyone well and that spring ismoving along! Best wishes.”

1998Gerard Murphy dropped byDerryfield for a visit. He continues towork for Readak Educational Services,but is now covering the Caribbean forthe sales department. He is alsoengaged to Elizabeth Kay of NorthReading, MA. They met while he wasteaching at the school where sheworks. Gerard is living in Somerville,MA, just two blocks from his goodbuddy, Andy Young, who is workingat MIT.


UPDATE ON ALUMNI

A L U M N I S P O T L I G H T

farewellBen Russell ’94Benjamin Russell ’94 is leaving his post asthe Summerbridge AdministrativeAssistant and Derryfield Faculty Memberto pursue a degree in the Library Sciencesin the fall at Mount Holyoke College. Benhas been an integral part of the Summer‑bridge Manchester community for thepast eleven years. At Derryfield, Ben con‑tinued to challenge and engage the com‑munity as much as he did when he was astudent. As a member of the Derryfieldfaculty, Ben taught semester courses inSpeech and a new history course hedesigned, Joan of Arc. This past year, Benalso directed the winter play, The Philadel‑phia Story. Ben’s passion for ideas, discov‑ery and understanding helped to shapeand strengthen the Summerbridge pro‑gram; there are many students and teach‑ers in the program who were influencedby his teaching and mentoring.

Sara Brennan ’98 and her new husband,Christopher, at their wedding in September.

1999Christina Hancock writes, “Hey! Ihope everyone is doing great. My lifehas been a bit of a whirlwind since Ileft Derryfield. I graduated with dis‑tinction from Worcester PolytechnicInstitute with a B.S. in IndustrialEngineering, and landed a great jobwith General Electric Aircraft Enginesin their Operations ManagementLeadership Program. I have done a lotof traveling in college to England,Scotland, California, Texas, and Floridafor school conferences and competi‑tions. I am now living and working inKansas, but will be moving in the endof July to my next rotation for GE.Congrats to Kara, Sherrie and Kendrafor their upcoming graduation fromcollege, I love you girls!” n MeredithSteele writes, “Hi everyone. Aftergraduating from Middlebury thisFebruary, I have moved out to SummitCounty, CO. I have no job here, but mydream of becoming a mom has finallycome true. In the past month myboyfriend and I have adopted twobabies! One is a beautiful, six‑month‑

old lab/husky mix named Sadie. Herbaby brother Otis is a three‑month‑oldNewfoundland/Lab cross. They lovegoing for hikes with their unemployedmom, and wandering the high plainswhere we live. I am due to start schoolagain this summer in order to eventu‑ally have a career. After studyingMusic and English at Middlebury, Inow want to be a Physician’s Assistant,so it looks like I will be taking scienceclasses again. I hope all is well witheveryone. Take it easy.” n JosephDvorak writes, “I graduated from WPIin May last year with a BS in IndustrialEngineering. I took a position withMeadWestvaco as a Production Assoc‑iate, and have recently been promotedto Manager of Purchasing. Also, I amengaged to Sherrie Foote ’00. We’ll begetting married in August of 2005.She’s finishing up her undergraduatedegree in psychology, and will beattending the University of Dallas thisfall to get her MBA in Human ResourceManagement. If anyone is in the Dallasarea, feel free to email me at [email protected].” n ElizabethJorgensen writes, “Hi there fellowclassmates. I hope everyone is doingwell. I just wanted to write to tell youthat Chris Nickerson ’01 and I just gotengaged and are planning to marrysometime in the early summer of 2005.We are both excited, and happy. I hopeyou all are just as happy!”


To Christopher Sweeney ’84 and his wife, Christy Crabb, a

daughter, Cecilia Mackenzie, on April 12, 2004.

To John Van Hooser ’85 and his wife, Tracey, a son, Scott

Xin-Cheng, on February 28, 2004.

To Heather Koerber Nunes ’86 and her husband, Jake, a

daughter, Ada, on May 8, 2003.

To Natalie Searle Wrightson ’86 and her husband, Kyle, a

son, Myles Robert, on May 19, 2003.

To Debra Dupont Tremblay ’87 and her husband, Craig, a

daughter, Piper Grace, on January 25, 2004.

To Jennifer Scott ’88 and her husband, David Jefferds, a

daughter, Arden Maria, on October 16, 2003.

To Erin Perry Bourgeois ’89 and her husband, Jon

Bourgeois ’89, a son in the fall of 2003.

To Ian Czaja ’90 and his wife, Ekaterina, a son, Nikolai, in

May of 2004.

To Heather Rotch Bradeen ’91 and her husband, Rex, a

son, Wes.

To Christopher Perry ’91 and his wife, Kirsten, twins, Evan

Michael and Nolette Mae, on March 21, 2004.

To Rebecca Haight Gibson ’92 and her husband, John, a

daughter, Lila Grace, on April 16, 2004.

To faculty member Jeanne Mellish and her husband, Todd,

a son, Jackson David, on March 11, 2004.

To faculty member Jen Pierce and her husband, Dave, a

son, Tyler David, on May 24, 2004.

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S

parentsalumni

C E L E B R A T I N G

weddingsalumni

Karen Haack ’82 to Mark Ravanesi in June of 2003.

Lisa Boucher ’93 to Mark van Oosterum on April 10, 2004.

Paul Barney ’00 to Georgiana Mitrus on June 16, 2004, in

Bedford, NH.

Recent alumna Shay Roberts ’04 and her sister,Latin teacher Gillian ’99, at graduation in June.

2000Rebecca Maglathlin’s mother reports,“Becca is a senior this year at MIT andco‑captain of the varsity softball team.She will attend Purdue in the fall on afull scholarship/stipend Ph.D. programin neuro‑pharmacology. She hasworked remarkably hard at MIT, withgreat success, and is looking forwardto life in Indiana.” n Paul Barney isengaged to Georgiana Mitrus. Paul iscurrently attending the University ofArizona, and expects to graduate inMay with a bachelor’s degree in lin‑guistics. A June 16th wedding isplanned at the Bedford Village Inn,although Paul was considering havingit at Derryfield. n Morgan Melkonianreceived her Bachelor of Science degreein hospitality administration fromBoston University at their May 16thCommencement. Morgan was namedthe 2003‑2004 David S. Meader Scholarby the Country Club Managers of NewEngland and has been awarded theKoph Family Foundation 2004Fellowship in Wine Studies. ThisFellowship includes an extended tripto visit and study with producers offine wines in California, Italy, andFrance.

2001Darren Bishop is currently studyingabroad at the European BusinessSchool in Frankfurt, Germany.

2003Katherine Maglathlin’s motherreports, “Katie is achieving successful‑ly, co‑hosting a radio show, loving herfreshman year at UPenn and exploringPhiladelphia. We find the train fromPhilly to DC a very useful one.” n

Matthew Whalon writes, “Hi, every‑one. I just wanted to let you all knowthat my family has moved back toFlorida to South Venice, about an hoursouth of Tampa. Because of how muchcheaper it becomes to go to schoolthere, I’m transferring from VMI to theUniversity of South Florida at the endof this year. I’m still in Naval ROTC,and still hope to get a commission inthe Navy. I’m going to double major at

USF in History and History Education.I hope everyone else is doing well!Semper Fi.”


UPDATE ON ALUMNI

On August 23, while out jogging near her family’s summer cottage in Maine, Dana’97 received a bee sting that set off seizures in her brain lasting almost five hours,which resulted in damage to her brain. Regaining consciousness after five days,and following two weeks of difficult complications, Dana began a long process ofrecovery at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital of Boston in mid‑September, whereher progress was near miraculous, but also the result of a truly dedicated staff ofdoctors and therapists. She was released from Spaulding on November 7th to enterlocal out‑patient therapy programs while living at home. Although this secondround of therapies has had its ups and downs, Dana has continued to make pro‑gress. She has regained her driver’s license, volunteers at her local library, and hasbegun art classes at the Currier Gallery. She meets monthly with a brain injurysupport group, and continues to be monitored by many doctors. Her goal is toregain a totally independent lifestyle as quickly as she can. A story relating hercase aired on Boston’s Chronicle on April 26th.

A L U M N I S P O T L I G H T

recoveringDana Keiner ’98

Paul Barney ’00 with his fiancee, GeorgianaMitrus. They were married on June 16th.

profileMajor David Grosso ’78 was

honored on Founders’ Day asthe 2004 Distinguished

Graduate of The Derryfield School.Major Grosso, who has served in theArmy for 22 years, spoke to theDerryfield community after receivingthe award. He spoke of how his aca‑demic record at Derryfield was lessthan stellar, to the point where it wasuncertain whether he would receive hisdiploma the day before graduation.That evening, David Haight stayed upto help Grosso write a term paper thatallowed him to graduate. Of Haight hesaid, “His dedication, professionalism,and personal regard for his studentshave set the example for all to followand have helped develop generationsof future leaders.”

Grosso spoke of how it was not untilafter he left Derryfield that he discov‑ered what he was passionate about.Grosso enlisted in the U.S. Army andhas had a distinguished career, receiv‑ing several honors, including theBronze Star Medal. Grosso concludedby discussing how those who succeedor fail in the arena deserve more creditthan those who criticize from the side‑lines. He urged students to find whatthey are passionate about and then togo do it.

In 1981, Grosso enlisted in the U.S.Army. After attending Basic, Advancedand Airborne Training, he served atFort Lewis, WA, as a rifleman and fireteam leader, eventually rising to therank of Sergeant. He then attended andgraduated from the U.S Army SpecialForces Qualification Course in 1984

and was subsequently assigned as aSpecial Forces Engineer Sergeant atFort Devens, MA. Sergeant Grossoended his enlisted service in 1986 inorder to attend UNH and pursue acareer of military service by being com‑missioned back into the U.S. Armythrough ROTC.

Dave graduated Cum Laude fromUNH in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts inPolitical Science, having been commis‑

sioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S.Army Infantry. After attending initialofficer training, Lieutenant Grossoserved in Operation Desert Storm in1991. He has served as a Special Forces“A Team” Commander and SpecialForces Company Commander duringdeployments in support of OperationJoint Endeavor in Bosnia, OperationGuardian Retrieval in the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, and the Trainand Equip Program in the Republic ofGeorgia. Grosso noted that the effortsof Madame Townsend were rewardedin 1995 when he was able to convincewarring factions in Sarajevo to stopshooting during negotiations that wereconducted entirely in French.

Grosso has since attended the U.S.Military Academy at West Point andearned a master’s of science degreefrom Long Island University in leaderdevelopment and counseling. In Marchof 2003, Major Grosso deployed toserve in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is currently serving as the BattalionOperations Officer for 2nd Battalion,10th Special Forces Group located atFort Carson, CO, and is pending assign‑ment to Special Operations CommandEurope in Stuttgart, Germany. He andhis wife, Claire, have three children,Jacob, Allison, and Matt.

Major David Grosso speaks at the Founders’ DayAssembly in April.

Major David Grosso ’78

AlumniTHE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL 2004 DIST INGUISHED ALUMNI


2108 River Road Manchester, NH 03104-1396

A D D R E S S S E R V I C E R E Q U E S T E D

NON-PROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDMANCHESTER, NHPERMIT NO. 290

Farewell!Rebecca Haight Gibson ’92, John Gibson,

Lila Gibson, Barbara Haight, David Haight,

Michael Diaz, Alex Haight ’88, and Maria

Diaz gather for a family portrait after

David’s retirement party.

Derryfield Today, Spring 2004

Documents

Transcript of Derryfield Today, Spring 2004