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MiltonMagazine numbers matter
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ta ble of contents
Features
Departments
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Behind the Humming Sound at Milton: The Answers in Dollars and Sense Trustees Rob Azeke and John Fitzgibbons, both Class of 1987, open Milton’s books and add timely commentary.
16 Can Inadequate Metrics Drive Equitable Decisions? Seth Allen ’86, admitting classes at Pomona College in Claremont, California, likes trying to figure out what “deserving” means, in this day and age.
20 310 Emotional Touch Points Dhruv Prasad ’95 produces roughly 500 entertainment events nationwide each year. He wants to make sure his nearly one million festival goers are happy campers.
Across the Quad
58 On Centre
50 Head of School
61 Messages
To See Clearly, Rely 62 Board of Trustees
On “Clean Mirrors” by Todd B. Bland
66 Reflections on a 51
Alumni Authors
Master Teacher
54 Faculty Perspective
68 Retiring Faculty
Listening for Understanding
75 Class Notes
by Brittney Lewer 88 Post Script 56 In Sight Photograph by
Feel Me Brave by Jessica Horak Stout ’94
John Gillooly
24 Chaos in the Circle Stop counting and keep playing until it’s no longer fun, advises field hockey standout Donna Chung ’79.
28 Deliver Flavor: More Rather Than Less Based in Queens, New York, Tomica “Tom” Burke ’01 taps her Caribbean and Southern U.S. roots to make food that melts in your mouth.
32 What Keeps College Counselors Up at Night Rod Skinner ’72 wants to decrease the anxiety that young people feel, and build the sense of self that helps them take on the world with gusto.
36 Eighth Graders Take on Big Data How do you set up investigations that collect data on homework and sleep, or recycling, or time spent in lunch lines, and talk about what the data show?
Editor Cathleen Everett Associate Editors Erin Berg Liz Matson Design Stoltze Design
Photography Yanqi Chang Michael Dwyer John Gillooly Akintola Hanif Jerry Errico Photography Martina Micko Photography Greg White
Milton Magazine is published twice a year by Milton Academy. Editorial and business offices are located at Milton Academy, where change-ofaddress notifications should be sent. As an institution committed to diversity, Milton Academy welcomes the opportunity to admit academically qualified students of any gender, race, color, handicapped status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally available to its students. It does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, handicapped status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship programs, and athletic or other school-administered activities. Printed on recycled paper.
40 Commencement 2015 45 Reunion Weekend
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Numbers matter. Some people choose to reckon with numbers and their implications more directly than others. Whether they’re committed to subscribers or dollars or ingredients or admissions or ventures or predictions or proofs, Milton alumni are wrapped up in endeavors that drive, or are driven by, numbers. Institutions like Milton project, track and report numbers of all kinds. In this issue, trustees examine Milton’s financial infrastructure — budget and endowment — and look at how financial realities drive the choices we make and the aspirations we have.
acro s s t h e qua d
Master planning puts Milton’s priorities on the map Trustees launched a facilities master planning effort in July 2013. Last January (2015), the board adopted Milton’s master plan — a comprehensive assessment of the campus and a long-term plan for its development. people Kimberly Steimle Vaughan ’92, trustee, chaired the planning steering committee, which included trustees, administrators, faculty and staff. Sasaki Associates was planning counsel. Sasaki brought a national and international record of accomplishment. process • Mine ideas from all the people involved in campus life today. • Find out what alumni recall, and what they advise. • Listen one-on-one to administrators, faculty, staff, students, parents and alumni. • Survey everyone: move the icons, vote with your feet, describe your favorite places, define optimal spaces for learning, working and living. priorities • Meet existing and emergent needs for academics. That includes planning for a new facility. • Take into account curriculum and teaching renewal as well as technology developments. • Develop and improve faculty housing. • Provide long-range ideas about how the campus would optimally support Milton’s mission in the decade ahead. • Move Milton toward fulfilling our strategic goals:
– building the strongest faculty
– renewing our curriculum rigorously and consistently to achieve
– continuing to enroll diverse, multi-dimensional students and
both innovation and long-term excellence helping them develop their passion for learning renovation new construction
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puzzle, plan, power up first steps In one of the nation’s priciest housing markets, renovate faculty residences. Begin with Goodwin and Hathaway and construct new faculty homes.
renovate ware hall. Create excellent program space for the Middle School and modern language department. Accomplish
middle school
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ADA compliance.
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middle school
2
a d m i n / a s s e m b ly
1
u. s . l an g uag es mechanical
math
i
engineer
building, along the Cox Library
er scienc e ut
where will math go? Answer academic needs with a new
com p
ng
quad. Connect math and computer ro
bo
ar
t
science with engineering, robotics and visual art.
tic
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numeral one
Behind the Humming Sound at Milton:
The Answers in Dollars and Sense Budget’s Story “To an outsider, Milton finances seem like they ought to be simple, straightforward,” muses Rob Azeke ’87, trustee Budget Committee chair. Milton spent against revenues of nearly $60 million in FY
the last five years, with the exception of tuition, which
2015. What were those carefully allocated dollars aiming
stayed flat during the most intense year of the recent reces-
to achieve?
sion (2009). Budgets are statements of philosophy. Resources
Simple. Achieve the trifecta: Provide a superb educa-
are finite, and the budget must be balanced. Therefore, the
tional experience for every child. Emphasize those long-
commitments in the Milton budget are annual resolutions
held Milton values. At the same time, test what tomorrow’s
for meeting well-known, competing needs.
Milton students should learn, and how. “This is as complex an enterprise as I’ve seen,” Rob continues. “Allocating resources to meet the short- and
Competing Needs, Creative Tension
For example, alumni often say that Milton’s value is rooted
long-term needs of Milton’s many stakeholders is a
in relationships: faculty connected with students — through
continual challenge.”
the classrooms, dormitories, advising, coaching, directing.
The trustee Budget and Finance Committee oversees
Compensation dollars fund the faculty who choose Milton’s
the annual budget process and authorizes the budget.
level of professional expectation. Compensation dollars
As the trustees weigh Milton operations in the short and
must convince today’s teachers to stay, attract new faculty,
long term, they consider key building blocks: tuition,
and empower teachers to grow at their craft.
financial aid, and compensation. Dollars allocated to each of these areas grew between three and four percent over
Students are Milton’s educational yeast. They shape the School culture — the intellectual and social environment.
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A majority of families are unable to afford Milton, however.
critical to student success. For instance, after personnel
In recent years, 55 percent of prospective Milton families
reductions during the financial crisis, Milton has added
applied for financial aid. Thirty percent of Milton students
faculty and staff over the last five years. A number of
receive financial aid.
faculty lead new programs, like Spanish in the Lower
Relying on tuition increases over time to meet costs is unsustainable. In addition, tuition increases require a
School and a dean of teaching and learning in the Upper School. Other additions are student-centered professionals
commensurate investment in financial aid, to offset the
in the Health Center and the college counseling office.
impact of the higher tuition.
New staff members support human resources and tech-
Philanthropy bridges the gap between what revenues
nology, facilities maintenance, communication, develop-
provide and what a Milton education costs on an annual
ment and administrative support. Employee benefit
basis. Tuition funds roughly 75 percent of Milton’s opera-
costs grow annually. Developing or maintaining appropriate
tional needs. A percentage of endowment earnings, gifts
technology infrastructure and tools, for the business and
to particular programs, and Annual Fund dollars combine
learning sides of Milton, is another cost-intensive pressure.
to make up the difference. The Annual Fund raised $4.39
Milton is disciplined about spending on deferred building
million in FY15, and all of those dollars will fund school
maintenance, but the dollars needed to rejuvenate assets
operations in FY16. A “dynamic equilibrium” is the way
on a campus with 135 acres and 60 buildings outpace the annual commitment. Milton has realized operational
one former trustee described Milton’s budget.
efficiencies savings through key sustainability-related Trending in Education
initiatives; solar and other energy-focused initiatives have
The operational challenges at Milton are familiar ones for
allowed the School to reduce utilities expenses by roughly
schools, nonprofits and corporations, and none were
$450 thousand compared to five years ago.
unscathed by the financial crisis, which particularly affected organizations dependent on endowments, like Milton. During the financial crisis, Milton trustees and
Standard Practice
“Conservative, accurate budgeting,” says Rob, “is a founda
administration established practices to carefully manage
tional principle, along with close quarterly tracking,
operational, capital, and investment decisions. These
department by department. That allows us to make course
practices have allowed Milton to manage operational
corrections before anything gets off track.”
realities and also prepare to pursue key strategic initiatives
Since all schools need to react in real time to unplanned continued on page 10
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Robert Azeke ’87 Budget and Finance Committee Chair “Budgeting is the lifeblood of a complex institution like Milton,” says Rob Azeke ’87. “Milton’s budget matches the School’s finite resources with the often competing and seemingly infinite demands of its stakeholders. Milton has developed a culture of budgeting and accountability that includes every aspect of the School. “Milton’s staff works closely with each department to develop a budget for the fiscal year and track actual performance relative to the budget,” Rob explains. “Through the Finance Committee, the trustees evaluate overall performance on a quarterly basis, adjusting the budget if circumstances during the year make that necessary.” Rob formerly chaired the Student Life Committee, and he became Budget and Finance Committee chair in
of entrepreneurs and business leaders who have been
2013. Founder of Farol Asset Management, Rob has been
historically underrepresented in the world of high finance.”
stimulated by the world of finance for nearly 25 years.
“From a finance standpoint, Milton is on solid ground,”
He was a Morehead Scholar at the University of North
Rob says. “We have a strong culture of budgeting and
Carolina. “I followed my passions, as a true child of Milton,”
accountability that focuses us on doing more with less. Our
he says. “I focused on political science, history and
annual fundraising supports only eight percent of opera-
economics.” Many doors were open to him after Chapel
tions. The endowment supports 15 percent. We have raised
Hill. Ultimately choosing to work on Wall Street, Rob
tuition at rates lower than many of our peer schools and
held rewarding positions at investment banking firms such
increased our student financial aid.
as JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Lazard Frères and Compass Partners, before making the switch to private equity. “I
“Most important, Milton’s Budget Committee works with a modeled 10-year plan,” says Rob. “To determine
was ready to eat my own cooking and become a principal
the needs of the School over time, it plugs in factors like
rather than an advisor.”
enrollment, increases in compensation and benefits, sus-
At that point in his career, Rob took a sabbatical, traveling the world for 14 months. He credits this time, at the age
tainability projects, endowment growth, the debt repayment schedule, and deferred maintenance. As a result, we are
of 34, for helping him develop the courage and resilience to
managing Milton’s finances prospectively, rather than in
navigate the challenges of being an entrepreneur — during
a reactive way.”
the 2008 financial crisis in particular. Rob started the Sunday
The tension between affordability and accessibility is
Group in 2004, which he closed down in 2008. Subsequently,
top of mind for the Budget Committee and for all the
he joined Parish Capital and then founded Farol Asset
trustees. “Ultimately, we come back to the capital campaign,”
Management in 2011.
Rob says. “We are where we are now because we haven’t
“We are an investment firm focused on the double bottom line,” Rob says. “Our investors expect us to generate strong financial returns and also to expand access to capital for minority and women entrepreneurs. America is changing: minorities will become the majority over
had the giving culture other schools have had,” Rob says. “We need to develop the expectation that we all give back, that we invest in Milton.” This is Milton’s moment, Rob believes. “Stakeholders have been heard; leadership is strong; strategic planning
the next 20 to 30 years. Women already outnumber men.
has brought new focus. With a successful campaign
Farol is at the forefront of providing access to a generation
to raise our endowment, the sky is the limit for Milton.”
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Fast Forward
needs (the snows of 2015, for instance; a failed roof or
Providing Milton’s historic quality, day in and day out, is the
steam line), Milton has set up funds to address contingencies,
primary standard that the operating budget must address.
notably a trustees’ reserve fund. The trustees have also
At the same time, the Plan makes the urgency and the
used this fund to pay for development of the Strategic Plan
impact of Milton’s capital campaign clear. The campaign is
and campus master plan. Maintaining healthy contingencies
intensely people-centric. Advancing passionate teaching
safeguards Milton against resorting to less favorable strat-
and learning, revitalizing it to make sure that students will
egies, such as borrowing — borrowing from the endowment,
thrive in an unpredictable future — that vision requires
in particular.
resources beyond what Milton has relied upon in the past.
While unplanned needs inevitably arise, comprehensive,
Growth in the endowment is Milton’s most pressing need.
long-range planning is the board’s baseline. Milton’s ten-
The campaign is an all-in effort to increase the capitaliz
year financial model includes projections of key variables,
ation of Milton’s core enterprise. Increasing the distribution
the sources and the uses that determine annual budgets.
from the endowment to Milton’s operating budget will be
Projections include numbers on enrollment, tuition, com-
the crucial factor in our fulfilling a true leadership role for
pensation, annual contributions, deferred maintenance,
Milton teachers and students.
principal debt payments, endowment growth, payments
Stasis is neither a reliable business model, nor an
on capital campaign pledges, and what we will spend to
acceptable plan for a leading educational institution. The
implement the Strategic Plan.
researching, testing and evaluating that goes along with
The board adopted Milton’s Strategic Plan in January
innovation takes resources. “Milton has made meaningful
2013, after an 18-month study that included input from
progress over the last five years,” Rob points out. “I am
every Milton constituency. The vision driving the Plan
confident in Milton’s leadership: Head of School Todd Bland
is that Milton become a magnet for the best teachers in the
and his administration; Brad Bloom, our recent board
country to develop and practice their teaching, in close
president; and Lisa Donohue ’83, our new president. Our
connection with highly motivated, original students. It
aspirational goals are within reach, and we fully expect
defines a clear concept for ideal teaching, and an inspired
that people whose lives were touched by Milton will
template for students’ learning experience. The Plan
understand our collective responsibility to give back.”
allows the administration and trustees to align spending by Cathleen Everett
with Milton’s priorities.
Milton Quick Facts 2015–2016 students
1,006
faculty
staff
176
156
tuition Classes I–IV
$53,330
Classes I–IV
$43,780
Grades 6–8
$41,810
Grades 4, 5
$33,370
Grades 1, 2, 3
$29,360
Kindergarten
$25,470
(boarding)
(day)
buildings
60
acreage
135
financial aid
$9.6 million
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The Milton Endowment Review: Performance, Function, Direction “Making sure we get the most out of Milton’s endowment.” Why Does Milton’s Endowment Matter?
John Fitzgibbons ’87 knows both sides of the Milton ledger: the sources and uses of funds. John immersed himself
“The endowment is crucial to Milton’s ability to: (a) com
in Milton’s finances on the board of trustees’ Budget and
petitively recruit and retain faculty and administrators;
Finance Committee when he was elected to the board in
(b) reach more prospective students through financial aid;
2004. John chaired the Budget Committee during formative
and (c) improve plant, facilities, and programming.”
times, immediately after the recession of 2008, and he has Sources and Uses (1)
led the trustees’ Investment Committee since 2013. Last April, John offered alumni in New York a close
Half of Milton’s $60 million operating budget is allo-
look at Milton’s endowment. After noting that Milton’s
cated to salaries and benefits, and the next largest
greatest assets are not financial, John pointed out that
allocation funds administration and operations. Those
“the endowment, our most significant financial asset,
two expense items can be covered by tuition revenue.
matters because it enables Milton’s productivity through
If we were dependent on tuition alone, other expenses
the leveraging of other non-financial resources.”
that are essential to Milton’s identity and program
John’s comments and graphics, excerpted for Milton
would not be funded. Contributions from the endow
Magazine, raise and answer important and frequently asked
ment and from annual giving cover the balance of that
questions about Milton’s endowment.
operating budget.
1
2
Sources and Uses of Operating Funds
5% Academic Programs
$60 MILLION
Endowment Income Supports Operations Extent of support determined by two factors: Other Operating Revenue Funding Income
Capital
& 8% Investments Debt Service
Endowment Income
17% Financial Aid
3% 8% 15%
• Size of endowment • Annual spending rate (3-year rolling average formula)
$60 Million Operating Budget
23% Administration & Physical Plant Operations,
Tuition & Fee Revenue
& 47% Salaries Benefits
Operating Expenses
Sources of Revenue
74%
$200 MILLION
$51 MILLION
Implied 3-Year Rolling Average Endowment Size
Other Sources of Income/Revenue (85%)
$9 MILLION (15%)
4.6%
Rolling Annual Spend Rate
$9 MILLION Annual Spend
beh i n d t h e h u m m i ng sou n d at m i lt on, con t.
Endowment Income Supports Operations (2)
rate multiplied by the contribution amount would imply
an endowment size of approximately $200 million. However, How does the endowment relate to the School, on a day-by$62 MILLION the actual size of Milton’s endowment is $262 million as day basis? $3 MILLION Future Incremental Distribution Additional Return and of April 2015, due to consistent returns above the spending The annual contribution from the endowment toContributions fund operations is a predictable number in the Milton budget,
rate, which compound each year. As a result, we already
and therefore it is critically important to long-term planning.
know that the next few years will benefit from a material
increase in the amount contributed from the endowment How does that work? The size of the endowment and the $200 MILLION Implied 3-Year Rolling to fund operations. Going forward, if the endowment draw-down rate (over a rolling three-year period) determine $9 MILLION Distributed in 2014-15 returns Average Endowment Size continue to exceed the spending rate, further budget conthe extent of the contribution from the endowment. Historically, that draw-down distribution rate has been 5
tributions will be realized, enabling either budget increases
percent. It’s now at 4.6 percent, headed toward the board’s
or reductions in other sources (such as tuition).
objective of 4.5 percent. A 4.6 percent draw-down rate applied to a three-year average endowment balance resulted
4.6%
Historical Endowment Performance (5) Annual
Distribution NegativeRate value (on the y axis) indicates spending rate. Green
in a $9 million contribution toward operations in FY15.
indicates the additional return over spending. Yellow Endowment Has Outperformed Spending Rate (3)
indicates gifts to the endowment. Returns in excess of what
Largely due to our predecessors on this board — because
was needed to fund the spending rate carry forward and
these endowment management decisions are made over
compound with future returns.
time — the Milton endowment has materially outperformed
Despite clear gains in the size of the endowment, the
the spending rate (4.5–4.6 percent) and outperformed
budget contribution amount does not appear from these
its peers over a one-year, three-year and five-year basis.
charts to be increasing much. This is based on both rounding
The important thing is how that translates into more
as well as the digestion of a difficult year in 2012, which will no longer impact contribution calculations after 2015.
resources for the School.
The next few years will likely reflect sizable increases. Outperformance Produces Endowment Growth (4)
At an average annual return of 12.6 percent over five years,
Diversification as a Risk Management Tool (6)
we’ve been compounding an excess (above spending rate)
Roughly 70 percent of our asset allocation is in the equity
return of eight percent during that period. The spending
market, including global, hedged and private equity
3 Endowment Has Outperformed Spending Rate
4 Outperformance Produces Endowment Growth 12.6% return over five years has compounded nearly 8% organic growth each year
Performance over recent five years:
17.4% net annual return over the last year; 9.9% net annual return over the last three years; and 12.6% net annual return over the last five years
$62 MILLION
$3 MILLION Future Incremental Distribution
Additional Return and Contributions
Top performer among peers Among 40 leading U.S. preparatory schools1, Milton’s endowment returns rank: • 5th over the last year;
$200 MILLION
$9 MILLION Distributed in 2014–15
Implied 3-Year Rolling Average Endowment Size
• 7th over the last three years; and • 5th over the last five years Note: 1 Preparatory school peer group is based on a performance survey from the Association of Business Officers of Preparatory Schools (“ABOPS”).
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4.6%
Annual Distribution Rate
Disciplined Investment Philosophy “Credit for this performance belongs to those who have been on the Investment Committee much longer than I have,” says John. Milton’s disciplined investment philosophy is well thought out, has been in place for a long time, and it works.
investments. Our credit exposure includes private, nonbank lenders that involve relatively long commitments.
These tenets drive Investment Committee activity:
Our natural resource exposure is captured in oil and gas royalty interests that are consolidated into two private
1. Evaluate performance strictly on
funds. In terms of geographic exposure, global investment
a risk-adjusted basis.
is important but conservative with respect to overseas
(temporary) allocations of capital.
2. Focus on asset allocation and
risk taken. Nearly 75 percent is in the United States, and the majority of the balance is in Europe and developed Asia. Liquidity
and Milton network for manager
underlying positions.
sourcing.
diversification to manage risk. 4. Capture illiquidity premium,
do look for illiquid situations that offer higher returns.
wherever possible.
Getting paid appropriately for illiquidity and long duration
6. Actively use Investment Committee
manager selection, not 3. Use geographic and industry
We are managing the endowment in perpetuity, and we
5. Avoid market-timing, tactical
7. Avoid conflicts between Investment Committee members and managers. 8. Hold advisors accountable to risk-adjusted relative performance.
is consistent with the Committee’s strategic orientation. However, we are careful not to jeopardize the accessibility of the endowment should Milton need it unexpectedly. [One quarter] of the endowment could be liquidated in a single day. [Half] the balance could be liquidated within a quarter. The remainder would take more than a year to realize.
relatively high equity market exposure to capture maximum
Manager Selection
to high-quality managers.
benefit from the Committee’s ability to select and gain access Along with asset allocation, manager selection is where the Committee has been able to add significant value to the
Among managers, we differentiate between core and non-core positions. Of 30 managers, 17 are core, and the
portfolio. Consistent selection of top-ranked investment
rest are not. The core managers have earned our long-term
managers accounts for the difference between top and
commitment, and we invest in them with high conviction.
bottom quartile endowment performance as measured
The non-core managers all have potential to develop into
against peers. The greatest performance variance between
core positions, but this can only happen over a long period of
managers exists in the equity markets, and we maintain
time, particularly if the positions are not immediately liquid.
5
6
Historical Endowment Performance
Diversification as a Risk Management Tool
(US$MM)
$12
$250 $4
$200
$7
$4
Asset Allocation
$30
Geographic Exposure
$22
$25 $10
$150
$100 $156
$156
11%
$166
$196
$190
$216
$0
2009
•Spend •Endowment Size
-$9
-$8
2010
2011
-$13
2012
-$8
-$9
2013
2014
•Additional Return / (Decline) Over Spend •Other Additions / Contributions
United States
Global Equity
16%
15%
21%
Europe
Credit
Allocation to debt investments
72%
47%
6%
Private Debt
$50
-$50
Private Equity
11%
Hedged Equity
4%
Natural Resources
3%
Real Estate
3%
Cash
69%
Allocation to equity investments
7%
Emerging Markets
5%
Developed Asia
beh i n d t h e h u m m i ng sou n d at m i lt on, con t.
Endowment Governance Structure (7)
stated mandate. They must also be transparent, honest,
How do we manage this? What are the roles?
well-governed, and have clearly demonstrated experience and expertise in their areas of focus.
The board has ultimate fiduciary responsibility for Milton Academy. The board approves the investment policy that guides and restricts the discretion exercised by the
A Responsive, Powerful, Scalable Asset
Investment Committee. The board also monitors perfor
At $262 million, Milton’s endowment is smaller than that
mance at regular intervals. The board’s responsibility to
of our peers, both in the aggregate and per student. That
appoint members of the Investment Committee is a crucial
means that every dollar the Milton endowment gains, either
one. Those members must be highly qualified, experienced,
through gifts or investment performance, will have sig-
and prepared to commit significant time over many years.
nificant impact. Milton’s endowment management process
The Investment Committee’s ten members are experi enced and committed; several members have been on the
is also highly scalable. As alumni and parents and friends add to this endowment, every incremental dollar will be put
Committee for more than 20 years. They take on significant
to work quickly and effectively. We will not have to change
fiduciary responsibility. Roughly half are current trustees;
our process to accommodate an increase in resources.
several others are former trustees. This Committee also
Ultimately, the power of the endowment is the most
includes non-trustees with valuable expertise. The Com-
important determinant in our ability to fulfill Milton’s
mittee determines the asset allocation targets; sources
vision. Power to fund a greater portion of Milton’s opera
and approves each asset manager and allocation; regularly
tions with the endowment contribution is simply essential
reviews detailed performance; and appoints Milton’s
for success. Progress toward every objective depends
external investment advisor.
on that equation: setting highly competitive compensation
The Committee’s advisor, Partners Capital, recommends
levels for teachers; sharpening their skills over time with
asset allocations and asset manager allocations. Partners
top-notch professional development; gathering the most
Capital monitors portfolio risk and performance between
outstanding students around the Harkness tables; and
committee meetings, conducts asset manager due diligence,
constantly, rigorously renewing Milton’s curriculum for
and supports Milton staff with accounting and reporting.
depth and relevance. With operational finances well
Finally, asset managers directly invest the endowment
managed, along with the endowment’s performance record
assets in companies and securities. The managers must
and potential expansion, we are poised at a particularly
invest in a way that is predictable and consistent with their
optimistic point in Milton’s history.
7 Endowment Governance Structure
1
Board of Trustees Endowment Overseers
Responsible for ensuring that effective governance provisions are in place
2
Investment Committee Endowment Fiduciary
Responsible for setting, overseeing and evaluating the investment program
3
Partners Capital Endowment Advisor
Utilize global experience across many clients to support Investment Committee
4
Asset Manager Investment of Assets
Responsible for the direct investment of endowment assets
Primary functions:
Primary functions:
Primary functions:
Primary functions:
• Determine endowment governance structure
• Determine asset allocation targets
• Recommend asset allocations
• Invest only within specified mandate
• Approve and revise Investment Policy Statement
• Approve each asset manager allocation
• Regularly review performance
• Regularly review detailed performance
• Appoint members to the Investment Committee
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m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
• Appoint external investment advisor milton.edu
• Recommend asset manager allocations • Constantly monitor portfolio risk and performance • Conduct asset manager due diligence
• Provide expertise in asset class or strategy • Provide adequate and regular disclosure
• A ssist Milton staff with accounting and reporting /MiltonAcademy1798 @Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
John Fitzgibbons ’87 Investment Committee Chair “These impressive returns are a reflection of process,” John Fitzgibbons ’87 says, “not luck.” John became the Investment Committee chair in 2013, succeeding Jide Zeitlin ’81. He attributes Milton’s excellent investment performance to Committee members’ decisions “over time,” crediting Jide and others who have had long tenure on the committee. “Longevity,” John points out, “is important on this Committee.” Noting that the Milton endowment has outperformed the draw-down spending rate (4.6%) and is a top performer among its peers, John focuses on long-term strategy to sustain that outperformance and to compound the endowment. Outside of his Milton role, John describes himself as an industrial manager. His long experience in the energy sector began with undergraduate research at Harvard during the Yeltsin era’s cultivation of the private economy in Russia, with a particular interest in development of Russia’s extensive oil and gas resources. He co-founded Khanty Mansiysk Oil Corporation, an oil exploration and production
introduced new levels of data transparency, first as
company, in 1993, and served as president and CEO until
Budget and Finance Committee chair, then as head of the
it was acquired by Marathon Oil in 2003. He has served as
Investment Committee.
chairman of Integra Group since founding the oil-field services company in 2004. In 2010, John founded Basin
Grounded by a clear investment philosophy, the Investment Committee targets endowment performance
Holdings, a global, industrial holding company. Basin manu-
in the top quartile of peer institutions. The Committee
factures equipment and provides services to energy and
focuses on manager selection as the most important factor
industrial customers around the world. Basin employs more
in achieving and sustaining performance at that level,
than 1,000 people in 17 countries, operating 16 businesses in
according to John. The endowment’s asset allocation
four divisions. Integra employs nearly 8,000 people in Russia. “Management is 75 percent about people and 25 percent
strategy is designed to reduce risk through diversification, a practice shared across most peer institutions. Manager
about timing and strategy,” John says. “I really enjoy the
selection adds the relative performance compared to peers
interpersonal relationships that develop in a corporate
that enables entry into the top quartile.
environment. The more diverse the holdings, the markets and the people, the more interesting it is. We are not structured as a fund but rather a private company capable
“The quality of students that are attracted to Milton, and the outcomes they achieve are remarkable,” John says. “As a boarding and day school in Boston, Milton is a hybrid —
of owning assets in perpetuity. That enables us to think
it is differentiated — and that differentiation is hugely
and plan over a long period of time. When you plan to own
competitive. Milton has a fantastic program and track
a business forever, timing matters less than people —
record. The School has done so much with, comparatively,
keeping well-qualified management teams committed and
so little. The great news is that every dollar we add to the
motivated over time is critical.”
endowment, through gifts and earnings, has an enormous
John regularly reports about Investment Committee direction, decisions and outcomes to the board. He
leverage and productivity impact. This is a great time to be connected to Milton.”
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/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
n u m er a l t wo
se t h a l l e n ’ 8 6
Seth Allen ’86 “I’m interested in stretching the notion of what ‘deserving’ means in this day and age,” Seth Allen ’86 says, one day in June when his normally teeming office is unduly quiet. Seth is vice president and dean of admission and financial aid at Pomona College, and he’s directing his comment at college admission overall. As a process, applying and getting accepted to college provokes fixation, incredulity and frustration for many families, nationwide. It also raises urgent questions about access, affordability and value. “Four years at Pomona and now in my 25th year in the field, I’d say that no one thinks of himself as a future admission officer,” Seth ventures. Without planning to, Seth launched his career at his alma mater, Johns Hopkins. He gained responsibility and visibility quickly, directing admission at Dickinson (eight years), and adding financial aid oversight to his admissions work at Grinnell (eight years) prior to arriving at Pomona in 2011. He likes the job. “I get to meet the brightest young people, travel around the world, talk about issues that matter, and think creatively,” he says. Other aspects of his job are less straightforward. He navigates numerous, intersecting, often interdependent, l ef t
Photo by John Lucas r i gh t The gates of Pomona College, with Pearsons Hall in the background; photo: Wikipedia; CC BY-SA 3.0
sets of metrics: The arbitrary and inexplicable algorithms that deliver college rankings are one set. (Pomona ranks fifth among small liberal arts colleges in U.S. News and World Report.) Pomona’s institutional goals are another: What
personal goals mark a third area: What numbers mean “success” in his own mind’s eye? In 1990, Seth imagined leveraging his Hopkins B.A.
continuing increase in applications, or decrease in percent
in economics to secure a launching pad in finance or in
of yield, or numbers of students who receive financial
consulting. At the time, a mini-recession served up an
assistance represent sound policy for Pomona? Seth’s
abundance of freshly minted M.B.A.s in Boston and New
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Working with another Hopkins grad, he also developed
“We’ve become both panderers to and victims of ranking systems that tell us how to think about our colleges and universities in a very artificial way.”
an online application, which ultimately led to the online common college application and an invitation from IBM to join the firm as a consultant. Seth walked through other open doors, however — in Pennsylvania, Iowa and California. His years of admission experience have led to a public commitment to change the process. “How do we, in an equitable way, identify the most-deserving students?” Seth asks pointedly. “I think we have inadequate tools.” He points out that the system colleges use to select
York, as eager as they were overqualified for the open entry-
students, more than six decades old, was developed as an
level jobs, so Seth revised his strategy. The admission
exclusionary system for a smaller, homogeneous, affluent
office at Hopkins, where he had worked as an undergrad,
population. “We have spent lots of energy doing end runs
welcomed him back, and with that vantage point, he
around this system, adapting it so that it’s more positive,
planned to enter the financial sector through Baltimore
but it doesn’t work particularly well.
connections. Reading applicants’ files and helping the
systems that tell us how to think about our colleges and
him on,” however, and he took an open position at Hopkins
universities in a very artificial way.” They set up far too
in 1991, promising a two-year stay.
narrow and convenient a definition of what success is, he
At two points, Seth “tried” to migrate away from
believes. It’s not that rankings have no value, but more
admission. While pursuing a master’s degree in change
that they’re only a start, in his view. And he points to bigger
management at Hopkins (1995–97), he moved into institu
concerns: the unsustainable cost of higher education, and
tional research there. That deep dive into analysis and
the issue of which young people are even able to consider the
strategy rekindled his love for data and for economics.
idea of college.
B.A. in economics M.S. in applied behavioral sciences certificate in change management at Johns Hopkins
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“We’ve become both panderers to and victims of ranking
committees charged with choosing the next class “turned
m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
President of the Board of Directors of the Common Application 2008–2009
pomona.edu/admissions-aid
Member of the Board of Directors of the Common Application 2005–2010
who are vulnerable, but self-aware,” says Seth, “kids that
t h i s spread
Seth notes. “We have learned that there are different kinds
have the potential for being exciting, not just passive
of intelligences. We have access to information that helps us
passengers.”
Photos courtesy of Pomona College; second from left by John Lucas
Research about how young people develop has advanced,
understand kids, what makes them tick, what turns them
Seth is involved in a number of efforts, including explor-
on, what helps them become all that they can be. That’s the
ing, with a coalition of private and public institutions, the
kind of information that’s desirable when you’re trying to
possibility of creating a new, shared application, an alterna-
make a class.”
tive to the Common Application. This system, tentatively
Which institutions are rewarded by the current
scheduled to debut in 2016, according to Eric Hooter in The
admission process, and what might incentivize them to
Chronicle of Higher Education, could change how many
change a system that rewards them so well? Colleges
students apply to college. Coalition members see this plat-
and universities feel plenty of pressure: tinkering with
form as an effort to reach out to high-achieving students
the barometer that measures you is risky. “Yet colleges
who lack financial resources. “It’s looking at college admis-
that do introduce some experimentation stand to learn so
sion as a multi-year process,” Seth explains, “setting up a
much,” Seth argues. “They will, over time, more effectively
longer horizon, allowing for progress, providing intelligent
distill who this student is, who will thrive in a certain
advising, and making sure that community-based organi
environment.”
zations that help kids consider college have the resources
Sticking with the status quo strengthens unintentional messages about what colleges value, according to Seth. “Students, their schools and their parents are not allowing
and the tools to be effective.” The coalition wants the product to broaden awareness, promote better access, offer a realistic process for young people to consider college. “In the next
or promoting kids’ taking risks. The great irony is that
phase of my career,” Seth says, “I’m eager to lend my time
teenagers who are petrified of making mistakes, who don’t
and attention to push the agenda and the boundaries in
lean in to creative, divergent thinking, are least attractive
areas where I’ve been a believer, to stop talking and start
to us. Students don’t seem to have the freedom to be them-
solving.”
selves, while admission officers are trying to find out Who are you, really? We’re really interested in those 17-year-olds
Appointed vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid at Pomona College in 2011
by Cathleen Everett
A financial aid budget of $29.3 million and a staff of 26 people in Pomona’s offices of admissions and financial aid
Seth Allen has 20 years of experience in college admissions under his belt
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numeral three
dhruv prasad ’ 9 5
310 Emotional Touch Points Building Affinity, Virtually and Physically Dhruv Prasad ’95 “A local radio host can be a huge celebrity in town,” says Dhruv Prasad ’95. If Ryan Seacrest, TV host of American Idol, appeared alongside Brian Scott, the K2 Radio morning DJ, at a mall in Casper, Wyoming, Scott would be swarmed and Seacrest would be standing by. People feel affinity for their local radio stations, Dhruv claims. Since 2010, Dhruv and his partners have purchased 310 local radio stations along with 325 local companion websites in 66 small to mid-size markets — like Odessa, Texas; Rochester, Minnesota; Buffalo, New York; and Boise, Idaho. Townsquare Media also owns national music and entertainment digital properties, and produces approximately 500 music and non-music annual events. At the recession’s nadir in 2009, Dhruv and four investor
Times bumper stickers, but in Twin Falls, Idaho, they
partners spent a year scouring the market for “reasonably
do paste 98.3 The Snake, Classic Rock on the pickup. After
priced” acquisitions in the traditional media market. Adver-
all, local DJs have been ‘blogging’ for years, and radio
tising was in free fall; the Internet was disintermediating
stations have long promoted live events, particularly in
TV and cable; and newspapers seemed dead or dying. By
music,” Dhruv points out. Of the various forms of “traditional” media, radio was
contrast, listener trends in radio were stable. Research found that 91 percent of the public listened to and interacted with
in the best position to grow, the group determined. In 2010,
radio each week. Brand identity in local radio was strong;
with their first radio acquisitions, they began implementing
attachment to local broadcast personalities was “sticky,”
a plan to buy great radio brands, operate them well, and on
as Dhruv describes it, and not at significant competitive risk.
the back of that, build both digital and live events businesses
“Radio is the most ‘emotional’ of all entertainment,” Dhruv contends. “People don’t deface their cars with New York
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m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
townsquaremedia.com
/TownsquareMedia
from scratch. Today, Townsquare Media is the third largest owner of radio stations in the country, one of the fastest-
@townsquaremedia
Townsquare Media
Building Affinity, Virtually and Physically
DHRUV PRASAD Class of ’95 fa l l 2 015
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Keith Tim McGraw Urban
Toby Keith
Billy Currington • Eli Young Band • Jerrod Niemann Sara Evans • Easton Corbin • Chase Bryant Colt Ford • Josh Abbott Band • Tracy Lawrence LOCASH LOCASH • Logan Logan Mize Mize • Western Western Underground Underground Rachel Rachel Lipsky Lipsky •• Sasha Sasha McVeigh McVeigh • Jackson Jackson Michelson Michelson Amanda Amanda Watkins Watkins • Katie Katie Armiger Armiger • Jandee Jandee Lee Lee Porter Porter Nikki Nikki Briar Briar • Dylan Dylan Scott Scott
TASTEOFCOUNTRYFESTIVAL.COM
“People don’t deface their cars with New York Times bumper stickers, but in Twin Falls, Idaho, they do paste 98.3 The Snake, Classic Rock on the pickup.”
trust and overall expectation: The audience comes back for all of the elements — the camping, the crowd, the food, the emerging superstar musicians. People plan to go, year after year, as a group.” Successful festivals, music festivals in particular, are experiences. “In fact, they are the social, ‘we’ experience that is largely missing now that social activity has been
growing companies in the world online, and one of the
manages the events, my job is more like the cruise director.”
multi-day music festivals, in the country.
Dhruv is clear that this level of events management is
While the digital business ramped up quickly, Town
a customer service business. People who come make an
square experimented, that first year, with promoting
investment — of money, time and even reputation. You
a country music tour, which although successful, led them
can always count on complaints, and Dhruv claims that his
to shift their portfolio to annual, recurring events like
team reaches out, listens, and tries to bring each person
music festivals. Dhruv, who says he “kind of liked live
around. If complaints reach a certain volume, Dhruv uses
events and has a passion for music,” took over managing
social media, and he personally responds to individuals,
the numerous festivals, as executive vice president of
virtually or physically, in the customer service tent on-site.
live events. Today, Townsquare Media’s events across the country attract roughly one million people annually. “Rather than marketing for someone else’s brand, we decided to develop our own assets and build their value,” Dhruv says. “Music festivals are not as talent dependent
22
subsumed by the Internet,” Dhruv says. “As the person who
largest promoters and producers of live events, particularly
“We want people to come away happy, satisfied, delighted even. An event is an emotional experience, well-matched with radio in that respect, and they’ll associate that emotion with our brand.” Some festivals have been running for years, like Country
as music tours are. People queue up for tickets even before
Jam in Mesa County, Colorado, which has developed loyal
the artist lineup is complete. That’s because of a level of
audiences for 20 years. His firm started others from scratch,
m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
like “Taste of Country,” now in its third year. Located in
“A short memory,” he says, is the personal skill he needs
Hunter Mountain, New York, it was the first, multi-day,
most, “so I can learn from my mistakes but not get consumed
overnight country music festival in the Northeast. “We
by them. I have to remember that the best event producers
do live events in several categories,” Dhruv says, “and
in the world make money 75 percent of the time; even the top
for each one there’s a captain on my team who is focused
tier loses 25 percent. That’s disheartening, but you need to
on that series — music, 5K races, beer festivals, expos and
get beyond the losses.”
trade shows, and local events.” Dhruv’s team is involved
May, when the festival season starts, through September,
built out event-management and production capability, but
Dhruv can count on only a couple of weekends at home. It’s
they do everything, including talent, food and beverage,
also unglamorous, he says: “It’s very hand-on; you can find
campgrounds, transportation, tickets, marketing (a core
me checking IDs, taking tickets, picking up trash, dealing
competency with in-house radio and digital support),
with a line outside the customer service tent. “I’m willing to learn what I don’t know, and this industry
problem short of weather, which is the single most im
is interesting. Working with artists and entertainers, the
portant factor outside of their ability to “own every piece
subject matter is great, and people drawn to the entertain
of the value chain.” “My role isn’t so far away from my past in the private
Photos and posters courtesy Dhruv Prasad/ Townsquare Media
Resilience is important, too. This job is demanding. From
and leads every component of each festival. The firm has
and then solving problems (calmly) on-site. That is, every
ab o ve
ment industry tend to have big, charismatic personalities,” says Dhruv. “I spend lots of time in places that many people
equity investing world. You’re studying the data, investing
don’t know anything about, with lots of people I don’t
money, and making bets about how customers — festival
know. I get a sense for the many different faces and pulses
goers and event attendees — will react to the product,” Dhruv
of America. Perhaps best of all, as my wife says, I finally
says. The element of risk and reward is omnipresent. He
have a job where my encyclopedic knowledge of rock music
does claim that nothing prepared him professionally for the
can be put to use!”
music event side of the business, including managing the Dartmouth College radio station during his undergrad years.
by Cathleen Everett
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milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
numer al four
d o n n a l ee chu n g ’ 7 9
Chaos in the Circle Donna Lee Chung ’79 When Donna Chung was 26 years old, she was ready to quit playing field hockey for good. The two-time collegiate All-American at the University of Iowa was struggling to earn a spot as a goalkeeper on the U.S. National Team. She figured the time had finally come to move on with her life. “I really did quit in my mind,” recalls Donna. “There was another goalie, and she was better than I was, so I thought, ‘I’m done.’” Then she had a revelation. “I decided I was going to play field hockey until it stopped being fun. And it never stopped being fun. I just kept going.” And going. After Donna beat out her rival for the starting
just kept shooting on us,” she says. Still, Donna stopped
spot, she played goalie for the U.S. at the 1988 Olympic
enough of those shots to earn a place in the University of
Games in Seoul, Korea, and continued representing her
Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame. By the time she won a spot on
country for more than two decades, on and off. While
the national team, she’d also begun to learn that there was
Donna’s career could be defined by a series of impressive
far more to defending the goal than simply deflecting shots.
numbers — shots saved, international appearances,
In field hockey, an offensive player can only shoot inside
years on the national team — she doesn’t even care to know
the circle, a semicircular arc with a 16-yard radius, centered
her career statistics. The secret to her longevity and
on the goal. The average shot travels more than 50 miles
many achievements was ignoring those metrics. She paid
per hour, rocketing from the offensive player’s stick to the
no attention to her age or the number of goals she’d stopped or allowed. Instead, she just played. Donna was pulled into the goal as a kid. She had no choice, really. Her three older brothers and their friends were always playing street hockey and they needed some one to guard the net. She wanted to be included, so she became the goalie. “They were whipping shots at me all the time,” she recalls. “When you’re a kid, you don’t think about whether you’re playing against boys or girls. You just want to compete. The older boys shot harder and faster, so that prepared me.” At Milton, Donna switched from the pavement to the field, then went on to start in goal for the University of Iowa. The college’s field hockey program was new, and the squad wasn’t particularly talented, but this proved to be good training. “We weren’t that great, so all the other teams
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goal. From the sidelines, the player’s passing options were
As a goalie, Donna was constantly ordering her defenders around the field, changing her position, and generally thinking two or three passes ahead, the way a chess grandmaster sees a board.
limited, and the goal was effectively smaller, since the attacker was shooting from a sharper angle. The shots might travel just as fast, but the openings were smaller, giving Donna a better chance at a save. Of course, she couldn’t foresee every move or shot. Her opponents did score now and then, but Donna trained herself not to dwell on those lapses or failures. Over time, she found that this approach, along with other goalkeeping lessons, could be applied off the field. “When things don’t go as planned, you have to read the situation and react,” she says. “You have to go to Plan B or Plan C.”
goal in a mere fraction of a second. Clearly, a goalie has
When she stopped playing for the outdoor national team,
me,” Donna says. But this is only one part of the game.
Donna was still enjoying herself. Remembering the promise
The goalie’s first task, Donna says, is controlling the circle.
she’d made to herself when she was younger, she switched
“There’s always going to be chaos in the circle,” she says.
to indoor competition. The smaller field, along with a smaller
“You have to organize that chaos.”
circle of chaos, actually favored the age-defying athlete.
As a goalie, Donna was constantly ordering her defenders around the field, changing her position, and generally
Indoor field hockey was faster, but the speed kept Donna more focused. In the outdoor game, she’d sometimes find
thinking two or three passes ahead, the way a chess grand-
her mind drifting when the ball was at the other end. But
master sees a board. One common trick was coaching her
she couldn’t let that happen indoors, since the ball could
defenders to push the opposing team toward the sidelines. If a player charged up the middle with the ball, she had multiple passing lanes, and she was looking at a much wider
26
In Donna’s case, Plan B was more enjoyable than expected.
to be fast. “I can react very quickly to an object coming at
m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
momsteam.com
/MomsTeam
@momsteam
move from the opposite goal to her circle in a few seconds. “The ball moves so fast, so you have to be engaged,” she explains.
Although she avoids citing statistics, Donna happily recalls one highlight, which took place during an outdoor game against the Netherlands late in her career. “Anytime we got to play them was special,” she says. “The speed, the beauty, the flow of the game — it was like a clinic.” In that last match, though, Donna served up a lesson of her own when the game ended in the field hockey equivalent of a penalty shootout. “I stopped four out of five shots,” she says, “and I’ll never forget the faces of the Dutch players. Their jaws just dropped.” Eventually, the rigors of throwing herself onto the field to stop one shot, then jumping to her feet to block the next one, proved too taxing. Donna stopped competing at the international level, but she still coaches, referees and plays whenever possible. She also finished her playing career on a high note. At her last international tournament, the 2010 Indoor Pan American Games in Venezuela, Donna was already a legend in the sport, according to former teammate Jen Nixon-Mathis. Some of their teammates were actually teenagers. Yet Donna did more than keep up with the younger crew. “She won goalkeeper of the tournament,” says Nixon-Mathis. “I don’t even know how old she was.” by Greg Mone
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/MiltonAcademy1798
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numeral five
t o m i ca burke ’ 0 1
Deliver Flavor: More Rather Than Less Tomica Burke ’01 Tomica “Tom” Burke ’01 could check all the boxes on any “path to success” template: boarding school, excellent college, Capitol Hill job, prestigious law school, a position at a Manhattan law firm. But after two years, she left her law firm, and one year later she launched TomCookery, a catering company featuring Caribbean and Southerninspired food, based in Queens, New York. “It all started at Milton,” says Tom. “For my senior project,
culinary school. I took cooking classes anyway, and I
I wrote a cookbook. This was before food was sexy, but
moonlighted with a caterer. I started cooking for my friends,
I felt this urgency about wanting to preserve our family
entertaining and throwing parties. One friend asked me
recipes.” For the project, Tom started with her grand
to do his New Year’s Eve party for 60 people. I didn’t start
mothers. One lived in Queens, where Tom grew up; she
cooking until six hours before the party. It was an am
spent a week there, transcribing the “how to” of many
bitious menu, but it was a hit. I thought, ‘People are raving
of her family’s signature dishes. She then traveled to
about this food. I can do this for a living!’”
Barbados — where she lived as a young child — to cook with
After leaving the firm in 2012, Tom worked for eight
and learn from her other grandmother. Back at Milton,
months on the Democratic Convention with a former
she brought the recipes to life in the Robbins House kitchen
Capitol Hill boss. She used that time to plan her business.
and compiled the cookbook. A “Top Chef-style dinner”
Although she never wrote a formal business plan, she
for Robbins House faculty culminated her project.
educated herself by researching online: How much are staff
“It was the only unstructured time in my whole life,
members paid? How much does it cost to rent a kitchen?
and what I chose to do was — food. I spent only five weeks
How much does storage cost? How much food do I need?
on the project, and I didn’t come back to it until I left my
She funded the whole endeavor with her savings. The first
job. Food never felt like a serious career choice, or a career
year was a “learn as you go” experience. Today, TomCookery
choice at all. I didn’t have any shame about it, but people
runs out of a shared kitchen with part-time staff and
told me, ‘No, you are going to take over the world; you are
stages events all over New York City. Tom’s family was more
going to be a lawyer or a doctor.’ But I found myself
than in favor of her career change: “My old job bored
increasingly dissatisfied with my career.”
my family to tears; they think what I’m doing now is fun.”
Tom started dabbling in food again during her third
Scaling up her recipes to cook for large groups of
year at Columbia Law School. She had secured a job in
hungry people doesn’t faze Tom. Each event breaks down
her field. At the time, many firms were offering large cash
into three stages of work: a planning day, a cook day,
l ef t
incentives to law school graduates who agreed to one-year
and an event day. She starts with two crucial pieces of
Photos by Jerry Errico Photography, Yanqi Chang, and Martina Micko Photography
deferments. Tom was the only one praying for a deferment,
information from her clients: how many people, and
but the job offer stood.
what do they want to eat?
“I thought that with a year off, I could cater or go to
“Once I see that we have a 50-person party and they
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want two entrees, two sides, a dessert and a salad, it’s pen to paper. How many pounds of short ribs will I need for 50 people? We batch out our recipes. So we need 30 pounds of bone-in short ribs or 20 pounds of boneless short ribs. You do that with every single recipe and every single ingre-
I like having unexpected sweetness in a dish. Spices, like cinnamon, are connected to emotion and take people back; I love braised meals, like meat falling off the bone — anything that feels like home.
dient.” She develops the budget, figures out all the counts, and compiles shopping lists. Nailing down the pricing component of running a catering company took her some time. “Standard catering practice is to multiply your actual cost by three, and charge that. Sometimes that feels like an outrageous price, and sometimes it’s not enough. Labor is the most expensive part of my operation. Other caterers might use pre-made food, like frozen hors d’oeuvres. I don’t. I make almost everything from scratch. We make these little macaroni and cheeses that I’m literally spooning into mini-muffin pans. This takes time, but they taste so much better. We make dishes the way your grandmother made them. The challenge is figuring out what you value and charging a price that reflects that. I can’t worry about losing customers. People who value our work will pay for the product.” One thing that surprised Tom was how much time it took to feel like an established business. Factors she hadn’t anticipated arose: seasonal business slumps, the isolation of not going to a workplace every day, the challenge of managing people.
30
m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
tomcookery.com
/TomCookery
@TomCookery @tomcookery
Flavors are my strong point. I like having unexpected
ab o ve
comfortable situations,” she says. “Before starting a business,
“To grow your business, you have to put yourself in un-
sweetness in a dish. Spices, like cinnamon, are connected
I was against things like networking or approaching people
to emotion and take people back. I love braised meals, like
out of the blue. When you own a business, though, you have
meat falling off the bone — a nything that feels like home.”
Photos by Akintola Hanif (left) and Yanqi Chang (center and right)
to embrace both. Every time I do, my business grows in
Tom also likes to play with food, serving familiar
unexpected ways. Being shy and self-conscious doesn’t
flavors in an unexpected way. For a Barbados tourism
work. That has to go out the window when you’re working
reception, she adapted the country’s beloved, national
for yourself and promoting your brand. I didn’t realize I
dish, “Cou Cou and Flying Fish,” to serve it as a unique
had it in me, until I did it.”
appetizer. It was a hit.
An unidentified call from a Los Angeles phone exchange
Tom’s business is growing and evolving into a one-stop
turned up an unexpected opportunity for Tom. Food
shop for people planning events. She provides mixology
Network was on the line, asking her to compete on “Cutthroat
services and party planning, and she transforms spaces
Kitchen.” At a minimum, Tom thought, this would give
into unique sensory experiences. She recently transitioned
the business exposure, and if she won, what could be better?
some of her kitchen operation to free up time for strate
She decided not to “hide behind her chef jacket,” and she
gizing and rebranding. She is at the precipice that many
won the competition. “That show boosted my confidence. I never expected to win — I just didn’t want to go out in the first round! I would do more TV, but it’s hard to run a business and do anything extra. The events come first.” Tom’s philosophy is that food should deliver on flavor and evoke memories. Serving food you love, she believes, is
small businesses face: looking for investors, and figuring out which risks make sense. “I was an English major at University of Virginia, and I was very bookish. But just because you’re smart and capable doesn’t mean you are destined for certain careers. We need smart, capable people in every field. Since I started doing what I love, I’m much happier.”
about sharing, family and togetherness. “I follow some chefs on Instagram, and sometimes I feel
by Liz Matson
inadequate because I’m not making a lobster pomegranate gelée, but I don’t want to eat that, so why would I cook it?
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r o d sk i n n er ’ 7 2
What Keeps College Counselors Up at Night Each June for the past 14 years, I have taught at the Harvard Summer Institute on College Admission. For 55 years, the Institute has offered a weeklong, intensive introduction to all things college: the nuts and bolts of writing an effective recommendation; how to help families manage financial aid applications; the role of affirmative action; and what leadership in the college admission profession means, for example. Two of my colleagues on the faculty are high school counselors and 15 are college deans of admission and financial aid. At the end of this year’s program, we talked about the changes we have seen in our years of teaching at the Institute.
In fundamental ways, little has changed. Yes, each year
and well-being of students. How do we give students the
realities of getting into college persist. Academic per
personal and emotional strength to thrive in the world they
formance — the transcript — is paramount. Tests must be
face? How do we help them cultivate a strong sense of self
taken, applications completed, deadlines met. On the
that rebounds in an intractable and arbitrary world? How
college side, decision making is increasingly difficult.
do we make sure that they act with confidence and with
We counselors help students and families manage that
heart? We have recently added sessions like “Soft Skills
core work as thoroughly and thoughtfully as possible, to
for a Tough World” and “No Normal Is the New Normal,”
develop applications that capture each person power-
to address these concerns. These incorporate the latest
fully, distinctively. Admission officers try to make fair,
research on resilience, self-regulation, happiness, growth
fully considered evaluations of those applications.
mindsets, and on the particularities and complexities of
Counselors joke that we are held fully responsible for decisions over which we have little or no control. College
forming identity during the college admission process. Students’ feelings of disempowerment and insecurity
admission officers say that institutional and social forces
are real. When he spoke to Milton students last year,
frequently affect how they act on their “read” of each file.
Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Díaz pointed to fear as the
Students and schools take their best shot, colleges use their
primary emotion and motivation in students’ lives —
best judgment, and, in the end, “It is,” as Bill Belichick
and not for dramatic effect. A faculty member at MIT, Díaz
intones, “what it is.”
sees around him a state of mind and heart that we all
The most meaningful shift that my co-teachers at the Institute have seen is the increasing anxiety students feel in the encounter between “what it is” and what families
32
officers) have called for sessions that address the health
applications rise and selectivity increases, but the core
need to confront. During this year’s Institute, preparing for the “Soft Skills” session, I noticed an article called “Big Mother” in the June edition of Boston Magazine. The
and students have dreamed would play out. Each year more
writer described how “drone-parenting” and the potentially
Institute participants (nearly two-thirds of the 180 are
toxic mix of parents’ concerns about their kids’ safety,
high school counselors; the balance are college admission
coupled with unfettered 24/7 access to them, can actually
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/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
1947 1993
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w h at k eeps col l e ge cou nsel or s u p at n igh t, con t.
increase anxiety and reduce independence in our children.
of developing the whole person leaves that person least able
At the time, I recalled my father-in-law’s parenting
to handle the factors that provoke anxiety in the first place.
philosophy — “We raised you to leave us” — and dove into
In the college office we explicitly focus on the whole
two recent books about parenting: David Brooks’s book,
person. The dean of admission at Duke once observed, “It’s
The Road to Character (he argues for cultivating “eulogy
not about the bumper sticker on the car.” Instead, it is
virtues,” not “résumé virtues,” in our children), and Julie
helping students stay loose so that they can relax into their
Lythcott-Haims’s How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of
best, most dynamic selves and do their best work. In that
the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success. Milton’s mission is preparing children for lifelong
scenario, creativity has a chance to thrive. Our college process program involves lots of one-on-one conversations,
success; that animates our college counseling program as
humor wherever possible, and timely reminders about what
well. We can significantly affect the emotional and social
is really important in terms of students’ lives. We helped
growth of our students; we can give them the tools to take
develop Milton’s Senior Transitions program: Seniors meet
on the world with gusto, resourcefulness and joy. (One
weekly with an adult to discuss success, sleep, leaving
Ivy dean, noting the challenge of selecting from among
home, time management, and other issues that gain impor-
highly accomplished students, talked about looking for
tance in senior year. We use the college essay as an
the students who “found joy” in what they did. Will parents
opportunity to talk through the thorny aspects of identity,
now look for “joy” coaches?) In various presentations, I
help students shed self-consciousness and speak in their
have referred to the IBM study “Capitalizing on Complexity.”
own voice. If we are successful, not only will our students
IBM asked 1,500 CEOs from around the world which
stand the best chance of distinguishing themselves (Finally,
quality they most seek when hiring the next generation
the admission officers smile, a real kid!), they will also leave
of leaders in their industry. Their answer: creativity.
us as the creative, independent, strong-willed, effective
The caution that students should consider, given hyper-
and generous people they are capable of being.
selectivity in colleges and a challenging job market, is
34
falling prey to reductionist thinking. Fixating on grades,
by Rod Skinner ’72
test scores and “essential” extracurriculars at the expense
Director of College Counseling
m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
To p
M atr i cu l ati o n s fo r M i lto n S t u d e n t s by D ec a d e
1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015 Harvard Harvard Harvard Harvard Harvard Harvard Harvard Yale Denver Princeton Brown Brown Brown Chicago Princeton Bowdoin Columbia
Dartmouth Penn
Case Western Middlebury
BC
Columbia Georgetown Brown Dartmouth
Tufts
BC
Trinity Columbia Penn
Columbia Penn
Bowdoin NYU
Bowdoin
Lake Forest
Brown
Yale
Trinity
Columbia
Brown
Lawrence
Stanford
Conn College
Wellesley
Trinity
Cornell Bates
Middlebury McGill
Wesleyan Dartmouth Wesleyan UVM
Columbia
Amherst
Penn
UVM Middlebury
Wesleyan
Conn College
Duke
Princeton Tufts
Babson
Dartmouth
Purdue Yale
Yale
Penn NYU
Williams Amherst Oberlin Bates
Trinity
MFA
Undecided Yale
Chicago
Stanford Cornell
Tufts
U New Mexico
–
Lake Forest
Duke
BC
Wash U
–
–
Occidental Michigan MIT
–
–
Reed
Penn
Vanderbilt Wesleyan
Vanderbilt Northwestern Yale Amherst
– – – Williams – – GW – – – – – – Georgetown – – – – – – Johns Hopkins – – – – – – Michigan – – – – – – Tulane * College choices by number of students attending these schools, through sets of three students. ** 1955 and 1965 do not include Girls’ School matriculations. That information is specific to individual graduates’ records rather than assimilated. Coeducational matriculations are recorded beginning in 1975.
Co m pa r i s o n
o f S e lec ti v it y, 1 9 87 a n d 2 013
Number of applications, admit rate, and increase in application rate in colleges with the most Milton matriculants from the Class of 1987.
Institution
1987 Applications Admit Rate
2013 Applications Increase
Admit Rate
Harvard
13,614
16%
35,023
(+157%) 5.8%
Brown
13,630
19%
28,919
(+112%) 9.2%
Columbia
7,936
30%
33,531
(+323%) 6.8%
Dartmouth
9,500
20%
22,416
(+136%) 10.1%
Penn
12,801
36%
31,280
(+144%) 12.1%
Princeton
12,220
17%
26,500
(+117%) 7.3%
Yale
11,737
18%
29,610
(+152%) 6.7%
UC Berkeley
11,129
57%
67,691
(+508%) 20.8%
Wesleyan
4,365
38%
10,974
(+151%) 19.4%
Bowdoin
3,555
23%
7,052
(+98%) 14.5%
Colby
3,270
43%
5,407
(+65%) 26%
Middlebury
3,890
30%
9,112
(+134%) 19.2%
Colorado College
2,313
55%
5,780
(+150%) 22%
Connecticut College 3,456
47%
4,837
(+40%) 35.9%
Georgetown
11,126
23%
20,000
(+80%) 16.6%
NYU
9,811
60%
48,579
(+395%) 30.3%
Barnard
1,863
48%
5,606
(+201%) 20.5%
BC
16,163
31%
34,061
(+111%) 29%
Cornell
19,848
30%
40,006
(+192%) 15.2%
Duke
11,938
28%
31,785
(+166%) 11.6%
Oberlin
3,714
59%
7,172
(+93%) 31%
Tulane
6,468
71%
30,080
(+365%) 27%
UVA
14,099
34%
29,005
(+106%) 29%
Williams
4,685
26%
6,853
(+46%) 16.9% fa l l 2 015
35
337
15
43,172
861 2,610
42
593
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m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
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/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
at milton
Eighth Graders Take on Big Data Grade 8 students are talking loudly in class. Today’s math teachers welcome
112
9,128,138,226
that. Nancy Anderson, Milton’s K–8 math coordinator and Grade 8 math teacher, is reshaping the curriculum to optimize the value of talking.
“Discussion in class is a huge topic in math education,” says Nancy, whose doctoral degree is in math education. “The data are clear that you want to get students talking, but it’s very hard to do that well — to use students’ discussion to move the class forward. “If we believe students learn by talking — a concept in our vision statement, and supported by research — what does that look like? How do we keep the discussion on big ideas? Not all good talk is effective talk.” Nancy has led a renewal of the Middle School math curriculum. During year one, the faculty dove into research, wrote a vision statement that defined an effective program, and adopted new classroom materials. Last year, with coaching from Nancy, the faculty began using the new materials. Beginning in Grade 7, students take a year-and-a-half Algebra course. “This is working beautifully. Everyone tries to teach Algebra in one year, and it can’t be done,” Nancy says. The Grade 8 year concludes with a focus on probability and statistics, and the group statistics projects anchor the conversation. “We developed the Grade 8 group statistics project so students could use statistics to investigate and inform,
as homework and sleep, recycling on campus, and time spent waiting in lunch lines. “We wanted students to look fairly at the numbers, to
rather than just analyze graphs or make graphs for the
have a point of view and to say with conviction why they
sake of creating data displays. We encourage students
chose to investigate a question. Why does it matter and
to choose a topic of interest to them that would also have
to whom? What do the data show? What inferences can
value for all of us.”
we make? What is the outcome? Our students focused
Nancy and the other Grade 8 math teachers helped
on their presentation as much as their analysis, because
students cultivate their topic ideas and collect data sets
no one collects data for the sake of collecting data. This
from school and local sources, such as book fair sales, local
is their chance to use data to inform us, to try to convince
food pantry collections, and Swap-It sales. Some students
the audience that their point of view makes sense.”
developed their own surveys to collect data on topics such
Kat Stephan, Cianna O’Flaherty and Alana Greenaway
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One Board Game Leads to Many Others Louis Demetroulakos ’15 listened to all the Grade 8 project presentations. As part of his senior project, Lou helped teach concepts of probability and statistics — writing lesson plans, explaining concepts to the class, developing and commenting on homework. “I wanted to focus on math for my senior project because I’ve always struggled with that discipline,” Lou says. “When I did a pre-calculus project that was a board game based on probability, I realized I liked the concept of applied math. The game was Survival in Alaskan Wilderness, and the problems were based on practical applications of math. The game made learning fun. For the Grade 8 students, I tried to re-create this feeling and integrated a concept with a fun scenario to make it interesting to learn. “I had a lot of fun with the students. I got to see the ins and outs of teaching. Their energy surprised me. I was demanding a lot of detail from them, and they really met my expectations. They would go way beyond what I would consider a good answer.” In addition to his classroom time, Lou wrote a reflection of the experience and gave a TED-style talk to his peers on “how Milton’s math program got me comfortable with me.” “I came in afraid of math, and the Milton math program helped me see how practical math can be. Now I am excited to study math in college as a business and finance major.”
38
m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
worked together on “Comparing Concussions — Helmet
tablets, their data were always with them, which has made
vs. Non-Helmet Sports at Milton Academy.” They used
the project much more fluid and engaging.”
PowerPoint slides, showing the data they analyzed to
Next year Nancy plans to have students do more
answer their questions: What is the number of concussions
data collection and run different scenarios to see how
per 100 exposures, and how can we bring that number
it affects results. Overall, Nancy is thrilled with the
down? After their presentation, hands shot up, and students
inaugural year of the statistics project. “Milton students
asked thoughtful, detailed and sometimes challenging
thrive at presenting material, so it’s been great to bring
questions. Concussions are a hot topic. Nancy allowed time
that into the math classroom.”
for this discussion before asking the next group to present. One challenge Nancy cited was helping students choose what to present and what to leave out — to make the data compelling. They also needed to learn how to clean up data so that spreadsheet functions worked. Students worked on these projects with their Google Chromebooks. Many students also used Google forms to conduct surveys. “Watching the students analyze the data using spreadsheets and create graphs using computer applications has been wonderful. Because they are one to one with the
by Liz Matson
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c o m m e n c e m e n t 2 0 1 5
Commencement Speaker Ned Sahin ’94 “Dare to be true,” says our school motto, and it is still relevant, still part of the conversation. How have we managed that? Well, note that the motto is not “Dare to start the next Snapchat.” Nor is it, “Dare to build the next cotton gin,” or whatever would have been cool in 1798. Key principles remain timeless. Learn how to learn. Ask elegant questions. Sharpen your mind and learn how to tell fact from fantasy. This is as necessary on the web now — or someday when our brains connect directly to each other — as it ever was in our quill pen and leather tome past. Learn also how to love, how to respect, how to inspire, how to bring hope. Avoid junk food for the brain, like pettiness, and jealousy, and rancor. When I sat exactly where you are sitting, I could never have predicted that I would someday be standing here. I certainly could never have predicted that I would be wearing Google Glass. That I would be using it to help children with autism see the world in a way most compatible with how each of their unique brains learns. Yet, I was prepared for when those possibilities came along. Milton Academy was When I was here — right here, like you are now — today’s
a real part of that, and you should feel proud and lucky to be
world was a future I could not have predicted. However,
surrounded by that culture: of daring, and of embodying
in part because of Milton, it was one for which I was
and seeking truth.
well prepared.
But if things were so different when I was here, is your
When I was here, I took Mr. Fricke’s English class. No
Milton the same as my Milton? How can we know? Believing
one used iPhones, no one was checking Facebook or
strongly in data, I came back to campus in April, and I
Snapchat or Instagram or Twitter, because none of those
spent a full Milton day, from 7:15 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., immersed
existed. More importantly, they would not have been
amongst you all. Thank you for that opportunity, by the way.
predicted. In college I asked the administration if they
The results? Great news! Core Milton principles are
would put the book we had with each student’s picture,
alive and well, but things are even better now. Milton is more
name and hometown — only that — onto the college website.
maturely in touch with its diversity, with its place in the
They said, “No one would want such sensitive information
changing world. You are a more supportive, interconnected
to be so public.” Ha!
student body, much more tolerant of each other. You are
What seemed outlandish then is now old hat, and yet
brilliant scientists, humanists and artists, you have informed
some things that were predicted then have not materialized.
opinions (and quite strong ones it seems), you are passionate,
Silicon Valley legend Peter Thiel famously quipped, “We
you care about social justice, you want world peace and
wanted flying cars. Instead we got 140 characters.”
you also have and will use practical tools to do something
The future is happening fast, and the future you will
about it.
know is becoming less and less predictable . . . Aside from the old standby professions, chances are the job you will
Dr. Ned Sahin ’94 to the Class of 2015. Ned is a neuroscientist
word for it yet.
and neurotechnology entrepreneur. He is also founder and
Don’t worry. Even if you cannot predict, you can prepare.
40
Excerpted from the commencement address delivered by
later take doesn’t even exist now. We may not even have a
m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
CEO of Brain Power.
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
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com m encem en t 2 01 5 , con t.
Awards and Prizes HEAD OF SCHOOL AWARD
LOUIS ANDREWS MEMORIAL
The Head of School Award is presented each
SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
year to honor and celebrate certain members of
To a student who has best fulfilled his or
Class I for their demonstrated spirit of self-
her potential in the areas of intelligence,
sacrifice, community concern, leadership, integ-
self-discipline, physical ability, concern for
H. ADAMS CARTER PRIZE
rity, fairness, kindliness and respect for others.
others and integrity.
Awarded to the student or students who, in
Abisayo Olubintan Animashaun
Sean Peter Brennan
their years at Milton, have shown a dedication
Shaheen Abdullah Bharwani
FRANK D. MILLET
strong leadership, and reached high levels of
Alison Jean Garber
SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
personal achievement in one or more outdoor
Claire Menga Huffman
To a student who demonstrates moral integ-
activities.
Matthew Roger Langen
rity, supports classmates, and has estab-
Isabella Megginson Dunn
Christopher Washington Lewis
lished meaningful relationships with peers
Ian Churchward Kennedy
Rachel Hiu Wai Sun
and faculty. The Millet scholar, by virtue
Isabel Marie Licata
of character and deeds, is an integral member
Colby Bradford Parsons
Miles James Hansen Awofala
to the pursuit of outdoor skills, demonstrated
JAMES S. WILLIS MEMORIAL AWARD
of his or her class and shows great promise
To the headmonitors.
as a leader.
A. HOWARD ABELL PRIZE
Louis James Demetroulakos
Karla Veronica Alvarado-Chavez
Established by Dr. and Mrs. Eric Oldberg for
LEO MAZA AWARD
or talented in instrumental or vocal music or
Caroline Bright Wall
students deemed exceptionally proficient
WILLIAM BACON LOVERING AWARD
Awarded to a student or students in Classes
in composition.
To a boy and a girl, chosen by their classmates,
I–IV, who, in working within one of the
Alexander Cary Garnick
who have helped most by their sense of duty to
culture or identity groups at the School, has
William Emmanuel Hawkins
perpetuate the memory of a gallant gentleman
made an outstanding contribution to the
Jae Hyung Sim
and officer.
community by promoting the appreciation
Davis Hartley Rosselot Tantillo
Adam Michael Friedberg
of that group throughout the rest of the school.
Caroline Bright Wall
Shaheen Abdullah Bharwani Destiny Janai Polk
HARRISON OTIS APTHORP MUSIC PRIZE Awarded in recognition of helpful activity in furthering in the School an interest and joy in music. Ian Churchward Kennedy David Julien Mercier Christina Anne Perry
GEORGE SLOAN OLDBERG MEMORIAL PRIZE Awarded in memory of George Oldberg ’54, to members of the School who have been a unique influence in the field of music. Miles James Hansen Awofala Claire Menga Huffman Isabella Jean Iwanicki
42
m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
l ef t Kate Stockbridge, Class of 2015 speaker
ROBERT SALTONSTALL MEDAL
PERFORMING ARTS AWARD
For pre-eminence in physical efficiency and
Presented by the performing arts department
be l o w , l ef t Bobby Gilmore, Class of 2015 speaker
observance of the code of the true sportsman.
for outstanding contributions in production
Robert Eben Gilmore
work, acting, speech, audiovisuals and dance
SCIENCE PRIZE
A. O . SMITH PRIZE
Richard William Dionne
Awarded to students who have demon-
Awarded by the English department to
John Rolf-Dieter Glasfeld
strated genuine enthusiasm, as well as
students who display unusual talent in
Destiny Janai Polk
outstanding scientific ability, in physics,
nonfiction writing.
Zaria Donique Smalls
throughout his or her Milton career.
chemistry and biology.
Hari Giles Kanu Patel
Emily Lynn Bosworth
Constantine Souter Velmahos
RICHARD PRICE ’50 PRIZE IN TECHNICAL THEATER
Steven Thomas Char Alexander Cary Garnick
CRITICAL ESSAY PRIZE
Awarded for unusual contributions of time,
Julia Kelley Grace
Awarded by the English department for the
energy and ideas in theater production
Matthew Roger Langen
best essay about a work or works of literature.
and in technical assistance throughout a
Siyu Lu
Claire Menga Huffman
student’s career.
Juliet Keziah McCann
Giselle Oliveira Prado
Colby Bradford Parsons
MARKHAM AND PIERPONT
Neekon Vafa
STACKPOLE PRIZE
Josephine Hannah Wilson
Awarded in honor of two English teachers,
KIKI RICE-GRAY PRIZE
Nicola Rose Young
father and son, to authors of unusual talent
Awarded for outstanding contributions to
in creative writing.
Milton performing arts throughout his or her
WALES PRIZE
Julia Kelley Grace
career in both performance and production.
Awarded in honor of Donald Wales, who
Hannah Freedman Iafrati
John Lothrop Daniels
years. It recognizes students in Class IV who
DOROTHY J. SULLIVAN AWARD
Jodie Sian Mustin
Maria Laura Peña Zabala
Richard William Dionne
taught Class IV science for more than 36 have consistently demonstrated interest and
To a senior girl who has demonstrated
excitement in science.
sportsmanship, leadership, dedication and
PRISCILLA BAILEY AWARD
Jeffrey Hongcheng Cao
commitment to athletics at Milton. Through
To a senior girl who has been a most valuable asset to Milton Academy athletics and to
Molly Elizabeth Chiang
her spirit, selflessness and concern for the
Sophie Claire Clivio
team, she served as a model for others.
the School — an athlete who has demonstrated
Christopher Caner Mehlman
Erika Amalia Lamere
exceptional individual skills and teamwork,
Matthew Joseph Tyler
as well as true sportsmanship.
Jessica Xinchun Wang
DONALD CAMERON DUNCAN PRIZE
John August Weiler
FOR MATHEMATICS
Nicola Rose Young
Awarded to students in Class I who have
HENRY WARDER CAREY PRIZE
achieved excellence in the study of mathematics
To members of Class I, who, in public speaking
while demonstrating the kind of love of the
and oral interpretation, have shown consistent
subject and joy in promoting its understanding
effort, thoroughness of preparation, and
that will be the lasting legacy of Donald
concern for others.
Duncan’s extraordinary contributions to the
Sean Bharat Chanicka
teaching of mathematics at Milton.
Zaria Donique Smalls
Shaheen Abdullah Bharwani Richard William Dionne
ROBERT L. DALEY PRIZE
William Emmanuel Hawkins
Created by his students of 1984 in his memory
Siyu Lu
and honor, this prize in classics is awarded
Rachel Hiu Wai Sun
to the student from Latin 4 or beyond who best
Neekon Vafa
exemplifies Mr. Daley’s love of languages. Davis Hartley Rosselot Tantillo
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com m encem en t 2 01 5 , con t.
RICHARD LAWRENCE DERBY
BENJAMIN FOSDICK HARDING
MEMORIAL AWARD
LATIN PRIZES
To an outstanding student of Class II
Awarded on the basis of a separate test at
in mathematics, astronomy or physics.
each prize level.
Alexander Christian Frongillo
Level 5: Ellora Nimbkar Rich
Ravi Rahman
Level 4: Elina Thadhani
Kevin Hua Ren
Level 3: Rachel Elizabeth Handler
Juliana Charlotte Rogoff Melody Cong Tan
History of Leaving The day before my father moved to America, his parents
MODERN LANGUAGES PRIZES
drove him to the ocean
Awarded to those students who, in the
and watched him stand at
ALFRED ELLIOTT
opinion of the department, most exhibit the
MEMORIAL TROPHY
qualities of academic excellence, enthusiastic
For self-sacrifice and devotion to the best
participation, and support of fellow students,
interests of his teams, regardless of skill.
both in and out of class.
Jonathan Black Lawson
Steven Thomas Char Mark Anthony Iraheta
GORHAM PALFREY FAUCON PRIZE
Siyu Lu
Established in 1911 and awarded to members
Colby Bradford Parsons
of Class I for demonstrated interest and
Christina Anne Perry
the edge, where the waves only just rim the land. They remembered that water flows away from the dense, and wondered if this vacuum, this emptying they felt inside was a loss of themselves, or a simple exhalation of air. When my father first biked
outstanding achievement in history and social science.
MILTON ACADEMY ART PRIZES
Ellen Leanne Askey
Awarded for imagination and technical
Richard William Dionne
excellence in his or her art and for an
Andrew Hahm
independent and creative spirit of endeavor.
Hari Giles Kanu Patel
Arooshe Pahooja Giroti
Dev Ajay Ramkissoon
Oceana Isabelle Gumbs
William Gilbert Strang
Claire Menga Huffman Ju Young Kim Sophie Hertberg Lenihan Lily Frances McCarthy
through Chelsea to deliver Chinese takeout, he tucked his greenbacks into his socks, slung his bike chain over his shoulder. Years later, his mother would hear this story, and weep for the stark yellow of the cabs, pigeon shit
Faith Samantha Pang
on his window, for his father’s
Neekon Vafa
single cigarettes behind the apartment dumpster, weep simply because she had not known.
the talbot baker award Created in 1968 to honor Talbot “Bake” Baker ’25, this award “provides a living memorial based on a confidence in the humanity of teachers and the quality of teaching” that Mr. Baker experienced as a student at the Academy and as parent to Nick ’51, Toby ’53 and Ben ’57.
There were New York nights when my father found traced on the ceiling above his bed the pattern of the mud by Heilongjiang River at low tide, feeling his back slowly sink until he was floating in cool water again, unsure of where he was and why.
Carrie Ferrin (Grade 6)
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m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
Douglas Fricke (English)
Ruting Li
Shimin Zhou (Modern Language)
Class of 2015
r e u n i o n w e e k e n d
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To See Clearly, Rely On “Clean Mirrors” by Todd B. Bland
Recently, a student writing for The Milton
includes metacognition, the awareness and
developed with parent input, we invited all Milton parents to tell us about their overall
Paper asked me about my legacy — how I’d
understanding of one’s own thought process.
like to be known, once my tenure at Milton is
The ability to self-assess, honestly, is a founda
experience with Milton and our communication
complete. My list of goals is long, as you might
tional skill that we try to develop in our students.
with them. (We plan to survey parents in this
imagine. Toward the top of that list is helping
How do we approach this skill? We search
us all — as individuals and as an institution —
for what I call “clean mirrors” — people or
way at regular intervals.) In the analysis, we are learning so much, directly from the data. The
be self-aware. We’d all agree that a data-wise
tools that help us see ourselves clearly. We begin
results confirm some preconceived notions and
leader is a more effective leader. The same
by reflecting and inviting feedback. Voices that
challenge others. We are learning more about ourselves in a systematic and productive way.
is true for anyone undertaking an important
are simply loud, or persistent, or delivered from
endeavor: The more you know, the better
a powerful position aren’t necessarily good
Understanding the lived experience of all
equipped you are to move ahead purposefully,
guideposts, however. We need broad-based
our constituents — alumni, students, parents,
responsibly. Gaining and considering honest,
information, and context. This means research,
faculty and staff — is important. We must also
objective information about yourself, however,
analysis, and using real data to inform our work.
have a firm grasp on how we compare with
Last January, Milton partnered with
is a particular skill. When we worked together to name strategic
Hanover Research, a broad-based research and
other institutions. Often, we learn that other schools face the same challenges that we do,
priorities, we identified three types of com-
development firm, to enhance our internal
but that feel unique to us. We learn where we
petencies that an excellent school cultivates
means of collecting information, conducting
are positioned well, comparatively, and where
in its students: cognitive, interpersonal and
longitudinal studies, and locating benchmarks
our performance has been only sufficient.
intrapersonal. The third set, intrapersonal,
for comparison. Last spring, through a survey
These realizations can, and should, be motivational. For instance, our peer schools rely on endowments that are three to four times the size of Milton’s endowment. To recruit and retain the country’s top teachers, to enroll the most talented and motivated students in the world, we have to change that. Increasing the endowment is the driving need inspiring the campaign that we will launch publicly this fall. Self-assessment is not a new orientation for Milton, but we are entering a time of greater attention to analytics. As we renew our curriculum, as we develop our faculty’s lifetime teaching skills and roll out a phased, robust faculty compensation plan, we are enlisting outside partners to help us do this work thoroughly and well. I have named collecting data that informs our work as an objective for my leadership team, and for us as a School. All of this work, true of everything we do, is to improve our students’ experience — in and out of the classroom — and fulfill our mission. Educators should model the ideals that we inculcate in our students. One measure of excellence, as a School, is how well we do this.
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a lu m n i au t hor s
I Am Radar
The Spiritual Child: The New Science on
Irrepressible: The Jazz Age Life
by Reif Larsen ’98
Parenting for Health and Lifelong Thriving
of Henrietta Bingham
Penguin Press, February 2015
by Lisa Miller ’84
by Emily Bingham ’83
St. Martin’s Press, May 2015
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, June 2015
In 1975, a black child named Radar Radmanovic
In The Spiritual Child, psychologist Lisa Miller
Raised like a princess in one of the most power-
is mysteriously born to white parents. Though
presents the next big idea in psychology:
ful families of the American South, Henrietta
Radar is raised in suburban New Jersey, his
the science and the power of spirituality. She
Bingham was offered the helm of a publishing
story rapidly becomes entangled with terrible
explains the clear, scientific link between
empire. Instead, she ripped through the Jazz
events in Yugoslavia, Norway, Cambodia, the
spirituality and health, and shows that children
Age like an F. Scott Fitzgerald character: intoxi-
Congo, and beyond. Falling in with a secretive
who have a positive, active relationship to
cating and intoxicated, selfish and shameless,
group of puppeteers and scientists — who stage
spirituality are healthier and happier into
seductive and brilliant, endearing and often
experimental art for people suffering under
adulthood. Combining cutting-edge research
terribly troubled. In Louisville, New York and
wartime sieges — R adar is forced to confront
with broad anecdotal evidence from her
London, she drove both men and women wild
the true nature of his identity. Acclaimed
work as a clinical psychologist, Dr. Miller
with desire, and her youth blazed with sex. But
novelist Reif Larsen delivers a triumph of
illustrates how invaluable spirituality is
her love affairs with women made her the
storytelling at its most primal, elegant and epic.
to a child’s mental and physical health and
subject of derision and caused a doctor to try
A sophisticated, highly addictive reading
translates these findings into practical advice
to cure her queerness. After the speed and
experience that draws on the furthest reaches
for parents. In this provocative, conversation-
pleasure of her early decades, the toxicity of
of quantum physics, forgotten history, and
starting book, Dr. Miller presents the reader
judgment from others, coupled with her own
performance art, the novel is somehow greater
with a pioneering way to think about parent-
anxieties, resulted in years of addiction and
than all of its parts — a breathtaking and
ing today’s youth.
breakdowns. Perhaps most painfully, she
Lisa Miller, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology and education, director of the Clinical Psychology Program at Columbia University, Teachers College, and founder of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, the first Ivy League graduate program in spirituality and psychology. She is often cited in print and online media, and has appeared on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and NBC’s Today Show.
family. For biographer and historian Emily
unparalleled joy ride through the worst that humanity has to offer, only to arrive at a place of shocking wonder and redemption. Reif Larsen’s first novel, The Selected Works of T. S . Spivet, was a New York Times bestseller and has been translated into 27 languages. A Montana Honor book, The Selected Works of T. S . Spivet was a finalist for the IndieBound Award; was short-listed for the Guardian First Book Award and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize; and is being released as a film both in the United States and abroad.
became a source of embarrassment for her Bingham, the secret of her great-aunt, and why her story was concealed for so long, led to Irrepressible: The Jazz Age Life of Henrietta Bingham. Emily Bingham is the great-niece of Henrietta Bingham. She is the author of Mordecai: An Early American Family and co-editor of The Southern Agrarians and the New Deal: Essays After “I’ll Take My Stand.” She holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina and teaches at Centre College.
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Digging for the Disappeared:
Married Sex
Forensic Science After Atrocity
by Jesse Kornbluth ’64
Creating a College That Works by Grace G. Roosevelt ’59
by Adam Rosenblatt ’96
Open Road Media, August 2015
State University of New York Press, March 2015
The mass graves from a long history of genocide,
When a husband convinces his wife to join
In 1964, education activist Audrey Cohen and
massacres and violent conflict form an under-
him in a tryst with another woman, there
her colleagues developed a unique curricular
ground map of atrocity that stretches across
are unintended consequences, in this sharply
structure that enables urban college students
our planet’s surface. In the past few decades,
observed, erotic tale about the challenges
to integrate their academic studies with mean-
Stanford University Press, March 2015
due to rapidly developing technologies and a
of modern marriage. As a divorce lawyer
ingful work in the community. Creating a College
powerful global human rights movement, the
for Manhattan’s elite, David Greenfield is
That Works chronicles Cohen’s efforts to create
scientific study of those graves has become
privy to the intimate, dirty details of failed
an innovative educational model that began with
a standard facet of post-conflict international
marriages. He knows he’s lucky to be married
the Women’s Talent Corps, evolved into the College for Human Services, and finally became,
assistance. Digging for the Disappeared provides
to Blair. A Barnard dean and the mother
readers a window into this growing but
of their college-age daughter, she is a woman
in 2002, what is now Metropolitan College
little-understood form of human rights work,
he loves more today than he did when they
of New York (MCNY) — a fully accredited institu-
including the dangers and sometimes unex
tied the knot.
tion of higher education that offers bachelor’s
pected complications that arise as evidence is
Then seductive photographer Jean Coin
and master’s degrees. Focusing her attention on
gathered and the dead are named. Adam
asks David to be her lover for six weeks,
the major players in the development of MCNY,
Rosenblatt examines the ethical, political and
until she leaves for Timbuktu. Tempted, David
Grace G. Roosevelt provides a ringside seat
historical foundations of the rapidly growing
reasons that “it’s not cheating if your wife
to the years of turbulence, hope and innovation
field of forensic investigation, from the graves
is there.” A one-night threesome would relieve
in the 1960s and ’70s. Woven throughout the
of the “disappeared” in Latin America, to
the pressure of monogamy without wrecking
narrative are the changing dynamics of the civil
genocides in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia,
their marriage. What harm could come of
rights movement, questions about women’s
to post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.
fulfilling a longtime sexual fantasy?
leadership roles, and stories of how adults trans-
Adam Rosenblatt is assistant dean for global engagement and assistant professor of global studies, core division, at Champlain College.
Jesse Kornbluth is the founder of HeadButler.com, a cultural concierge site. He has served as editorial director of AOL, co-founded Bookreporter.com, and has been a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and New York Magazine. The author of four nonfiction books, including Highly Confident: The Crime and Punishment of Michael Milken, he has written screenplays for Paul Newman, Robert De Niro, ABC, PBS, and Warner Brothers.
educational model.
formed their lives through Cohen’s innovative
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Grace G. Roosevelt is associate professor of education at Metropolitan College of New York and the author of Reading Rousseau in the Nuclear Age.
Beyond Freedom’s Reach:
Palm Beach Nasty
A Kidnapping in the Twilight of Slavery
by Tom Turner ’66
by Adam Rothman ’89
Permanent Press, April 2015
Harvard University Press, February 2015
Born into slavery in rural Louisiana, Rose
Burned-out, New York homicide cop Charlie
Herera was bought and sold several times
Crawford goes south to steamy Palm Beach,
before being purchased by the De Hart family
Florida, but after six months of pink- and green-
of New Orleans. Still a slave, she married and
collar crime, he’s bored out of his mind. Palm
had children, who also became the property
Beach has plenty of glitz, glam and hedonism,
of the De Harts. But after Union forces captured
but not one murder in the last ten years. One
New Orleans in 1862 during the American
Halloween night, Crawford is first on the scene
Civil War, Herera’s owners fled to Havana,
to find a 20-year-old male swinging from a stately
taking three of her small children with
banyan tree. This sets in motion colliding plots
them. Beyond Freedom’s Reach is the true story
involving a billionaire with a thing for young
of one woman’s quest to rescue her children
girls, a far-reaching art scam with Crawford’s
from bondage. In a gripping, meticulously
girlfriend playing a starring role, and a ruthless
researched account, Adam Rothman lays bare
hustler passing himself off as the long-lost son
the mayhem of emancipation during and
of one of the richest men in town. Add to the mix
after the Civil War. Just how far the rights of
a sultry real estate broker who knows where
freed slaves extended was unclear to black
all the bodies are buried, a gorgeous forensic cop
and white people alike, and so when Mary De
usually one step ahead of Crawford, a Mutt and
Hart returned to New Orleans in 1865 to visit
Jeff combo of stone cold killers, and you have Palm
friends, she was surprised to find herself
Beach Nasty. Fast-moving, funny, slightly off-
taken into custody as a kidnapper. The case
kilter and everything you ever wanted to know
of Rose Herera’s abducted children made
about the most scandalous town in America
its way through New Orleans’ courts, igniting
and its larger-than-life citizens.
a custody battle that revealed the prospects and limits of justice during Reconstruction. Adam Rothman is an associate professor of history at Georgetown University.
Tom Turner spent time as an award-winning copywriter at several Manhattan advertising agencies, but after years of post-Mad Men life, he made a radical change, moving to commercial real estate. A few years later he was in Palm Beach, buying, renovating and selling houses. On the side, he wrote Palm Beach Nasty, its sequel, Palm Beach Poison, and a screenplay, Underwater. He recently completed his third novel, Killing Time in Charleston.
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Listening for Understanding — Easier when interpreting the past, than the present by Brittney Lewer, Fellow in the History Department
In high school, I thought of history as a detective game.
complete portrayal of the event than exposure to just one
Piecing together clues from the past, historians would
of these perspectives. Historical perspective taking allows
deduce what really happened. Relatively late in my college
us to encounter the complexities and contradictions that
career, I realized that “what really happened” is, in some
inhabit the past, rather than ignore them for the sake of a
ways, a moving target. History is not a fixed set of events,
neater narrative.
but a narrative that changes based in part on who is telling the story and who the audience is. Perspective taking — the skill of being able to engage
In my experience, Milton students know that doing history is not merely reconstructing a master timeline. They know that fully understanding the past requires
with more than one person’s ideas simultaneously — is
understanding multiple historical perspectives. I have been
vital to this more dynamic version of history. Perspective
interested in cultivating this style of historical thinking
taking facilitates a richer understanding of past events.
in the present. How can students understand what their
Examining Indian Removal from the points of view of
classmates think about an issue? How can they engage
President Andrew Jackson, Cherokee Chief John Ross, and
as deeply and mindfully with one another’s contributions
contemporary historian Donna L. Akers creates a more
as they would with a historical primary source — especially when they disagree with one another? What use is the skill of perspective taking if students learn to apply it only to the distant past, and not to their own world? When I started teaching at Milton, I thought that the skill of perspective taking would transfer seamlessly from the past to the present. In my first year, my students could nimbly synthesize multiple, disparate perspectives on the Trail of Tears or the American Revolution. And yet, at the end of a disastrous lesson in which students were asked to discuss how they would respond to a hypothetical draft lottery, I found that my students struggled far more with contemporary perspective taking than with its historical analogue. In a heated discussion, my students struggled to hear one another out. They could absolutely grapple with historical events from multiple perspectives, but considering a classmate’s belief that contradicted their own views was a challenge. In my second year at Milton, I adopted interpersonal perspective taking as a central skill of the course. At first, many of my students were confused. Several questioned what perspective taking was, let alone how to practice it. Their work taught me that the heart of this skill is really in listening deeply to another person. Listening to understand, rather than listening to respond (as often happens around the Harkness table), is the key to productive
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dialogue. The issues facing today’s students are complex,
choose not to continue studying history will have neighbors,
and understanding them requires the same kind of critical
relatives and co-workers whom they will need to under-
and creative thinking necessary to interpret the past. Over
stand. Knowing how to listen — really listen — to someone
the past year, my students examined police brutality and
with whom you disagree is an invaluable skill, and one
protests in Baltimore, debates about free speech at Milton
that many adults struggle to practice. Learning how to con-
Academy, and the status of voting rights in 2015. Students
sider a pressing issue from multiple vantage points will
first shared their reactions to these issues with one another,
help our students be better colleagues and better citizens.
and then asked questions about their peers’ reactions.
My students were certainly willing to take on the challenge,
Students were tasked with asking questions designed to
and I have seen them become stronger historians and
illuminate, rather than refute, their peers’ views. At times,
communicators for their efforts.
students also considered what factors could influence someone to react differently than they would, and analyzed
For two years, Brittney Lewer has been a teaching fellow at
what factors contributed to their own beliefs.
Milton in the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Residency
Perspective taking comprised a large portion of my
Master’s in Teaching program. The program is a collabora
students’ work last year. It is a skill we returned to time and
tion between the Penn Graduate School of Education and a
time again, alongside long-standing staples like critical
consortium of leading boarding schools. With a comprehen
reading and argumentative writing. The shift in focus was,
sive curriculum designed specifically for the boarding
at times, unsettling for students. One student pushed back
schools’ setting, the program provides aspiring teachers an
against this emphasis, arguing that advanced high school
opportunity to receive a master’s degree in education
students “didn’t need to ‘learn’ how to listen or share. We
in concert with the fellowship programs offered by each
need to learn history.” Learning how to engage in perspec-
school. This fall, Brittney begins a Ph.D. program in the
tive taking is learning history. As much as it is a part of
history of education at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture,
historical thinking, it is one of the most vital skills that
Education, and Human Development. The program
students can have outside of the classroom. Even those who
combines scholarship in the fields of history and education.
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in sight
m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
P h o t o by J o h n G i l l o o ly
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
o n c e n t r e
1798. 2015. Technology. Cloud. Blog. Wiki. Digital Native. Apps. Phablet. 3-D Printing. Drones. Wearables. Internet of Things. STEM. STEAM. milton academy technology advisory council Erick Tseng ’97, Trustee, Co-Chair Bryan Price, Chief Information Officer, Co-Chair trustees
What is Milton’s approach to technology?
who understands Milton’s program. This educator seeds
How do we affirm historical core values as well as relevance, well beyond 2015?
technology can support and, in certain discrete ways,
In September 2013, Milton’s board of trustees convened a Technology Advisory Council (TAC) and charged the members with digging into this ever-changing landscape. The Council’s task was to develop a master plan that would guide Milton’s thinking about technology that supports teaching and learning. KublerWirka, a Boston-based consultancy that worked with Milton to develop our Strategic
Randall Dunn ’83
Plan, consulted on this project as well.
Kitty Gordan P ’96
ical yet reasonably crisp. Through conversations that
Claire Hughes
included Milton’s faculty as well as our technology services
The planning process was broad and thorough, method-
Johnson ’90
staff, the TAC considered four foundational questions:
Erika Mobley ’86
• What principles should inform the use of technology
administrators David Ball ’88, Upper School Principal Indu Singh, Dean of Teaching and Learning Marshall Carter, K– 8 Principal
and develops a culture that identifies ways in which
in the educational mission of Milton?
even transform the teaching and learning process. • Experiment through well-defined pilot projects. Research is not supportive of a “one size fits all” approach to technology. Evidence is ample of costly “iPads for all” programs where participants did not identify desired outcomes prior to implementation. Milton must define desirable outcomes and execute through pilot approaches; assess those initiatives at meaningful intervals; and be prepared to accept that not all projects will be successful. • Develop meaningful professional development strategies (for faculty) and ongoing training opportunities (for faculty and students). Establish
baseline competencies for all faculty, and create
• What are the pathways for technology to support teaching and learning?
measurable ways for faculty to demonstrate competency in those skills. Be prepared to partner with our faculty
• How should these questions connect to curriculum
and students as they explore possibilities and skills. • Assess the tools available to faculty and students as
discussions at Milton? • What are the infrastructure, staffing and support requirements to make pathways dynamic and
well as the underlying computing infrastructure on campus. Define a device strategy for our students (bring
what you have, Milton specifies, or Milton provides), and
successful over time?
evaluate whether we are equipping our faculty with tools
Understanding the successes and challenges other
that inspire them to innovate. In terms of infrastructure
private and public schools have experienced in a broad array
and technology staff, develop our campus to support
of technology initiatives was particularly helpful to the
broader use of technology in and out of the classroom.
Council’s effort. Last January (2015), the Technology Advisory Council presented the board a technology plan that includes the following tenets:
Technology does not replace great teaching, or face-toface conversations, hallmarks of Milton’s identity. However, today’s Milton graduates are connected and engaged with their world through technology, and they will navigate a
• Create an instructional technologist position and hire one or more teachers to implement this new role
future that we cannot foresee. Thoughtful use of technology will deepen the value of a Milton education.
(particularly at the Upper School; K–8 has addressed
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this need). An instructional technologist is a faculty
by Bryan Price
position. The ideal candidate is an experienced educator
Chief Information Officer
m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
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Heidi Vanderbilt-Brown is Milton’s New CFOO This June, Heidi Vanderbilt-Brown joined
M.B.A. at Harvard Business School, Heidi
Milton as the School’s Chief Financial and
interned at Boston Scientific, and prior to her
Operating Officer. Heidi previously worked
graduate school years she was a consultant
in Harvard University’s Office of Financial
at The Advisory Board Company — a research,
Strategy and Planning, where she had been
technology, and consulting firm for health
associate director since 2011. In that role,
care and higher education organizations. Heidi
Heidi was responsible for the design and
graduated magna cum laude from Harvard
execution of all annual university financial
College with a concentration in biology.
planning initiatives, including multi-year
Heidi has defined herself as a results-
financial planning, annual budgeting, tuition,
oriented manager with strategic and operations
enrollment and financial aid proposals, capital
experience and success with institutional
planning affordability assessments, and
innovation. She has relied upon her strong
quarterly forecasting and projections. Heidi
communication and people management
worked successfully with teams across
skills at every level. Heidi is excited to bring
the university to advise schools on financial
her experience from the Harvard context
matters, including new operating initiatives
to Milton, particularly in the financial
and large capital projects. She routinely
management, endowment and campaign
presented analyses and recommendations to
areas. She is especially eager to be involved
the university’s board of directors and other
directly in operational responsibilities at
senior executives, and subsequently worked
Milton, including project management. Heidi’s
with them to implement initiatives. Prior to her work at Harvard, Heidi worked
experience, intellect and energy will be a great asset to Milton as we continue to develop
as a principal in the health care practice of the
our institutional financial strength through
Boston Consulting Group. While earning her
our capital campaign.
Reaching New Heights, Mustangs Are League Champions Boys’ Track Team Breaks School Records
The boys’ track and field athletes made their mark in Milton’s history books by winning the team’s first Independent School League Championship in 24 years. The Mustangs scored 100 total team points in the ISL meet, defeating tough competition — including last year’s champion, Thayer. During the course of the day, 11 Milton athletes accomplished at least one personal record. The team’s victory was decided in the final event, in which captain Bobby Gilmore ’15 placed second in the discus. During the regular 2015 season, the boys shattered four school records. Domenic Cozier ’16 finished the 100m in 11.04 seconds; Domenic Cozier ’16, Mike Silva ’17, Chris Lewis ’15 and Clay Desir ’15 ran the 4 × 100m relay in 43.79 seconds; Jeff Brown ’15 threw the javelin 189' 11"; and Bobby Gilmore ’15 reached 151' 1" with the discus. The girls’ tennis team, led by captain Maddie Dewire ’16, repeated last year’s winning season, once again going undefeated (15–0) and earning the title of ISL Champions. The team also earned the NEPSAC Championship trophy over tough competitors.
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m e s s a g e s Dr. Reza Aslan Religious scholar Dr. Reza Aslan visited campus as the Class of 1952 Endowed Speaker for Religious Understanding. Dr. Aslan is a professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside, and serves on the board of trustees for the Chicago Theological Seminary. He is the author of bestselling Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth. He is also the founder of AslanMedia — a social media network for news and entertainment about the Middle East and the world — and co-founder and chief creative officer of BoomGen Studios. Dr. Aslan travels the world speaking to people about religion — particularly about understanding religious conflicts.
“In the United States, a huge debate is happening regarding how responsible Islam is for acts of violence. It has become a very polarized and simplistic conversation, without much nuance. If we are going to understand what is happening in the world and, more importantly, develop a way to deal with the role of religion in violence, we have to allow for nuance — we have to better understand what religion is.”
Patricia Smith Award-winning poet Patricia Smith read to students from her work as the spring’s Bingham Visiting Writer. Ms. Smith has written six books of poetry, including Shoulda Been Jimi Savannah (2012), which won the Lenore Marshall Prize from the Academy of American Poets; Blood Dazzler (2008), a chronicle of the human and environmental cost of Hurricane Katrina, which was nominated for a National Book Award; and Teahouse of the Almighty, a 2005 National Poetry Series selection. Her work has appeared in Poetry, the Paris Review, the New York Times, and in both Best American Poetry and Best American Essays. She is a 2014 Guggenheim fellow; a 2012 fellow at both MacDowell and Yaddo; and a two-time Pushcart Prize winner. She is at work now on a biography of Harriet Tubman. Ms. Smith is a professor at the College of Staten Island and an instructor in the M.F.A. program at Sierra Nevada College.
“I consider myself a storyteller. Witnessing goes hand in hand with that. In order to witness, I have to find an entry point. Once I find that entry point, which may be unexpected, I start to shed myself. You can see that in my choice of syntax. I try to become that person, that event, in that place as much as possible.”
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b o a r d o f t r u s t e e s Milton Thanks Brad A Decade of Record Bradley M. Bloom Member of the Board of Trustees, 2004–2015 President, 2009–2015
For 11 years, Brad Bloom has devoted himself to advancing Milton’s
with plenty of time for Lisa Donohue ’83 to work together with him and be fully versed on institutional issues as she assumes her new role.
tradition, mission and capacity to lead. Not ones to stand by, Brad and his wife Terri took on early roles as parent leaders in Milton’s fundraising, when their daughter Elizabeth ’08 entered Grade 4 and their son Ross ’06 joined Milton
No one is more excited to welcome Lisa than Brad. Perhaps closest to Brad’s heart was guiding a strategic planning process marked by comprehensive scope and the full participation of every Milton constituency. Driven by analyses and the educational
in seventh grade, the following year. Elected to the board in 2004, Brad exposed more of his talents, and
vision of administration, faculty and staff, the Plan adopted by the
we rewarded him by electing him president of the board on January
board in January 2013, after 18 months of work, charts a forward course
31, 2009. He and Todd Bland, then entering his first year as head of
boldly and at the same time affirms Milton’s core values. Milton has
school, began their journey as Milton’s leaders, with shared aspirations
already made great progress, implementing initiatives across K–12, in faculty professional development, and curriculum assessment and
for great progress. As board president, Brad has undertaken and realized a wide range of crucial institutional advances — from developing authentic commu
renewal. Trustee-led campus master planning and technology advisory groups have completed their work. Just this January, the board
nication channels with faculty, to completing a thorough board self-
endorsed a faculty compensation initiative that breaks new competitive
evaluation, to identifying bold strategic priorities, to launching a crucial
ground for faculty compensation at Milton. Brad has been a consistent, wise and generous counsel for Head
capital campaign. Brad’s calm and unflappable demeanor has predictably been an
of School Todd Bland. Brad enthusiastically tells the world about Todd’s
essential asset for himself and for all of us as Milton broke new ground.
effective educational leadership. In equal measure, Todd explicitly
Perhaps more surprising has been how Brad’s optimism and confidence
shares his gratitude for Brad’s organizational wisdom, energy and deep
empowered us. Brad’s vision of Milton is a School with inspired direction,
appreciation of Milton. Brad’s unique mix of creativity, pragmatism
a will to excel, boundless energy, and the financial capacity to fully
and respect for people and process has helped propel Milton forward.
realize our best plans. He matches only Todd in his sense of imminent
With great anticipation for the power of the capital campaign to bring new strength to our support for faculty and students, we thank Brad
possibility, and we are all onboard. Fearless and open, Brad has always endorsed transparency as the
deeply for an outstanding decade.
board’s working style. Eager to make sure every idea has a place in the sun, Brad routinely welcomes everyone who cares about Milton to be present at the planning table. Ever resourceful, he spins variations on a plan even as it unfolds, incorporating the great thoughts he’s just heard. Brad favors the idea that shared awareness brings shared responsibility. Brad was among the handful of architects who developed and chartered the Faculty Council Liaison Committee, which assures direct communication among trustees, administrators and faculty. This Committee set a transformative dynamic in motion, allowing time and space at each board meeting for the groups to listen to each other, achieving understanding and new awareness. Twenty-two of today’s trustees joined the board under Brad’s presidency, and he immediately included each of them, in turn, as full participants in all Milton matters. At the same time, he has supported key transitions, honoring Milton trustees who have provided distin guished and invaluable leadership over many years, as they conclude their service on the board. He made sure that planning to succeed his own leadership was an inclusive, well-considered process, completed
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m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
Brad Bloom, successor Lisa Donohue ’83, and Todd Bland
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
Retiring Fred Sykes ’65 Milton Academy Board of Trustees, 1996–2015
Fred began building his trustee reputation at Milton early. He agreed to chair the Annual Fund, at a time when the Fund needed extra love and attention. That was the first of Fred’s numerous Milton responsibilities that involved plenty of honor, and not so much glory. Absolutely loyal, stable and diligent, Fred has always said “Yes,” wherever and whenever he was needed, for 21 years. departments that often speak
spanned the distance between
George C. Alex P ’17 ’21
repositioned the Annual Fund —
different languages but, in the end,
Milton and New York to serve on
Milton Academy Board of
heightened its profile and drove
need to present the same results.
numerous search committees,
Trustees, 2007–2015
up the pace of year-over-year
That immersion into Milton data
including those for Milton’s CFO
With his ready smile and warm
As an ex officio trustee, Fred
gains — from 1994 through 1996,
gave Fred a rare and valued
and for two successive heads of
affect, George Alex has devoted
when he was elected to the board.
background in operational finances.
school. Fred’s guidance and insight
himself for more than a decade to
He continued as the Annual Fund
He was the obvious choice to lead
were always rock solid; he asked
being an advocate for K–8 and
champion, raising awareness
the Ad Hoc Abatement Committee,
candidates direct questions about
a parent volunteer for all things
and building commitments — from
and represent the board as liaison
issues that matter for faculty, staff
Milton. George was elected to
trustees, in particular. A fearless
to the Faculty Compensation
and students at Milton.
fundraiser, Fred always asked the
Committee. We can safely say that
hard questions about how, why,
every trustee committee that
Fred’s attention, intense care
key communicator for parents
how much, and perhaps more
focused on long-range financial
and incalculable contribution of
about Milton’s Lower and Middle
importantly, he followed the “How
planning — formal or informal —
time. A keen listener, Fred was
Schools. George and Marlena
much?” question with “From
included Fred as an active member.
always willing to learn, especially
are the proud parents of two
Milton has been the focus of
the board of trustees in 2007. George’s wife, Marlena, is a
where?” Fred is an institutional
His numbers expertise wasn’t his
about the world of education: “I
Milton Academy students: Ginny,
conscience, seeking and finding
only highly desirable attribute,
never realized that,” he’d say after
in Class II, and Isabel, in Grade 7.
accountability, challenging
however. Fred is reliably cheerful
yet another analysis of some
assumptions that many might take
and unassuming, and a willing
aspect about how Milton works.
been committed to a lively K–12 structure and experience. During
From the start, George has
for granted. He pursues answers
worker. He always moved seam
He was present, for Milton, at
until he fully understands the
lessly between setting the high
every significant moment or event,
his many years of Milton activism,
stakes involved in any project and
bar — doing the right and noble
in Boston or in New York, an
George has been particularly
can explain the issues to others.
thing — and calmly meeting the
unwavering and genuine spokes
focused on strengthening commu-
Fred’s leadership and stamp of
tough challenges with a smile and
person for Milton to the rest
nication and increasing engage
approval helped give the board the
a self-deprecating chuckle.
of the world. His philanthropy
ment among students, families,
confidence to seize key initiatives,
A graduate of Milton’s first com-
toward Milton bears witness to
faculty and staff, administration
such as building the Athletic
prehensive capital campaign
his gratitude and his confidence
and trustees. His sincere interest
and Convocation Center and the
steering committee (The Challenge
in Milton’s future. We are most
in getting to know people and
Pritzker Science Center.
to Lead), Fred also serves on today’s grateful for Fred’s faithful
bringing them together has made
campaign steering committee.
stewarding of his School, and
Milton a more connected and
between the business office and
Before the era of ubiquitous
hope he will share in the life of
stronger School. Those interests
the development office, two key
conference calls, Fred regularly
the School for years to come.
and skills of his come to the
Fred was a perfect bridge
fa l l 2 015
63
boa r d of t rust ee s, con t.
“George has an undiscouraged
forefront in his role on the Faculty
financial strength and organiza
Council Liaison Committee.
tional integrity. A positive audit
George’s consistent focus on the
report is essential to maintaining
ability to raise tough questions
faculty, students and families
Milton’s financial positioning,
has contributed to the success of
outlook and a strong voice. His
in K–8, and how K–8 relates to
and it enables Milton the power
our work, helping us to be more
Milton’s mission, has brought
and flexibility to use financial plan-
clear, transparent and forward-
appropriate and appreciated
ning to continually improve
thinking. He has given his heart
dimension to our discussions
students’ educational experience.
and soul to Milton.” George, thank you for the
and planning for the future. In
The Committee recognizes and
particular, the board recognizes
appreciates George’s skills and
energy and talents you have
and appreciates George’s desire
commitment to a key enterprise.
shared with Milton. Thank you
to strengthen institutional efforts to recognize and support faculty. As chair of the Audit
George also has been an active
for your unwavering commitment
participant in the work of the
to the Annual Fund and your
Budget and Finance Committee
support for the K–8 Fund. Your
Committee, George played a vital
and the Buildings and Grounds
passion has motivated us all.
fear and have been responsible for
role in the oversight of Milton’s
Committee. These committees
We, along with many K–8 stu-
several restrung tennis racquets.”
audit process and in improving
carry forward core responsibilities
dents, parents and faculty in
our financial reporting practices.
of the board, and their work
particular, are most grateful for
on to Williams College and then
Especially in recent years, as the
greatly affects the extent of
your consistent, visible efforts
Columbia Law School. He returned
financial performance of schools,
Milton’s success. Always ready
on Milton’s behalf.
to Hong Kong, where he founded
After graduating, V-Nee went
nonprofits and businesses have
with a solid question and a strong
experienced high scrutiny and
opinion, George also worked
The Honorable V-Nee Yeh ’77 P ’14
Limited. V-Nee was always a core
public accountability, every audit
diligently toward building a con-
Milton Academy Board
activist among Milton’s Hong Kong
function has evolved and signifi-
sensus that included and reflected
of Trustees, 2008–2015
alumni, helping galvanize the
Cheetah Investment Management
cantly increased in importance.
all perspectives. Ed Donahue,
V-Nee Yeh, who was elected to
support and enthusiasm for Milton
A clear and successful audit
Milton’s comptroller, who worked
the board in 2008, has always
in Asia. In 2007, V-Nee established
is critical to our demonstrating
closely with George, notes,
struck us as independent and
the Yeh Family Scholarship Fund,
fearless, and with good reason.
which supports students from
At age 16, V-Nee became one of
China. V-Nee was also among the
Milton’s first students from Hong
charter philanthropists who
Kong, traveling from Kowloon to
established Milton’s Hong Kong
join Class III. He began at Milton
Distinguished Speakers Series,
in January, acclimating to New
and the Hong Kong Chair in Asian
England weather, a new school,
Studies, both of which have success-
and a new culture all at once.
fully built awareness among Milton
V-Nee’s advisor, Leo Maza, com-
students about many aspects of
mented that V-Nee made it
Asian culture.
immediately clear that he was
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m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
The miles and hours between
intent upon succeeding, and he
Hong Kong and Milton never
did so. He blazed a trail at Milton,
hindered V-Nee from participating
as capable and focused as he was
at board meetings. Dependably
polite and considerate. Excellence
alert and focused, despite the nearly
was V-Nee’s standard outside
half-day time difference, V-Nee
the classroom as well as inside. As
was always perfectly on point at
Leo Maza said then, “Everything
board meetings and offered insight-
V-Nee does, he does well and
ful perspectives and relevant
intensely, and at the tennis courts
expertise when either could really
it is no different. His serve and
make a difference. Calm, clear and
fast forearm have been a source of
compelling on all matters, financial
and organizational, V-Nee furthered the work of the board as a whole, and of the Investment Committee and the External Relations Committee in particular. Long an admission ambassador for Milton in Hong Kong and China, V-Nee has been a consistent member of the Enrollment Committee, more recently in its new, expanded configuration that includes academic affairs and student life. As a spokesperson for Milton, V-Nee always made it his business to be well informed and up to date. Along with his wife, Mira, V-Nee embraced with graciousness and warmth many students and families who chose Milton. Their same generous attention to Milton alumni has helped create a vibrant alumni community in Hong Kong. We are grateful to V-Nee, Mira, and their daughter Nadya, who graduated from Milton in 2014, for their loyal and caring roles as the ultimate hosts. We have all witnessed V-Nee’s integrity, quiet confidence and sense of responsibility. He has mobilized not only himself, but also his family in service to his
tic and international families on
in many capacities — as class
School. We hope we can match
wealth management, developing
agent, 1798 Circle chair, Orange
to 2003. Doug is a member of
V-Nee’s enterprising and pioneer
legal and trust structures for
and Blue volunteer, reunion
the board of directors of the
ing spirit, meet the bar that
efficient transfer of wealth, as
committee representative, and as
National Multifamily Housing
V-Nee has set, and with his
well as establishing and advising
a member of the Head of School
Council, the Urban Land
continued help, achieve Milton’s
private family foundations. Charles
Council. Charles lives in Concord,
Institute, the National Apartment
most ambitious goals.
serves as professional trustee
Massachusetts, with his wife,
Association Education Institute,
for many of his clients. He is a
Susan, and two children.
and the Real Estate Advisory
Thank you, V-Nee.
member of the Massachusetts
and served as its CEO from 1992
Committee at DePaul University.
Charitable Society and the John
Douglas Crocker II ’58
Milton Society for the Blind. He
Doug Crocker ’58 is a senior
from Harvard University. He
earned his bachelor’s degree from
advisor for Pearlmark Multifamily
has served on Milton’s Head
Charles Cheever ’86
Harvard University and his J.D.
Partners; Pearlmark is a real
of School Council and has
Charles Cheever ’86 is co-
from the University of Virginia.
estate investment firm investing
established, with wife Cynthia,
At Milton, Charles was a
in commercial real estate. Prior
a scholarship fund to support
Joining managing partner at Choate, Hall
Doug earned his bachelor’s degree
and Stewart. Charles represents
boarder in Forbes House. Since
to this role, Doug was vice
students in need of financial
and advises generations of domes
then, he has served Milton
chairman of Equity Residential
assistance.
fa l l 2 015
65
r eflections on a m aster teacher
William M. Moore Faculty member from 1978–2008 Bill Moore died on September 11, 2014. Many friends and family,
Bill Moore cannot be with us this afternoon. He is some
alumni, faculty and staff gathered in King Theatre on October
where between here and Tijuana, tracing the route of a
11, 2014, to share reflections about Bill and celebrate his life.
cross-country road trip that his father took as a 21-year-old
Speakers recounted stories about Bill’s warmth and humor,
in 1926. This is a typical Bill Moore project, a combination
his care, his boundless intellect and charming, engaging style.
of meticulous scholarly preparation and high aesthetic
Memories of Bill are vivid and enduring.
pleasure. Working with a vintage road map and his father’s
Because it so aptly captures Bill as he was known by many
journals, he has pinpointed the site of each of 182 photos
Miltonians, Milton Magazine reprints here the tribute that
in an album from the trip and will, à la recherche du temps
David Smith, former English department chair, wrote and
perdu, replicate them with his own camera. He asks us to
delivered at Bill’s resignation in June 2008.
think of him “perched on a high rock in a National Park, photographing with a ‘Kodak Junior’ and writing about all I feel and see, happy to be alive.” Many at Milton Academy, in the 30 years since Bill arrived here, have been happily infected with the joie de vivre that he brought to his work. An academician to the core, he was so much more than an academician that no whiff of chalk dust ever clung to him, and he moved instead through the school day like an artist blotched with the bright drips from his latest canvas or humming a few bars of a new composition. Yes, his classes — whether in French, the subject that he originally came to Milton to teach, or in English, to which we welcomed him enthusiastically during a dip in French enrollment 15 years ago — were about plumbing the structure of language and explicating text. But they were also about inhaling, as deeply as possible, the spirit of an intellectual life. His comments on student papers took the form of cultivated conversation — usually gentle and appreciative, often in the form of questions rather than answers, sometimes breaking out into sly humor. My son, who relishes a satirical barb even when it is aimed his way, was delighted to receive a note instructing him to push the spell-check button because “correct spelling lends a certain cachet to bombast.” On behalf of his students, Bill was always working to get literature to stand up from the page and dance. [Of a class of Bill’s that Marie Annick Schram (former faculty, modern language department) observed the day she interviewed at Milton, she recalls so much laughter and energy that “even Napoleon, hanging on the wall, seemed to be taking part.”] Because Shakespeare meant more
66
m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
on the stage than it could even in his highly theatrical classroom, he organized a trip whenever there was a production in town. An accomplished cook, he marked the end of To the Lighthouse by reenacting the great dinner party scene, complete with Mrs. Ramsay’s boeuf en daube. Like Mrs. Ramsay, he knew how to make
ronnell wilson ’93, milton academy trustee
people around a table awaken to each other, a skill equally valuable to hostesses and teachers. Colleagues, too, enjoyed Bill’s talent for organizing revelry. Because he found himself temperamentally unsuited to the position of academic dean, his tenure in it was rather brief; what sticks in memory is the panache of the faculty shindig that he organized to lift us out of one winter’s doldrums and christened, impishly, “The Other Dean’s Ball.” On a smaller scale, the delicacies and amenities that he supplied for English department sherry
“Mr. Moore” as a mentor and friend In his Class IV year, a serendipitous shift into Mr. Moore’s French I section gave rise to Ronnell’s long, close friendship with Bill. Drawing from his stories, Ronnell sketched the man that everyone recognizes: “ . . . The rest of freshman year I fell in love not so much with
hours lent refinement to what might otherwise have
French as with the way Bill brought the language to life in
devolved into afternoons of grumpy shop talk.
class. For Bill, French wasn’t just a foreign language. It was
The word “glamour,” etymologists tell us, derives
the Rosetta stone that his students needed to delve into
directly from the word “grammar”: it is the magical aura
the psychology of Sartre, Ionesco and Camus. Watching Bill
that plays about deep learning. Bill fused these principles
at work in the classroom taught me that to be a great
perfectly, often making the glamour so delightful that the
teacher, you must first be a great learner. Bill was always
grammar went down without much fuss. Not far beneath
learning, always curious, always seeking out new food,
them both, however, for most of his recent years with us,
new music, new perspectives. Bill was a great teacher
was his sorrow in the long illness and death of his beloved
because he never stopped being a curious student.
Nina. His own loss only deepened his compassion for students; the odd, the troubled, and even the outright refractory will not forget the kindness he showed them. When the department moved to Warren Hall seven years ago, Bill made his home in the crow’s nest of the Student Center and transformed that lofty classroom into a small art museum, bathed in serene light and set just far enough back from the rumble in the stairwell. There, in a setting that epitomized him, he and his students could stick their heads into the clouds and forget about the turmoil below. I like to think of him leaving us by a kind of apotheosis, as if he came to the head of the stairs but kept right on going, to emerge at last into a world entirely
“ . . . A second great lesson Bill gave me about teaching: Great teachers master the art of asking the right questions and putting their students in the right situations to learn and formulate their own views. It’s a delicate balance that Bill developed over the years. Bill would walk just far enough behind you so that he could reach out and grab your shoulder if you were about to walk off of a cliff. But if he saw you walking toward a pile of dog crap, every now and then he’d let you step in it. That is, after all, part and parcel of the learning process. “ . . . I will miss many things about Bill — his intellect, his sensitivity, his untamed curiosity and his mischievous laugh. I will
composed of books and music and travel and theater and
miss his empathy and unabashed support for the underdog.
food and art.
Most of all, I will miss his overpowering sense of adventure. “For nearly a quarter century, I have been blessed to have Bill Moore within my small circle of friends. Now that he is gone, all I can do is remember him, miss him, and hope that somehow I was as good a friend to him as he was to me.” fa l l 2 015
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r e t i r i n g f a c u l t y David Smith, English Department Member of the Faculty, 1981–2015
“Teaching is play, and anyone, at whatever level, who forgets this axiom will probably have a grim time of it,” writes
to summarize is, well, laughable. For starters, in only his
David Smith, in his new book, Be a Teacher: A Memoir in Ten
second year here, David revamped the entire Class IV
Ideas. After all, he reminds us, “[We are] but sharing a few
English curriculum into the course we still teach today,
precious hours with grumpy, cheerful, feisty, querulous,
launching his role as architect-in-chief of so much of
randy, reflective, impulsive, generous, and spirited teenagers,
our department’s offerings: the classes Expo, Performing,
who deserve a full initiation into the human comedy before
and the Craft of Nonfiction, notably. Nearly a third of
they go to college, let alone law school.”
his tenure here, he served as department chair, anchoring
As far as I can tell, the best strategy for singing praise to David is to sing using his own words, for he strings them
and guiding us with deep generosity and steady diligence. Hunkered down at his desk, hard at work before the
together better than any of us — and what better way to start
morning doors are unlocked and long after his junior
than to remind us that at the heart of this sweaty work
colleagues have limped home, he has always set the work-
of teaching well must be laughter, to keep the overly earnest,
ethic gold standard.
the overly strategic in us at bay, and, most of all, to keep the students around our tables invested in the ride. “For
And David has taught our curriculum across every level, even middle schoolers back in the day, an age he missed
the laughter,” he writes, “more is more. We cannot remind
for its wild energy and its requirement of play — such as
ourselves too often that everything we do totters on the
the time, he recalls in his memoir, he entered the class,
edge of comedy and that comedy is redemptive.” But, of course, David’s humility would resist my quoting
68
off a career so committed and sweeping that my attempt
to the great applause of his students, out from underneath the Harkness table. For even our Lower School students,
him for all of this, so instead, here goes a too-brief history
he was, for decades, the chess guru, teaching them strategy
lesson: In 1981, 34 years ago, and a year before his and
and cheering on their checkmates. In the last few weeks,
Janna’s first child, David came to Milton Academy, kicking
Upper School students, current and graduates, have
m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
written, eager to help me with this encomium. One marvels at David’s ability to provoke the class with the right questions: “We were no longer talking about Emily Dickinson; we were talking about accepting death. We were no longer evaluating Huck Finn’s role in society; we were debating the merits and drawbacks of conformity.” Other students note his literary expertise: “I can only hope to someday know as much about a subject as Mr. Smith knows about literature,” one writes. Another: “Even though I’m now halfway done with [college], my favorite and best-taught class of all time is still undoubtedly David Smith’s two-year English. The class began with Mr. Smith reciting the opening lines of Beowulf in Old English, in a rolling Anglo Saxon cadence, guttural and elegant. Mr. Smith not only improved my writing immensely, but he made me love the writers he taught — John Donne, Samuel Johnson, Jonathan Swift.” Repeatedly, his students describe his egolessness, his goal to — as he says — “step nimbly out of the way” and let them drive the conversation, a goal rooted in David’s suspicion of a teacher’s crowning himself king of the classroom. “Students hold ultimate authority,” he argues in his memoir. First, “after you are gone they will still be here, bull-headedly making the mistakes you warned them against and otherwise flouting the brilliant lessons that you spent so much time preparing for them.” He continues, “The second reason . . . goes straight to the philosophical
One evening this spring, I sat talking with David about
core of the business: The mind is and must remain free. As
his career here at Milton — one he wouldn’t exchange for
soon as we forget this principle, we have given up teaching
any other. He mentioned that he hopes his teaching “creates
and begun indoctrinating.”
a space for his students to occupy” — a fitting metaphor, it
The mind must remain free: clarity as political as it is philo-
seems to me, for the position we all now find ourselves in.
sophical. Perhaps my favorite thing about David is just
We’ve reaped his wisdom, and he’s had plenty of time with
this: his activist spirit, his will to protect, perhaps most of
our “grumpy, feisty, impulsive, spirited” selves. On blue
all, honest human exchange, knowing that classrooms and
days, I’m not quite sure how we’ll manage without our teacher.
schools and countries maintain their integrity by ensuring
On brighter days, though, I imagine him leaning back in
that all people have a voice at the table. He has taught so
his chair, away from the table, smiling gently — certain he’s
many of us here to stand up for such ideals, to argue them
given us all we need, and wishing, for God’s sake, that
with conviction. Think of our Faculty Council as his legacy,
we’d just occupy! It’s our turn, after all. But don’t — he might
the result of his efforts to organize and empower our faculty
add, before slipping “nimbly” out the door — take yourselves
voice. But just as powerfully, David has taught us the art
too seriously.
of listening, that change is forged through connection, that our ability to be moved by each other is a critical measure
by Tarim Chung
of our freedom.
English Department Chair
fa l l 2 015
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r e t i r i n g fac u lt y, c on t.
Maria Gerrity, English Department Member of the Faculty, 1998–2015 Young teachers hope to launch a career with
seventh-grade homeroom, and Russian lit in
then the English department in 1995, after
curiosity and authenticity; mid-career
translation with seniors. One day when she
Carly Wade mentioned to David Smith that he
teachers yearn to balance work and family;
visited another school to offer a presentation on
had a real pro in his midst. When Vera and
and veterans earn gravitas. We are here to
Central Park, Maria’s host left her with his
Sam came to Milton in 1996 and 1998, Maria
celebrate Maria Gerrity, who has played every
students but never returned! So, naturally, she
may have been tempted to lighten her workload,
melodious note on just such an ascending scale
improvised and began teaching his class for
but she leaned into more responsibility, teach-
of a school career. Her 20-year arc at Milton
him — “ Take out your spelling books!” — a nd
ing cornerstone classes such as Class IV
has been backlit by her natural, easy way with
no one was the wiser.
English, the Human Condition, and Founding
her students and colleagues, an ease that has
In 1990, Maria came to Milton, alma mater
Voices. If pressed to teach one book above
of husband Daniel (’66), for her daughter
them all, she would choose Paradise Lost for,
Sheffie’s Grade 7 interview. That day she caught
more than anything, its beautiful language that
Maria’s teaching career was well under way.
a glimpse of future colleagues and friends
recalls her father’s spontaneous recitations of
From college she leapt into a master’s program
whose confident warmth felt so familiar. Maria
poetry through her childhood. In time, Maria’s
followed by two years at Shady Hill, two years
remembers that Jane Brewer immediately
always invited us to learn and laugh genuinely. Before she set foot on Milton’s campus,
in Boston’s Head Start Program, and then five years at Nightingale-Bamford in New York.
practice came to hold a simple line of focus:
“acted as if we’d be best friends in the world,”
Be flexible; avoid any pretense that you know
an observation most prescient — they’re fast
everything; and get classes “to ask the impor-
These were the early years that can test young
friends to this day. In the following years, as
tant questions.” Later generations of students
teachers, but Maria’s aplomb kept her churn-
she puts it, “one thing dribbled into another”:
would enjoy such hard-won wisdom during her
ing through diverse posts such as first grade,
seventh-grade social studies, then admissions,
star turn as a class dean from 2004–2011 — if you’re playing at home, that adds up to about a thousand assembly check-ins and about a billion hours with students in her office munching on her well-stocked candy jar. Ultimately, Maria remembers how that balance of family and school careened wildly, yes, but she returns to a simple refrain — “I have been very lucky” — to describe how Milton enriched her life, and she in it found a place to devote herself. As for gravitas, Doug Fricke in his 2009 class observation framed our esteem of Maria best: “The longer we teach in one place, the more we realize the value of good colleagues, the folks we bump into every day . . . Collegiality delights and instructs us . . . I’m sure all my colleagues in English join me in saying, “Thank God for Maria!” He continues: “She is always present: an incisive and wise mind, an ear for jokes and complaints, a voice of often hilar ious stories, a keen eye for trouble, a helping hand, a big heart . . . There is, quite simply, no end to her generosity and good will.” Maria, we will miss you dearly. by Tarim Chung English Department Chair
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m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
Barbara Kennard, Middle School English Member of the Faculty, 2008–2015 In The Tempest, one of Barbara’s five-star productions with the sixth grade, Prospero says, “Our revels now are ended. These our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits and are melted into air, into thin air: And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, the cloud-capp’d towers, the gorgeous palaces, the solemn temples, the great globe itself, Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve.” I disagree with Shakespeare. None of Barbara’s work at Milton Academy is going to fade anytime soon. Consider what Barbara gave us. She has been a teacher, a director, a grammar guru, an advisor, and a Faculty Council co-chair, among other roles. Like a Shakespearean actress, she has played on these stages superbly, a fact reflected in these comments from her fans: She is a consummate professional; a beautiful writer, thinker and inno-
Virginia Needham, Admission Office Staff, 1990–2015
vator; she is not afraid to take on new challenges; her passion for English knows no bounds; a discerning theater director; a brilliant poet; a great listener. An educator for 35 years, a Milton faculty member for seven, Barbara has challenged everyone around her to embrace learning, respect Shakespeare, and make every day better. Thank you,
Capturing all that Virginia has meant to Milton during her 25 years
Barbara, for reminding me to see the beauty in literature and to
here is challenging. Virginia has been a welcoming, kind, supportive
honor how teaching reading and writing can help us embrace
presence in the admission office. The admission office is often a
our collective humanity.
family’s first point of contact with Milton Academy. Understandably, families may be anxious, but Virginia’s calming influence quickly
We wish Barbara the best as she takes a bow, and moves on to her next act.
puts them at ease. She brings grace and care to each interaction and signals to families that they are in good hands. Virginia’s thoughtful
by Debbie Simon
approach extends to all of us. At one time or another, everyone
Middle School English and Performing Arts
in our office has leaned on Virginia, her helpful advice or words of encouragement. Mother of two Milton graduates, Virginia has not limited her guidance to her daughters. Everyone who has been part of the office has benefited from Virginia’s warm and caring wisdom. A model of consistency over time, Virginia has been dedicated to prospective families, and to her colleagues. She sets a standard for professionalism along with empathy, striking an effortless balance between the two. In addition, Virginia is just plain fun to be around. A caring parent, supportive colleague, and above all else, a valued friend — Virginia will be missed by all of us. We offer all our best wishes for happy years ahead. by Paul Rebuck Dean of Enrollment and Financial Aid
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r e t i r i n g fac u lt y, c on t.
Mary Jo Ramos, Modern Language Department Member of the Faculty, 1998–2015 Mary Jo Ramos, in the eyes and hearts of teachers, students,
classes in Spanish Language and Literature. She was also
parents and alumni, is a most caring and generous colleague.
instrumental in introducing Spanish to Milton’s Lower
She feeds us, supports us, challenges us, inspires us and
School. Including her inspiring care for many, many boys
champions us. Whether she has responded to cover a class
in Wolcott House, Mary Jo has enhanced every aspect of
in Ware Hall, or coached the Middle School Speech Team
living and learning at Milton Academy, K–12.
to nationals in a Midwestern city, or traveled to Spain with
A mentor, friend and confidante, Mary Jo listens so well,
students on a new adventure, Mary Jo understands and
and speaks only when she feels her words are necessary.
tends to the needs and the hopes of all, building toward
Her words are, of course, powerful and profound. The model
their success.
of grace, kindness and diligence, Mary Jo embodies the
Always on the lookout for new materials, ideas,
best of what each of us aspires to be at Milton Academy.
approaches, Mary Jo gives every learner the appropriate
72
care and support. With skill and rigor, Mary Jo taught
by Mark Connolly
from Middle School through Class I, including advanced
Modern Language Department Chair
m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
Juan Ramos, Mathematics Department Member of the Faculty, 1998–2015 Imagining Milton Academy, Wolcott House and the math department without Juan Ramos is difficult. Always flexible and happy to teach what the department needed, Juan taught courses across the math curriculum. Students found his straightforward approach reassuring and his explana tions clear, even when they were trying to master the most difficult ideas. More recently, Juan centered his work in the Skills Center, helping budding mathematicians at every level. There too, students greatly appreciated his clarity and willingness to help them understand an idea. Instead of getting frustrated, Juan looked for another way to approach or grasp a concept. He could use his knowledge of the physical sciences to help demonstrate a
Janet Levine, English Department Member of the Faculty, 1986–2014
math skill, and those connections helped everything make sense
Last year the English department saw the departure of Janet Levine,
for many students.
one of its most veteran members, whose worldly intellect enriched
Juan coached many young athletes since he arrived here in
generations of students and colleagues. A writer and political activist
1998, helping them develop skills. During my first year at Milton,
fleeing South Africa’s apartheid government, Janet moved to Milton
I joined Juan to coach varsity girls’ basketball. He had the latest
in 1984 when her sons, Roger and Tony, enrolled in the Middle School,
technology that allowed us to track shots, so during games I was
and Janet turned to her burgeoning writing career that produced such
clicking away, noting which shots were taken, and from what part
diverse titles as Inside Apartheid (1988), The Enneagram Intelligences:
of the court. That experience was a fun way to start my time at
Understanding Personality for Effective Teaching and Learning (1999), and
Milton, and Juan was a great coach to follow. Over the years, he
the novel Leela’s Gift (2010). In Janet, Headmaster Jerry Pieh rightly
has worked most closely with basketball and soccer players,
sensed a sharp mind and global perspective to be recruited, and she
and he continues to coach teams around the state. We will always
soon joined the English department in 1986 as a teacher of Human
remember Juan on a field or a court, encouraging players and
Condition, Class IV English, and Philosophy and Literature. To Janet,
helping them to improve their game.
the classroom was a place to challenge her students’ perspectives, asking
Juan finishes his long and devoted, 17-year tenure at Wolcott
continually how another nation, race, or faith might tell the story you
House with a group of junior advisees who have flourished already.
thought you knew by heart. Inspired by her own Buddhist practice,
Juan made it seem easy to hold the line when teenagers tried
she brought a studied Eastern perspective to the senior philosophy
hard to bend the rules! The boys appreciated his role as an advisor,
course that drew strong annual subscription. Similarly, she used her
mentor and math tutor, and he was a vital presence. All the
voracious reading habit to keep her colleagues’ curriculums full of
Wolcott House staff will miss the Ramoses as he and Mary Jo head
writing from other quarters, particularly Africa. And Janet’s interests
off to enjoy family and western Massachusetts.
were not limited to these profound realms of study. She also was (and
As you and Mary Jo depart, we bid a bittersweet farewell. We
remains) a steadfast local sports fan who could talk about the Red Sox
will miss you, but we are also secretly envious of what is ahead
free agency and Belichick’s defensive philosophy with frightening
for you: frequent trips to see your grandchildren, travels to places
powers of prognostication. While Janet loved and embodied so many of
on a long-held list, and relaxation. We hope you will keep us up
the qualities of Milton Academy, she took exception to its location: our
to date about where life takes you. Thank you so much for the time,
cold winters were an effrontery to her constitution. So, she has found
energy, love and caring you put into so many aspects of your life
the climate of her girlhood on the beaches and among the mangroves of
at Milton. We will miss you, Juan.
southern Florida, where she now reads, writes, and takes long walks.
by Heather Sugrue
by Tarim Chung
Mathematics Department Chair
English Department Chair
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NAME:
CLASS OF:
ONE MILTON MEMORY:
OCCUPATION:
PASSIONS:
HOW MILTON PLAYED A ROLE IN MY LIFE:
MILTON TODAY IS:
WHY DO I GIVE BACK:
I CHOSE A PLANNED GIFT:
74
For information on gift planning, contact Suzie Hurd Greenup ’75 at suzie_greenup@milton.edu or 617-898-2376.
m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
c l a s s n o t e s 1935 Constance Madeira, though
with a change in his life after
Betsy Boyd Stevens is a
using a walker, is in “reasonable
losing his wife. There is much
retired minister who had UUA
shape for 97 years old!” Her
napping and some tennis and
and parish responsibilities,
primary occupation these days
golf. Luke volunteered as the
functioning in that capacity
is watching the Red Sox and
medical director of a local hospice
for some of her classmates. She
tennis tournaments on TV.
for more than 15 years and
is involved in a number of
received the New Hampshire
committees for her church and
1950
Volunteer of the Year Award
the town of Duxbury, and
for his outstanding service.
she has received several awards
Frank Cahouet ’s wife, Ann,
from the UUA.
has been by his side for 58 years.
Over the past two years, Fred de
During his career, Frank was
Graaff traveled quite a bit, but
Oakes Plimpton has founded
CEO of two major banks and —
he is now content to stay in one
Boston Gleaners, a nonprofit that
for a brief time — COO of a GSE
place. He is looking forward to
collects surplus produce from
(government-sponsored entity).
a reunion in 2020, one that he will
farms in eastern Massachusetts
He was also an important player
definitely attempt to attend, in
and distributes it to food pantries
in the turnaround of a Korean
lieu of missing this past year’s.
bank. Frank, Ann, and their four
has founded Boston Gleaners, a nonprofit that collects surplus produce from farms in
and soup kitchens. In its tenth
eastern Massachusetts and
year, the organization gleaned
distributes it to food pantries
children are active in supporting
Bob Weiss remembers defeating
170,000 pounds of produce
disadvantaged youth and the
Teddy Kennedy in a debate in
that was converted into 700,000
elderly.
Forbes House. He has put off
servings, and employed 200
retiring and is entering Phase III
volunteers.
For the last ten winters, Nancy
Oakes Plimpton ’50
and soup kitchens.
of his life as a travel writer. Sandy Batchelder plays tennis,
Burley Chase has cruised
from Hingham to the Bahamas
Liz Harman Brainard has written
does yoga and skies to stay in
on a 44-foot boat, returning in
a book about the first railroad
shape. He has a large inventory
the summer to sail in Maine. In
built in Ecuador between 1880
of engraved highball glasses for
2007, she toured the eastern half
and 1908. Her grandfather
winning the consolation round at
of the U.S. by water, boating
was the chief engineer for this
the annual B Mixed Doubles
across the Erie Canal to the Great
extraordinary project, which
Tournament at The Country Club.
Lakes, down the Mississippi
involved the challenges of
He also volunteers, consulting
to the LBJ Waterway, around
mountains and tropical disease.
for nonprofits with organizational
Florida, and then north via
Liz’s own painting is featured
problems through Executive
the Inland Waterway — a ll the
on the book’s cover; her daughter
Service Corps.
way back to New England.
assisted her in the project.
Fritz Schwarz ’53
1953
Bob Terry enjoys tennis, hiking
Rachel Felton Mullen was an
and travel, and is based in three
art history major and worked
Fritz Schwarz published a
places — Cambridge, Orleans and
at Tiffany; writes art reviews
book in April 2015 titled
Vero Beach. He is writing a book
for a local newspaper; and
Democracy in the Dark: The Seduction of Government Secrecy.
about his experiences in the Peace
enjoys birdwatching, tennis,
Corps, which he helped in
cross-country skiing and
founding.
biking in Vermont and Europe. She lives in Bernardsville,
published a book in April 2015 titled Democracy in the Dark: The Seduction of Government Secrecy.
1955
Luke Hill retired from surgery
New Jersey, and is involved in
Ellis P. Waller retired from
and lives in a New Hampshire
a local historical society and
the Credit Union National
retirement community, dealing
food bank.
Association in July 2010 and
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cl a s s no t e s, con t.
is enjoying retirement. He keeps
Guard soldier returning to
busy serving on the parks,
civilian life after serving in Iraq.
recreation and marina committee of his village, as well as the
Married Sex. The film rights have been optioned by Nick Wechsler (Sex, Lies and Videotape and Magic Mike) with writer/producer/
board of the Madison Symphony
1958
Orchestra and the Rotary Club
Neilson Abeel was a member of
Jesse will be the lucky
of Madison. He plays the bagpipes
Milton’s 1957 sailing team, which
screenwriter!
with a local band; toured New
competed in the interscholastic
director Griffin Dunne to direct.
Zealand with his wife, Katie; and
regatta at the U.S. Coast Guard
last winter, skied for three weeks
Academy in New London,
1965
in Colorado.
Connecticut. For his 75th birthday,
Jane Lyman Bihldorff and her
he signed up for six days of ocean
husband, John, divide their
Lydia Lee Dane’s cancer returned
racing around the buoys on the
time between Pakeen Farm in
in 2014 but she is now cancer-
John Alden ’52 schooner, Heron,
Canton, Massachusetts (where
free. Her husband, Roger, is doing
at the 2015 Antigua Classic Yacht
Jane grew up), and Wilmington,
very well at 81. The farm, where
Regatta this past April.
North Carolina. Pakeen Farm
waterfalls, wood storks, warblers
1960
vegetables and Christmas trees,
and wildflowers.
Fred and Randi Filoon have seven
Bihldorff ’97.
Since her retirement, Priscilla
of 10. Though living on the West
Rand Baker has assumed leader-
Coast, Fred and Randi still
1970
ship volunteer roles in many
summer in Hyannisport, keeping
After 16 years owning and editing
organizations in Washington, D.C.
them connected to family and
community newspapers in and
Her career included working
friends in the east.
around Portland, Maine, Marian
▼ This photograph of a Girls’
Since then, she has worked for
is an active CSA of organic fruits,
the two live with their daughter, is “still as fabulous as ever,” with
now run by Jane’s son Dave
grandchildren under the age
McCue sold the business in 2006.
in the United States Departments of Transportation, Treasury
Lydia Lee Dane’s ’55 farm is “still as fabulous
and the Interior, and in the
School assembly in 1960 was
the American Civil Liberties
private sector in fundraising and
taken by Bradford Herzog, father
Union of Maine and helped with
public/private organization
of Kitty Herzog ’80.
several political campaigns.
administration.
She writes a column for her
Katharine “Tinka” Gratwick
Maine legislature.
as ever,” with waterfalls, wood storks, warblers and wildflowers.
former newspaper, covering the Baker is delighted that two of her
grandchildren, Eloise (Class IV)
Jane Cruckshank Zimmerman is
and Colin (Grade 6), attend Milton
newly a grandparent and is loving
and love it! Tinka loves seeing
life on the edge of Buzzards Bay.
what a great time they are having and enjoys attending plays, orchestra concerts and lacrosse
1975
games.
Sally Hall Ingram retired in 2014,
1957
with friends and finding new
and now enjoys catching up hobbies. The “Dare to be true”
Robert G. Fuller Jr. published
76
m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
motto carried her through some
a short story called “Flashback
1964
challenging career phases, and
Morning,” written from the
Jesse Kornbluth has made the
she will “keep it tucked in her
viewpoint of a Maine National
leap to fiction with his new novel,
pocket” for the next adventure.
milton.edu
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@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
Elaine Apthorp, Ph.D., has been
children who were taken from
a Milton faculty member of
New Orleans to Cuba during
English and history for 16 years.
the Civil War, and their mother’s
Her spouse, Terri HerrNeckar
effort to recover them.
(of Milton’s math department), has helped her with Goodwin
▶ Bill Mitch is an associate
House dorm duties for many years.
professor of environmental
Elaine still plays softball in an
engineering at Stanford University.
evening league in Northampton,
He earned his doctorate from
Massachusetts, where she and
Berkeley and taught for several
Terri spend their summers.
years at Yale. When not teaching, Bill is spending time with
1979
his four-year-old son, Sam.
Jack Arena was named the
American Hockey Coaches
1995
1998
Association’s Coach of the Year
Nick Hausman and his wife,
After three years as in-house
for his work coaching the
Jessica, welcomed their son
designer at Maine College of Art,
Amherst College hockey team,
William on February 27, 2015.
Beth Taylor transitioned her
this year being his 32nd season.
The family lives in Belmont,
side business to a full-time studio,
Massachusetts.
Jack Arena ’79 was named the American Hockey Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year.
Longstocking Design. Beth works with nonprofits, small businesses, and arts and educa
1997
tional initiatives on a variety
▼ Jill Brewer, Lily Pollans, Abby
of print and digital strategies.
Taylor and Jeanne “Sheffie” Gerrity met up this July with their
Paul Bercovitch was nominated
babies: Jill with Marcus, Jeanne
for an outstanding sound-editing
with Oona, Lily with Theo, Abby
Emmy for his work on Game of
with Jack.
Thrones.
1985 ▲ Jamie Masella’s son, James,
showing his Milton Academy pride.
1989 Adam Rothman released a new
book, Beyond Freedom’s Reach: A Kidnapping in the Twilight of Slavery, published by Harvard University Press. The book tells the story of three slave
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cl a s s no t e s, con t.
2001 ▶ Mike Walsh, Caitlin Flint Walsh
’02 and big brother, Michael,
welcomed Emily Anne Walsh on November 28, 2014, in San Diego, California.
2005 Gen Greer returned to Thailand
after finishing a graduate program in Southeastern Asian studies at the University of Hawaii, following stints in Southeast Asia and an undergraduate concentration at Harvard in anthropology with a focus on Southeast Asia. ▼ Class of 2005 representation at the
Milton–Nobles alumni soccer match: ▲ Ellie Wendell married Bob
Warehouse in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
Doug Sibor, Matt Enright, Colby
Reiter on May 24, 2014, in
His best men were Justin Walsh
Tucker, Andy Stachiw, Max
Brookline, Massachusetts.
and Jon Schroeder, longtime
Hoffman and Zac Trudeau.
Celebrating with them were
friends from Milton. Chris and
Laurie Richmond ’98, Marissa
Amy hope to honeymoon in
Miley Friedman ’98, Margaret
Australia and New Zealand at
Gill Nyweide ’98, Leslie Mann
the end of this year. Pictured from
Polubinski ’98, Cristina Rosen
the celebration:
D’Aniello ’98, Macky Wendell ’01,
T Burek, Rob Schmidt, Jon
Lindsay Haynes Lowder ’98,
Schroeder, Rob Higgins, Ladd
Kate Orchard ’00, Pam Orchard
Thorne, Adam Perold, Michael
(former faculty), Liddy Wendell
Chao ’08, Mac Dougherty, Justin
Gen Greer ’05
’94 , Chris Orchard ’96, Virginia
Walsh, Joe Lyons, Carri Chan ’00,
returned to Thailand after
Needham (Admission Office),
finishing a graduate program
Wrenn Flemer Compere ’82 ,
in Southeastern Asian studies
Carolyn Damp (former faculty),
at the University of Hawaii.
Mary Wendell (former faculty),
Matt Ford and Scott Sadlon.
Elizabeth Gilmore ’68, Ted Wendell ’58, Lucy WendellThorpe ’56, John Sheldon ’67, Arthur Holcombe ’58, John Kerr ’68 and Hugh Marlow ’53 . Photo
by Laura Kackley of Lark Photos.
1999 ▶ Chris Chao married Amy Wang
on April 24, 2015, at the Liberty
78
m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
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Deceased Class of 1937
Class of 1954
Winslow W. Wright
Francis Kernan III
the Ninth Annual Vera
Class of 1941
Class of 1959
Institute of Justice Spring Gala:
Robertson Ward
Walter Channing Jr.
▼ Milton friends, together at
Deval Patrick ’74 , Richard Perry ’73 ,
Stephen B. Parker Class of 1943
Catie Marshall ’73 ,
Eleanor S. Leon
Class of 1965
Diana Taylor ’73 ,
Anne Saxton
Ruth Johnson Dean
Morgan Bakerman ’09
Class of 1944
Class of 1966
and Tracy Palandjian ’89.
Rachel Achenbach
The Honorable John G.
Peter Shepherd
Class of 1945
Class of 1972
Lucia Brown Dudley
Paul J. Fitzgerald
Michael Bloomberg,
Heyburn II
2008
Keith R. Kunhardt Roderic N. MacDonald Jr.
Class of 1975
Greg Schwartz launched a
Ann Lane Marshman
Jorge G. Castro
startup, Stork, in March.
Robin M. Miller Sr.
Robert L. Mumford
Stork was created to design a
F. G . Sherrill II
better fitting undershirt and
William C. Swan
Class of 1980 Scott E. Young
delivers fresh packs of shirts every three, four or six months.
Class of 1946
www.joinstork.com
Judson Wood Jr.
2011
Class of 1949 Bernard Florin
Former Faculty
Jovanna “Jojo” Jones received
John B. Nash
Sue Bisbee
Class of 1985 Edward S. Hartman
Abbott Fenn
the Lucius Lamar McMullan Award for her work and
Class of 1952
dedication to inclusion and
David S. McElwain
of color feel heard. Each year,
Class of 1953
the McMullan Award recognizes
Anna Hunt Latkowitch
graduates at Emory College
▲ 34th Annual Milton–Nobles
who have shown leadership and
Blackman Hays Alumni Soccer Game:
service to their community. Jake Turrin was named an
American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) CCM Division II–III East First Team All-American selection. As
Former Trustee Violet Marshall
helping young men and women
Rolf Olson
Front row (L to R): Bill Hanson ’89, Swing Robertson ’81, Eric Pascavage ’01, Chris Robertson ’83 , Dan Sibor ’01, Seth Reynolds ’90.
co-captain of the Amherst College
Back row: Colby Tucker ’05 ,
2014–2015 men’s hockey team,
Andy Stachiw ’05 , Matt Enright ’05 ,
Jake is the first Amherst player
Doug Sibor ’05 , Harry Shillingford ’05 ,
to achieve the First Team
Keith Caldwell ’02 , Zac Trudeau ’05 ,
All-American honor since 2012.
Ted Hays ’70.
To read the obituaries of deceased alumni, you can log in to Milton’s alumni web pages and visit the In Memoriam section.
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â–˛ c l ass o f 1 9 4 5 Tom Cleveland, George Loring, Brad Perry, Hart Fessenden.
â–ś c l ass o f 1 9 5 0
front row (l to r): Francis Cahouet, Nancy Burley Chase, Marion Adams, Elizabeth Boyd Stevens, Elizabeth Harman Brainard, Rachel Felton Mullen. back row: Robert Terry, Samuel Batchelder, Robert Weiss, Lucius Hill.
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â–˛ c l ass o f 1 9 5 5
front row (l to r): Malcolm MacNaught, Lydia Stout Dane, Paul Robinson, Martha Flynn Peterson, Priscilla Rand Baker, Nancy Drinkwater Weikert, Isabella Halsted, Susan Bowditch Badger. back row: Frederick Crocker, Walter Hinchman, John Noble Jr., James Swan, Catherine Stinson Carleton, John Adams, Henry Gratwick, Katharine Gratwick Baker.
â—€ c l ass o f 1 9 6 0
front row (l to r): Elise Forbes Tripp, Susan Morison, Martha Fuller Clark, Dorothy Altman Weber, Susan Williams Dickie, Elizabeth Cabot Lyman. back row: Fred Filoon, Richard Keyes, Charles Lyman, Thomas Bolton, Sam Harding, Alison Gardiner, Robert Norris, Todd Baker.
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â–˛ c l ass o f 1 9 6 5
front row (l to r): Shaw McCutcheon, Susan Bourneuf, Candace Thorne Canton, Sylvia Pope, Mary McCutcheon, Morgan Hodgson, Judith Larrabee Holmes, Thomas Clark, Sara Delano Perkins. row two: Joe Bourneuf, Bruce Barker, Frank Pope, David Higgins, Sarah Brooke Elder, Debbie Hubbard, Hugh Bigelow. row three: Peter Flynn, Edward Rogerson, Liza Rogerson, Tricia Hurd, Marguerita Putnam, Perry Russell, John Cornish. row four: Paul Bartlett, Mark Schmid, Toby Hurd, Lucie Hayes Semler, William Cary, Amos Ewing, Fritz Hobbs. row five: John Randolph, Scott Parkin, Sara Spang. back row: Beatrice Forbes Manz, Marietta Lynch, Carol Bowen, Ann Febiger, William Febiger, Henry Fuller. â–ś c l ass o f 1 9 7 0
front row (l to r): Peter Snyder, Debbie Weil, Mina Carson, Ted Hays. back row: Martha Sullivan Brady, Joan Dickson, Jane Cruckshank Zimmerman, Joel Davidson, Marian McCue, Elizabeth Mueller Wales.
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front row (l to r): Suzie Hurd Greenup, Rhona Mahony, Bernadette Weeks, Kym Lew Nelson, Martha Smith McManamy, Jane Rogers Rosenberg. row two: Frances South, Brendan Glynn, Sarah Hall Ingram, Valerie Robinson Dinkins, Julia Rabkin, Elaine Apthorp, Henry Heyburn, Marvin Anderson. back row: Robert Lyons, Jeffrey Richardson, Robert Soule, Charles Cabot, Edward Lindsay, John Reardon, Foerd Ames, Ames Abbot, Louis Vinios, Clarence Page, Art Rousmaniere, Dennis Driscoll. â—€ c l ass o f 1 9 8 0
(l to r): Mary Yntema, Stephen Arnason, Chris Sears, Heather Dumaine, Cor Trowbridge, Henrietta Kernan, Brooke Herndon, Michael Hegarty, Mei Sang, Alexandra Woznick.
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front row (l to r): Paula Lyons, Lauren Dwyer, Eva Rosenthal, Natasha Graham, Ruth Arras Barbie, Jenne Colasacco Grant, Ali Pogorelec, Eliza Myers, Sophia Carroll Garmey, Sarah Aldrich, Isabel Kriegel Hardy, Nick Hausman. row two: Jordan Woods, Michael Berger, Alyssa Scott, Remi Pascal, Melissa Trozzi Nass, Alexandra Pappas, Marie-Christine Hyland, Colby Hunter Previte, Kerry Byrstrom, Christine Curley Skiadas, Michelle Morrissey, Nathalie Goodkin Emami. row three: Tom Connelly, Gen Wagenknecht, Cape Flood, Sandy Schmid, Cynthia Needham, Ella Martin, Daniela Trammell, Lyle Bradley. back row: Jason Bolton, Wat Tyler, Edward Fenster, Olivia Peoples, Johanna Reardon Prince, Paul Costello, Alice Dubois, Erin Steimle, Peter Brooks, Divya Kumar, Rod Leitzes.
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front row (l to r): Maggie Parker, Chuck Pratt, Lynda Ruiz, Hong Duong, John Siegfried, Tara Wilson, Nicole Veneto, Charity McNabb, Jamie Forbes, JacQuie Parmlee, Rachael Weber Sabates, Mary Markis, Caitlin Burrows, Christine Hoey, Martin DeMatteo. back row: Bill Brown, Bob Colman, Seth Handy, Dan Berger, Luke Cadigan, Nick Sholley, Fred Coor, Blyth Taylor Lord, Chris Henrikson, Chris Churchill.
â–˛ c l ass o f 1 9 9 0
front row (l to r): Ben Goodman, Lydia Unfried, Adam Wolff, Charlie Hale, Wilbert Turner, Adam Slocum, Alexis Greeves, David Kimball, Josh Carpman, Andy Weimeyer, August Eriksmoen, Tania Rodriguez, Caroline Roberts, Maria Colbert, Gregg Miller. row two: Laurence Lombard, Josh Tosteson, Sage Brennan, Michael Cerveri, Peter Engelhardt, Patrick Tsang, David Niles, Jen Escobedo, Saveena Dhall, Leslie Jones Garvin, Erin McIntyre, Bryony Gagan. row three: Roland von Metzsch, Derek Foster, Laura Carter, Kimberly Langworthy Blair, Roxana Alger Geffen, Rudy Reyes, Aisha Harris Cofield, Jennifer DuBrul Missbrenner, Jocelyn Rosenthal. row four: Seth Reynolds, David Bergan, Marty Hale, Victoria Wilde Jette, Ellen Williams Casey Boyd, Cornelius Howland, Jonathan Newton, Emily Franklin Strauss, Laura Wood, Claire Johnson, Wendy Kaufman Gale, Andrea Bongarzone. row five: Doug Dohan, Dan Coyne, Preble Jaques, Sarah Burley Reid, Tara Stilwell, Elizabeth Sullivan, David Brewster, Alex Taylor, Nat Paynter, Marc Chung, David Zug, Julie Strong, Holly Williams, Andy Welch, Christina McCormick, Austen Barron Bailey, Peter Fitzgibbons.
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front row (l to r): Leah Culver, Katherine Cummings, Crystal Jones, Prudence Hyman, Natalie McCormick Richards, Andrew Konove, Molly Perkins-Kirkman, Shannon Gulliver Caspersen, Molly Epstein, Carri Chan, Kate Doniger, Rebecca Leventhal, Prianka Chawla. back row: Cortney Tunis, Erin Rogers Gilbert, Michaela Sewall, Eleanor Dillon, Scott Vasquez, Katharine Millet, Ashley Carter Draviam, Margot Pollans, David Huoppi, Merrill Feather, Henry Ladd, David Malkenson, Matthew Heck, Joshua Pressman, Colin Garstka, Brent Bucknum, Katherine McCluggage. ◀ c l ass o f 2 0 0 5
front row (l to r): Andrew Stachiw, Neil Katuna, Yunji Kim, Julia Ellison Palmedo, Samuel Stone, Dilshoda Yergasheva, Mae Ryan, Arkady Rasin, Boris Rasin, Meg Weisman. row two: William Faulkner, Clare Bernard, Matt Miller, Andrew Oates, Meredith Nelson, Zachary Trudeau, Emily Cunningham. row three: Matt Enright, Samantha Bain Enright, Andrew Pinkham, Edith Stark-Menneg, Daniel Gordon, Jonathan Garrity, Randolph Ryan, John LingosWebb, Kathryn Lazares, Lindsay McNamara, Colin Bachner. back row: Doug Sibor, Lee Seymour, Satyajit Gupta, Sheldon Bond, Vanderley Cabral, Cullen Winkler, Max Hoffman.
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The Class of 2010 was the first graduating class under Todd Bland’s tenure as Head of School. Celebrating their five-year reunion with Mr. Bland were Grant Jones, Frederick Scott Bailey, Alexandra Childs, Emily Perkins, Ruth Weld, Stephanie Harris, Jonathan Yu, Alexander Tin, Monica Das, Quinn Solfisburg, Assel Tuleubayeva, Kevin Huang, Sam Kaplan, Ethan Schneider, Jessica Serventi-Gleeson, Azza Bakkar, Emmet Wynter, Sophia Bechek, Ryan McDaniel, Michael Abrams, Aneesha Mehta, Hannah Whitehead, Micaela Conners, Catherine O’Sullivan, Catherine Coravos, Andrew Lebovitz, Joshua Cohen, Michael Campos, Rebecca Li, Katerina Vradelis, Sarah Ames, Amelia Whalen, Amanda O’Malley, Charlotte Peyser, Michael Ammar, John Brophy, Lukas Gaffney, Nicholas Termyn, Kevin Collins, Sacha Perold, Michael Megnia, John Gonneville, Alexis Copithorne, Daniel Doherty, Ross Lerner, Melissa Santos, William Evans, Lianne Ramos, Lily Glimcher, Elizabeth Dingle, Andrew Dowton, Adam Conklin, Marilyn Petrowski, Addison Williams, Anna Lau, Katherine Murray, Scott Sewall, Tye Lampl, Nicholas Santangelo, Jimmy O’Keeffe, Katharine Haddad, Alexandra Jaeger, Caitlin Keliher, Kristina Lee, Kate Murray, Katherine Murray, Scott O’Leary, Rebecca Pearce-Probst, Aneesha Chakrabarti, John Arcanti, Austin Wang, Sarah Reilly, Erielle Davidson, Uma Venkatraman, Bridget Petitti, Alisandra Morisi, Adam Nesto, Nia Patton, Jamie Chu, Sabrina Katz, Alexandra Wong, Laura Soriano, Hannah Cho, Corina Ramirez and Lily Choi.
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post script
B y J ess i ca H o rak S t o u t ’ 9 4
Feel Me Brave experienced a freedom in writing that I never had before. A moment, or a thought would occur, and the words would just well up and demand expression on the page. Similarly, my father, Walter (Class of ’66), became driven by this same impulse to bear witness and cope with his own profound sorrow, through language. A professional sculptor by trade, he had never written poetry before, but suddenly that became the form his expression needed to take. And so, independently of one another, we charted our journey of heartbreak, through prose and poetry, respectively. After that year of illness, after the life-altering moment of my son’s death, and the ensuing months of acute grief, we were left with this soul-bearing testimony about it all. Encouraged by loved ones to “do something” with this body of work, my father soon noticed that the writings paired in a powerful way. This observation was the seed for our book, Feel Me Brave, a memorable phrase of Ryland’s during his treatment. The process of transforming our work into book form took time, posed creative challenges, “Dare to be true” had an appealing ring to it back in my
memories and emotions. At the same time, the act of telling
to connect with my authentic self — to speak and act and
our story together in this way opened up opportunities
relate to the world from that place. More than 20 years out, I have observed how the motto
for connection and healing I could not have foreseen. As my dad has said, in many ways the writing “did its job” for us
stands the test of time, though now with some nuance.
the moment the words hit the page. But now to merge these
My younger self tended to connect to this concept of “being
words in a creative and intentional way breathes a new
true” in a way that felt bold. Applying it had more to do
kind of life into them. And certainly, should this book find
with my academic and professional pursuits. Now, at nearly
its way to people and impart some support, or hope, or
40 years old, life has had more of a chance to have its way
insight, then the work will take on another level of meaning.
with me, and in recent years this has included the loss of
This book is my “true.” It does not feel like a bold or
my second-born child, Ryland, to terminal cancer at age
flashy achievement; this is the book I never wanted to write.
three. I cannot even begin to describe that experience of
But as the story of Ryland’s fate unfolded, even against every
devastation here.
shred of my will, the instinct to grapple with it, to look at
But I did describe it. Soon after Ryland was diagnosed, I started a blog to inform friends and family about his
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and obviously required that we revisit impossibly painful
adolescent days. For me, the words summoned the courage
it squarely, to process its impact persisted. Many would say, “there are no words” for this kind of loss, and yes, language
condition and treatment. I communicated this way for the
may always have limitations. Nonetheless, something vital
year that he survived. I did not anticipate how quickly
happens in the sheer effort to articulate one’s truth, no
the writing evolved, from basic information sharing to a
matter how hard or painful. A certain grounding happens,
critical opportunity to process what was happening to
as well as that chance to connect with fellow human beings
my family and me. I had never been good at journaling, as
charting their own life stories. It seems that “being true”
I think my inner critic interfered too much and stifled
is more than a commandment on a shield: it is a tender
any flow. But that critic utterly disappeared; there was no
human capability that roots us in our own lives and in the
mental space for it. Despite the agony of my situation, I
nourishing landscape of shared experience.
m i lt o n m a g a z i n e
feelmebrave.com
boa r d of trustee s Robert Azeke ’87
John B. Fitzgibbons ’87
Stephen D. Lebovitz
Dune Thorne ’94
New York, New York
Treasurer
Weston, Massachusetts
Lincoln, Massachusetts
Bronxville, New York Charles Cheever ’86 Concord, Massachusetts
Margaret Jewett Greer ’47
Douglas G. Crocker ’58
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Yunli Lou ’87
Erick Tseng ’97
Shanghai, China
San Francisco, California
Stuart Mathews
Kimberly Vaughan ’92
Vice President
Boston, Massachusetts
Emerita Delray Beach, Florida Franklin W. Hobbs IV ’65
Waban, Massachusetts
Bob Cunha ’83
Emeritus
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
New York, New York
Dorothy Altman Weber ’60
Mark Denneen ’84
Harold W. Janeway ’54
Boston, Massachusetts
Emeritus
Wendy Nicholson ’86
Webster, New Hampshire
Vice President
Chris McKown
Boston, Massachusetts
Milton, Massachusetts
Elisabeth Donohue ’83
Ted Wendell ’58
New York, New York
President
Claire Hughes Johnson ’90
Chicago, Illinois
Menlo Park, California
Randall Dunn ’83
Peter Kagan ’86 New York, New York
Caterina Papoulias-Sakellaris
Emeritus Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Kevin Yip ’83 Hong Kong
H. Marshall Schwarz ’54 Emeritus
James M. Fitzgibbons ’52
Ronnell Wilson ’93 Jersey City, New Jersey
Milton, Massachusetts Chicago, Illinois
Milton, Massachusetts
New York, New York
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