350 Prospect Street Belmont, MA 02478
Volume 74, Issue 6
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A Student Publication of the Belmont Hill School
January 29, 2026
BH CELEBRATES SEÑOR MONTOYA
After 31 Years at Belmont Hill, Señor Montoya Leaves His Mark By Billy Palumbo ’28 and Tiernan Emmert ’28 Panel Staff
On January 16, 2026, Belmont Hill said goodbye to Señor Montoya after 31 years of service to Belmont Hill. Sr. Montoya is an alumnus of Boston College, having captained the men’s Soccer Team in his senior year. After graduating in 1984, Sr. Montoya continued his soccer career as a player for seven seasons in professional soccer. In 1993, he began his Belmont Hill journey and immediately contributed on both sides of campus. Through patience, clarity, and a genuine love of learning, generations of his students have not only learned to speak Spanish but also to appreciate the culture that comes with it. Sr. Montoya's legacy at Belmont Hill is best seen in his love of learning and his true passion for bettering his students. “He focused on every single one of the guys in our class,” recalled Eli Norden ’26. “Even though we were all at different levels, Sr. Montoya worked to level the playing field.” Since 1993, Sr. Montoya has coached the Varsity Soccer team, leading them to 15 appearances in the NEPSAC tournament and five ISL titles. Sr. Montoya holds an impressive 340-12484 record as head coach of the soccer team. Mr. Bracken ’15, Assistant Varsity
Mr. Montoya Clap Out Coach and former Varsity Soccer athlete, mentioned Sr. Montoya’s “immense sense of fun” and ability to make practices enjoyable. Many of Coach Montoya’s players attest to his contagious enthusiasm that brought an unmatched level of energy into every practice. Another characteristic that made Sr. Montoya's coaching special was his ability to adapt. Because of Belmont Hill’s smaller size in comparison to other New England Prep Schools, the recruitment process is often challenging. Coach Montoya's ability to adapt his style of play to his players while consistently delivering success makes him such a great coach. Even as his team adapted, Coach always enforced a strict culture of team-
BH Communications
work and selflessness. As his time at Belmont Hill comes to a close, the legacy left behind remains clear: stronger students and a program shaped by excellence. Besides his impressive accolades and success, Sr. Montoya’s true legacy is in the example he set for those around him. Mr. Bracken commended his fun-loving personality and genuine sense of humor. In addition, he mentioned Sr. Montoya’s ability to remain calm and composed in tricky situations multiple times. Mr. Bracken mentioned a match a few years back against Brooks in which the squad was not playing up to par. Despite this, they pulled off an upset win against all odds. Throughout the game and the practices leading
up to the match, Mr. Bracken recalls that Sr. Montoya stayed calm and collected. This mentality was not reserved only for game days, either. On the way home from one of the soccer team’s trips to Costa Rica, their flight was canceled, and another one wasn't available for three days. Mr. Bracken lauded his coach’s demeanor: “He was so calm and composed…He ended up getting us home pretty much that same day. And so nothing really fazes him. He’s super calm, and he just models composure under pressure in a really positive way.” Real legacy isn’t built through championships or banners; it is in the impact coaches have on their players. This situation has certainly not been forgotten by Sr. Montoya’s players and fellow coaches. Actions like this have made Sr. Montoya a role model and leader on campus. After 31 years, replacing a figure as influential as Sr. Montoya will not be easy. Mr. Bracken said that transitions after tenured coaches are always difficult. Belmont Hill soccer has faced similar situations before and has continued to succeed. What makes this transition possible is the foundation Sr. Montoya leaves behind, a program built on accountability, adaptability, and genuine care for its players; Sr. Montoya’s legacy will continue to impact his players, students, and colleagues, well after his departure. ☐
Nat Fleck '59 Alumni Profile: An Exclusive Interview By Patrick Snail ’28 Panel Staff If you had one message that embodies your story, what would it be?” The voice on the other end of the line paused, calculating each word before carefully stating, “I chose to have a rich life, not becoming a rich person.” Nat Fleck ’59 graduated from Belmont Hill 67 years ago and has since lived an adventurous life. Growing up in Lincoln, Massachusetts, Fleck attended Belmont Hill before studying physics at Williams College in Western Massachusetts. After graduating, he taught in multiple countries and traveled extensively with the Peace Corps. Outside of work, Fleck immerses himself in nature. His experiences range from learning to canoe at a young age to biking over 60,000 miles, backpacking over 4,000 miles, and even becoming a published photographer. When applying to college, Fleck chose Williams College, where he ma-
Nat Fleck '59 in Giza jored in physics, inspired by a Beta version of a physics course from the Physical Science Study Committee at
Nat Fleck '59 Website
MIT he took in his senior year. As he approached graduation, Fleck was unsure of his career and lacked confi-
dence: “I didn’t feel like I was ready to go on to graduate school. I grew up in a very sheltered environment in Lincoln, Belmont, and Williams.” Luckily for Fleck, he had past experiences to guide him. On Moosehead Lake in Northern Maine, Fleck’s grandfather ran a canoeing camp. The lake was so secluded that one could only reach it by foot, boat, or seaplane. Fleck spent lots of time at his grandfather’s camp, learning to canoe with the J-stroke and Indian-stroke and taking relaxing walks to examine the nature around them, before teaching the same lessons to younger children when he was in high school. “What I really knew how to do well was work with kids,” Fleck reflected. Additionally, Fleck has two uncles and a grandfather who were teachers. Using these as inspiration, he contacted the Dean of Students at Williams and asked about pipeline schools to Williams. Continued on page 3...
A Look Inside The Panel Page 2: Detainment of President Maduro Adrian Chen ’28 and Ryan Ho ’28 delve into the recent detainment of President Nicolás Maduro with a detailed analysis as well as an interview of faculty member Mr. Duarte about the incident.
Page 4: Artist of the Issue Liam MacLean ’27 writes this issue’s Artist of the Issue on senior Will Achtmeyer ’26, detailing Will’s endeavors in filmmaking, cinema, and theater throughout his time as a devoted member of the arts at Belmont Hill.
Page 8: Winter Activities Poll Tiernan Emmert ’28, Billy Palumbo ’28, and Shea McDonald ’28 write a light-hearted article about a survey they sent out to the entire school ranking the best activities to partake in during the winter season, and analyze the final results of the poll.
Page 10: Mr. Schneider as New Soccer Coach Tyler Grossman ’27 reports on Mr. Schneider’s recent promotion to head Varsity Soccer coach, and details his soccer journey to Belmont Hill as well as his goals and hopes for the future of the team in the coming seasons.