Issuu

THE MAGAZINE OF CHOATE ROSEMARY HALL

FALL ’26 FALL

NAVIGATING THE LANDSCAPE OF AI

In this issue:

NAVIGATING THE UNKNOWN Choate Puts Values-Driven AI Framework Into Practice

250 YEARS, ONE STORY Stones, Soldiers, and Statesmen Tie Choate to American History

G30 AT CHOATE Eight Days, Four Cities, and a Global Network of School Leaders

CONTENTS | FALL 2026 DEPARTMENTS

3 4 24

Remarks From the Head of School Letter From Alex Curtis

Classnotes Profiles of Nike Irvin ’81, Managing Director, Civil Society Fellowship; and Kaitlin Kunkler Wright ’06, Director and Camera Operator, Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre

44 50 54

In Memoriam Remembering Those We Have Lost

End Note A Career Measured in More Than Wins

On Christian & Elm News From Campus Alumni Association News Reunion 2026 Recap; Recognition of Alumni Awards; Calendar of Events

Scoreboard Recap of Spring ’26 Athletics Bookshelf Reviews of Works by Maria Semple ’82, Joanna Hershon ’90, and Tracy Sierra ’99

FEATURES

Connecticut is bristling with wildlife, and Wallingford is no exception, as bald eagles like this one have quietly reclaimed the state’s rivers and waterways. Fifty years ago, a sighting would have been rare as the population had collapsed nationwide, and the bird was listed as endangered by 1972. But it proved resilient, and with conservationists’ help, it shed that status altogether, and was reclassified as threatened. Now, up to 100 eagles winter in towns across the state, including the one pictured above who calls upper campus home.

10 14 16

Shaping Student and Academic Life Will Gilyard ’98 Shares His Vision for a Thriving, Community-Centered Choate G30 at Choate A Global Gathering Navigating the Unknown Cultivating Discernment in a New Age 250 Years, One Continuing Story Choate in American History

FALL ’26

Choate Rosemary Hall Bulletin is published for alumni, students, their parents, and friends of the School. Please send all change of address requests to Alumni Records and all other correspondence to the Communications Office, 333 Christian Street, Wallingford, CT 06492-3800. Choate Rosemary Hall does not discriminate in the administration of its educational policies, athletics, other school-administered programs, or in the administration of its hiring and employment practices on the basis of age, gender, race, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, genetic predisposition, ancestry, or other categories protected by Connecticut and federal law. Printed in U.S.A. CRH201201/17.75M

Chief Communications Officer Alison Cady P ’23, ’26 T: (203) 697-2526 Email: acady@choate.edu Editorial Manager Ryan Shepard ’14 Lead Design and Production Beth Ann Strong Design Ann Marie Nolan Classnotes Editor Henry McNulty ’65 Contributors Christine Bennett D. Gam Bepko Nicole Brothers Jana F. Brown Alison Cady P ’23, ’26 Heather Cordes Cole Depuy Ellen Devine Will Gilyard ’98 Rhea Hirshman Fran O’Donoghue Nolan Silbernagel KeriAnne Tisdale Illustration Todd Jaser

Letter From Our Editor

Photography Joey Avena Michael Branscom Choate Rosemary Hall Archives John Giammatteo ’77, P ’26 Island Photography JPD Media Tom Kates Town of Wallingford Wallingford Symphony Orchestra Choate Rosemary Hall Board of Trustees 2026-2027 Danya Alsaady P ’17, ’19, ’23, ’28 Marc E. Brown ’82 Seth J. Brufsky ’84 Yahonnes S. Cleary ’96 Alex Curtis P ’17, ’20 Elizabeth M. Ferreira ’92, P ’28 Katherine B. Forrest ’82 David A. Fraze ’84 Kristen Mautner Garlinghouse ’85 Gunther S. Hamm ’98 David A. Javdan ’86 Lena S. Jessen ’92, P ’29 Kelly Green Kahn ’86 Daniel G. Kelly Jr. ’69, P ’03 Patience P. “Duby” McDowell ’78 Michael Moh ’88, P ’18, ’28 Takashi Murata ’93, P ’25, ’29 George F. Pyne IV ’84 Shantell D. Richardson ’99 Julian C. Salisbury P ’26, ’29 Life Trustees Edwin A. Goodman ’58 Cary L. Neiman ’64 Stephen J. Schulte ’56, P ’86 William G. Spears ’56, P ’81, ’90

Dear Choate Rosemary Hall Community, Bulletin is not simply a magazine; it is a literary bridge that allows the earliest graduates of The Choate School and Rosemary Hall to connect with and build community with a third former poised to graduate in 2030. Whether through heartfelt reflections from alumni or stories documenting the many ways faculty members are supporting today’s students, each page of the magazine showcases the power of the place that brings us all together — Choate. As editor, I invite every member of our community to share their ideas, stories, memories, and accomplishments. Together, we will continue to celebrate the people, experiences, and traditions that make Choate such a special place. Through Bulletin, I hope to help preserve the connections that unite generations of alumni, families, students, faculty, and friends. I am proud to be a part of the team that puts together this publication, and I hope to make you, the reader, proud with each issue. Best Wishes,

Ryan Shepard ’14 Bulletin Editor rshepard@choate.edu

Stay Connected linkedin.com/in/gochoate facebook.com/GoChoate youtube.com/gochoate instagram.com/gochoate photos.choate.edu choate.edu

« Featured on Cover: A compass guides travelers through a landscape where a winding path meets a network of connected data points, symbolizing Choate’s approach to navigating generative AI with discernment rather than certainty. The artwork was created in Adobe Firefly by Todd Jaser, Co-Chair of the School’s Generative AI Collaborative Group.

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 3

Remarks From the Head of School

Dear Choate Alumni, Parents, and Friends, There is something remarkable about the beginning of a school year. After the relative quiet of summer, campus fills again — with returning students and those experiencing Choate for the first time; with faculty and staff reconnecting; with fresh ideas, relationships, and possibilities. Each September, we come together again as a community of learners. I have been thinking about the power of that kind of gathering since last spring, when Choate hosted G30, bringing together heads of school from around the world. Over several days, we considered some of the opportunities and challenges facing education and the young people we serve. We heard from experts and from one another. We talked about artificial intelligence, student well-being, global engagement, and belonging. But some of the most meaningful moments were also among the simplest: asking difficult questions, sharing experiences, and listening to colleagues whose schools and communities may look very different from our own. It reinforced something I believe deeply: to convene is not simply to gather. It is to create the conditions for people to learn from one another. That feels especially important now. No single institution has all the answers to the questions facing education. Meaningful progress requires us to remain curious and open — to listen generously, share what we are learning, and reconsider our assumptions. G30 reminded me that Choate has an important role to play in that exchange: contributing what we have learned while remaining eager to learn from others. That same spirit has long defined the Choate Rosemary Hall community, extending far beyond campus. Generations of alumni, families, and friends continue to enrich the School through their experiences, perspectives, and connections. Whether your own experience with the School is recent or reaches back many decades, you remain part of a community joined by a shared belief in the power of education and in the promise of young people. As we begin our 137th academic year, I am grateful for the many ways this community continues to gather, learn from one another, and strengthen the School. I hope the stories in these pages offer a sense of that work and of the many people, near and far, who make it possible. All the best,

Alex Curtis Head of School

ON CHRISTIAN & ELM | NEWSWORTHY

Two-Oh, TwoSix: School Celebrates 136th Commencement On May 31, friends and family rose to their feet as the Class of 2026 made its way to the Great Lawn for the start of the School’s 136th Commencement. The ceremony began with Faculty Marshal Jim Davidson’s trademark wit, setting a warm and celebratory tone for a morning that would soon turn its spotlight to keynote speaker Amy Brooks, President of Global Development for the National Basketball Association (NBA). Introduced by Student Council President Zaki Shamsi ’26, Brooks brought the crowd from reflection to aspiration with remarks that highlighted the limitless future awaiting each graduate. Speaking from her own journey through basketball and global leadership, she urged graduates to value humility, teamwork, and readiness over image or ego. Excellence, as she noted, is built in the moments that may seem small at first, and opportunity often follows those who are willing to do the work well and in collaboration with those who share the same goals. The morning also featured a heartfelt address from Class President Thandiwe Taylor ’26, who encouraged her classmates to “nurture the now,” and cherish the valuable bonds that have been built throughout the Choate experience. Head of School Alex Curtis closed the ceremony with a charge to lead with curiosity, generosity, and purpose, before 245 new alumni crossed the stage to receive their diplomas and join the ranks of alumni.

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 5

Pat Dennehy Appointed Dean of Students On July 1, 2026, Pat Dennehy began serving as the School’s Dean of Students. Dennehy is no stranger to Choate. Since arriving in Wallingford in 2004, he has held a wide range of roles, including Associate Dean of Students and Residential Life, where he has overseen residential life across campus and mentored heads of house and student leaders. He has also served as a house mentor, coach, admissions staff member, and leadership program director during more than two decades at the School. In announcing the appointment, Head of Student and Academic Life Will Gilyard ’98 praised Dennehy’s “deep commitment to fostering a studentcentered community grounded in compassion, integrity, and respect.” He added that Dennehy’s work has strengthened advising systems, improved residential life, expanded leadership programming, and helped create more equitable student support structures. Before coming to Choate, Dennehy attended Phillips Exeter Academy, where he was a standout hockey player, and later earned degrees from St. Lawrence University in New York.

New Leadership Roles Advance Dean of Faculty’s Office In May, Dean of Faculty Katie Levesque announced three new appointments in the restructured Dean of Faculty’s Office: • Deron Chang, Director of the Center of Teaching Excellence • Ellen Devine, Director of Pedagogical Innovation and Emerging Technologies • Cindy Okrah, Director of Faculty Recruitment Chang, who has held a range of roles at Choate, brings deep experience supporting students, colleagues, and academic programs across campus. Devine’s background as a classroom teacher, department head, Director of Studies, and chair of the AI Steering Committee positions her to lead work at the intersection of teaching, learning, and technology. Okrah, an experienced educator and Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusion for Faculty and Curriculum Support, brings a broad perspective on faculty well-being, recruitment, and professional growth. Each appointment within the restructured Dean of Faculty’s Office reflects the School’s continued commitment to strengthening faculty support through collaboration, innovation, and leadership. Moving forward, Levesque and her colleagues will work to foster innovative teaching practices, maintain a healthy work and learning environment, and develop systems that help teachers and students thrive.

Remsen Rink Refresh Remsen Arena’s familiar chill is getting a refresh. This spring and summer, the rink is undergoing mechanical and aesthetic upgrades so it can return in September better than ever — ready to welcome students, families, and alumni back onto the ice. Expect improved systems behind the scenes that will keep the surface reliably smooth and the building more comfortable, alongside refreshed public spaces that make game days, practices, and weekend skate sessions more welcoming. When Remsen reopens, it will resume its role as a year-round hub for community life: youth hockey clinics, adaptive athletics programming, public skating, and Choate teams carving out practice time.

ON CHRISTIAN & ELM | NEWSWORTHY

Red, White, Blue & Gold: Choate Joins Wallingford 250 Celebration Choate partnered with the Town of Wallingford, Wallingford Park & Rec, the Wallingford YMCA, the Wallingford Symphony Orchestra, the Wallingford Historic Preservation Trust, and the Wallingford Arts & Cultural Alliance to help mark the United States’ semiquincentennial with a weekend of community celebrations. The festivities began on Friday, June 19, when the School welcomed visitors for a tour of the Witness Stones at Homestead and Squire Stanley. Installed in 2023, the stones honor the humanity of an enslaved person who once lived on the land now home to Choate’s campus. Nearby, the Wallingford Arts & Cultural Alliance and Choate opened the “Red, White & Hue” art show in the Humanities Rotunda. The celebration continued Saturday as members of the Choate community joined the Main Street Parade, marching alongside the School’s float toward Town Hall. The weekend concluded Sunday with a full slate of events, including Family Fun Day on the Humanities Lawn, a Wallingford Symphony Orchestra Pops Concert on the Chapel Lawn, and Wallingford’s mini “Porch Beats & Patriotic Seats” Porchfest.

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Year-End Celebrations of Excellence and Service Not long after students left campus, Choate’s faculty and staff gathered for an evening of warmth, gratitude, and celebration at the 2025–26 Year-End Celebration. The night honored several beloved members of the School’s community, including Jim Davidson, celebrated for five decades of teaching and coaching, and Stephen Glassman, recognized for 25 years in Information Technology Services (ITS). Colleagues also gathered to give flowers, praise, and citations to retirees Anne Armour (30 years), Andrea Solomon (12 years), Megan Shea (33 years), and Noreen Virgulto (34 years).

Summer Programs 2026 Choate Rosemary Hall welcomed students from 39 countries and 30 states for a summer defined by immersive academic and artistic exploration, creative expression, and global connection. Across campus, scholars tested their engineering skills by constructing towers from dry pasta and marshmallows, examined centuries of textile history in the Andrew Mellon Library, displayed original works in the Paul Mellon Arts Center, and honed their public speaking and debate skills in the Paul Mellon Humanities Center. Beyond Wallingford, learning extended into the community. Students traveled to the nation’s capital to explore public service and government firsthand and volunteered at Connecticut Foodshare to better understand the impact of food insecurity and community service. Moments of discovery were balanced with opportunities to recharge. During Wellness Day, students raced across campus in a scavenger hunt. During heatwaves, some students cooled off on a slip-and-slide and embraced adventure by soaring through the sky on a zip-line. Whether in the classroom, the community, or on the quad, each experience challenged students to learn, collaborate, and grow. From two-week programs to five-week sessions, and from elementary school students to high school scholars, every student’s journey was unique. Yet all departed with a shared sense of accomplishment, new friendships, and memories that will extend well beyond the summer.

with

Will Gilyard ’98

Head of Student and Academic Life

After an impactful tenure as the School’s Dean of Students, Gilyard shares his hopes, goals, and aspirations as the next Head of Student and Academic Life with colleagues, students, and fellow alumni. DR. KATIE JEWETT P ’14, ’17, ’24 (FRENCH TEACHER): How

has Will Gilyard as a student differed from Will Gilyard as Dean of Students, and how might Will Gilyard as Head of Student and Academic Life differ from both? WILL GILYARD ’98: As a student, Choate became my world, but I didn’t arrive here alone. I came with a group of students from my hometown who helped keep me grounded as I navigated a completely new environment. I was deeply grateful for everything Choate had to offer, because I knew the opportunities available to me here were unlike those I would have had elsewhere.

Some of my favorite memories came from stretching beyond what was familiar — building friendships with people whose backgrounds and experiences differed from my own, studying abroad, trying a new sport, and discovering interests I never imagined pursuing. Those experiences challenged me, broadened my perspective, and helped shape the person I was becoming. Looking back, I also recognize how much intentionality went into creating those opportunities behind the scenes. As a student, I simply experienced Choate; I didn’t fully appreciate all that went into making it such a remarkable place.

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 9

Serving as Dean of Students gave me a completely different perspective. I had the privilege of walking alongside students through moments of joy, uncertainty, success, disappointment, and tremendous growth. That experience reinforced something I have long believed: Relationships are the foundation of great schools. Students are most willing to take risks, ask for help, and become the best version of themselves when they know they are genuinely known, challenged, and cared for. As Head of Student and Academic Life, my perspective widens once again. While students will always remain at the center of my work, I now have the opportunity to partner with faculty and staff across the school in different ways. Together, we can think holistically about every aspect of the student experience — from the classroom and residence halls to athletics, advising, health and wellness, dining services, facilities, and the countless moments in between. Students don’t experience Choate in departments; they experience one School. One of the things that excites me most about this role is helping bring our adults together around that shared understanding. Every faculty and staff member, regardless of title or department, can shape a student’s experience and sense of belonging. Some of the most meaningful moments in a student’s day happen outside of a classroom — with a coach after practice, a dorm parent during evening check-in, a dining hall employee who knows their favorite meal, a custodian who asks how they’re doing, or an adviser who notices something isn’t quite right. I hope to strengthen those connections so that we continue providing an extraordinary education while helping every student discover who they are, who they want to become, and how they can positively shape the communities they will one day lead. BEN LEE ’27 (PRESIDENT, STUDENT COUNCIL): What does a truly thriving

School community look like to you, and what’s the first step you want to take toward building that through your new role?

One of the questions I hope we continually ask ourselves is not simply “How do we help students succeed?” but “What does healthy success actually look like?” Choate has always challenged students to pursue excellence. Our responsibility is to ensure that they also develop the habits, relationships, and perspectives that will allow them to thrive long after they leave campus. DR. RACHEL MYERS (DEAN OF EQUITY & INCLUSION): What’s something

new that you are excited to learn more about and get involved in? (e.g., College Counseling, Supporting the Dean of Faculty) GILYARD: One of the things I love most about independent schools is how

interconnected they are. Every office and every department contributes something essential to the student experience, and this role allows me to better understand areas that I’ve previously partnered with from a distance. I’m excited to spend more time learning from colleagues in College Counseling, the Dean of Faculty’s Office, Advancement, Admission, and other areas whose work shapes students’ lives in ways that are not always apparent to a student or family. I don’t see this transition as arriving with answers. I see it as an opportunity to listen carefully, ask thoughtful questions, and learn from people with tremendous expertise so that we can continue strengthening the student experience together. I’m also eager to better understand the Board of Trustees’ work and the broader stewardship of an independent school. While so much of our daily work is focused on meeting the needs of today’s students, Trustees and senior leaders are responsible for thinking years, even decades, ahead. Understanding how decisions about governance, financial stewardship, strategic priorities, and long-term sustainability are made is essential to ensuring that Choate remains as strong for the next generation of students as it is today. I’m excited to learn more about that work and how thoughtful planning today creates opportunities for students 10 years from now and beyond.

GILYARD: A thriving School community is one where people feel that they

belong, that they matter, and that they have a responsibility to one another. It is a place where students are challenged to become their best selves, where a shared purpose unites adults, and where every interaction reinforces the kind of community we aspire to be. One thing I want to continue emphasizing is that every adult contributes to the student experience. Whether you teach a class, coach a team, work in dining services, facilities, admission, or health services, students are constantly learning from us. They notice how we treat one another, how we respond when things become difficult, and how consistently we live our values. Culture is not created by one office; it is built through thousands of everyday interactions across campus. When everyone sees themselves as a steward of the community, extraordinary things begin to happen. MAIA A. SHAH ’27 (EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, THE CHOATE NEWS): What

changes can students look forward to under your leadership, and how are those initiatives informed by your previous role as Dean of Students? GILYARD: My time as Dean of Students taught me that meaningful change is

rarely about adding more. More often, it’s about becoming more intentional with what we already do well. Students should expect us to continue strengthening the systems that support both excellence and well-being. That includes advising, student leadership, residential life, health and wellness, and creating opportunities for students to build meaningful relationships across grades and experiences.

MIKE VELEZ ’00: The Head of Student and Academic Life role is a leadership

position that engages with a range of stakeholders from students and families to faculty and staff. How will you use this platform as an opportunity to model Choate’s mission and core values while also empowering others, particularly students and colleagues, to serve as action-oriented leaders in their communities? GILYARD: One of the beliefs that continues to shape my leadership is that

we is greater than me. The most meaningful learning happens in community, where people challenge and support one another, and recognize that everyone has something to contribute. In that sense, every member of this community is both a learner and a teacher. Our students are constantly learning not only from what happens in classrooms but also from how adults collaborate, navigate disagreement, respond to setbacks, celebrate one another’s successes, and care for people when they need support. Faculty, staff, coaches, advisers, administrators, parents, alumni, and Trustees all help demonstrate what it means to live in a healthy community. Those everyday interactions shape character just as powerfully as any formal lesson. As Head of Student and Academic Life, I see my role as helping create the conditions for that kind of community to flourish. That means bringing people together around a shared purpose, encouraging collaboration across roles and perspectives, and ensuring that every voice has the opportunity to strengthen our work. The strongest schools aren’t built by individual leaders; they’re built by communities committed to one another and united by a common mission. When we embrace that mindset, our students experience not only an exceptional education but also a living example of the kind of community we hope they will help create throughout their lives.

THE G30 AT CHOATE: A GLOBAL GATHERING How eight days, four cities, and a network of alumni and parents turned a conference into an unforgettable experience bridging leadership, and education By KeriAnne Tisdale

This past April, Choate Rosemary Hall hosted the G30 Conference, an annual gathering of heads of leading independent schools from around the world. For Choate, the opportunity to host was both a distinction and a responsibility. Over eight days, the conference brought together 26 participants representing 19 schools across 11 countries for shared experiences, professional dialogue, and institutional exchange.

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 11

“ An extraordinary few days. Choate is such an extraordinary place. I love my place, and I also feel some envy for you! You must be very proud.” – Nick Alchin, Head of United World College of South East Asia, Singapore

Spanning New York City, Wallingford, New Haven, and Hyannis Port, the conference offered access to major cultural and professional institutions, immersion in the life of the School, meaningful interaction with students, and sustained conversation among peers. Participants experienced Choate’s academic program, student culture, campus life, institutional strategy, and relationship to the surrounding community up close, while also engaging candidly with one another about the opportunities and challenges of school leadership. A defining feature of the week was the involvement of Choate alumni and parents. During the conference, they gave generously of their time and helped facilitate and frame conversations around questions of real importance to school leaders: talent development, student agency, leadership, creativity, temperament, public purpose, and the future of work. Choate parent Silas Chou P ’93, ’96, ’02 hosted the opening dinner at his New York City home, giving participants an informal setting in which to meet one another before the formal program began. That early opportunity for conversation helped set the tone for a week built around candid exchange.

Representatives gather for a group photo at the home of Head of School Alex and Beth Curtis.

Head of School Alex Curtis shares a laugh with Silas Chou P ’93, ’96, ’02 as he welcomes school leaders from around the world for a dinner at his home in Manhattan. During their time in Connecticut, G30 attendees ventured off campus to New Haven to speak with outside experts at Yale University, including professor and The Happiness Lab host Dr. Laurie Santos.

“ I was blown away by Choate. The conference set a new benchmark in my experience of G30. The welcome and attention of the Choate team and students this week was a triumph.”

– Leo Winkley, Head of Shrewsbury School, England

Session arranged by Jacqueline Arthur P ’26 at Goldman Sachs.

A session at Goldman Sachs, arranged by Choate parent Jacqueline Arthur P ’26, the firm’s global head of human capital, brought the group into conversation with senior leaders. Titled “Behind the Scenes at Goldman Sachs: Leadership and Talent in Action,” the program focused on talent identification, the importance of resilience and curiosity, and the qualities students will need in a changing professional landscape. Goldman Sachs leaders spoke specifically about their interest in engaging with heads of independent schools, noting that students begin making consequential decisions early in the college process. Not only is their judgment influenced by their boarding school experience, but their educational environment can also shape their self-presentation, confidence, and sense of direction. As the conversation drew to a close, participants left energized and optimistic about future collaboration to create opportunities for their students. Lisa Uhlfeder of Goldman Sachs, who helped organize the event, said, “The day felt truly special.” She noted that the group’s character was evident even to those involved in only one portion of the program. Choate alumnus Tom Viertel ’59 hosted the group at 54 Below for “In the Footlights: Broadway’s Next Act,” a conversation with Tom, Renée Elise Goldsberry P ’27, Rick Elice, and moderator Barrie Kreinik ’03. Together, they explored Broadway and the performing arts from the perspectives of production, performance, writing, finance, storytelling, and audience engagement. The session offered heads a different lens on leadership, centered on creativity, collaboration, risk, and the long process of developing new work.

“ The experience was truly beyond exceptional. It will be remembered as a highlight among gatherings of school leaders worldwide — the care, professionalism, logistics, hospitality, and attention to detail across the conference.”

– Celeste Gilardi, Rector of St. Stithians College, South Africa

(L-R) Tom Viertel ’59, Renée Elise Goldsberry P ’27, Rick Elice, and moderator Barrie Kreinik ’03 at 54 Below for “In the Footlights: Broadway’s Next Act,” a conversation about performing arts, creativity, collaboration, leadership, and the long process of developing new work

One of the largest gatherings of the conference was the first-ever joint alumni reception for G30 schools, held in Manhattan and generously co-hosted by Choate parents and the School. Approximately 300 alumni attended, representing schools from around the world. The event created an opportunity for connection across institutions and demonstrated the breadth of the participating schools’ alumni networks. Choate parent Maria Teresa Mata P ’12, ’27 organized a curator-led tour at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, including the Greek and Roman galleries and access to the newly opened Raphael exhibition. In one of the world’s great museums, participants considered art, culture, history, and interpretation in a setting that complemented the broader educational themes of the week. Amidst several days on campus, Choate parent Susan Cain P ’28, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, joined the group for a fireside conversation about introversion, temperament, leadership, and school culture.Her remarks raised questions directly applicable to schools: how teachers recognize different forms of engagement, how students come to understand their own strengths, and how institutions create environments in which many kinds of leaders can thrive.

G30 attendees join author Susan Cain for a fireside chat at Carr Hall.

Representing G30 schools from around the world, scores of alumni gathered in Manhattan for the program’s first-ever joint alumni reception, co-hosted by Choate parents and the School.

As the conference drew to a close in Hyannis Port, attendees toured the JFK Hyannis Museum, connecting the group to Choate’s history through John F. Kennedy Choate 1935.

The conference concluded in Hyannis Port, where Choate parents Ted and Kiki Kennedy P ’12, ’16 hosted the closing dinner at the historic Kennedy Compound. Ted led a tour of the grounds, connecting the group to Choate’s history through John F. Kennedy Choate 1935. The evening included reflections on President Kennedy’s 1963 prescient remarks prepared for the unveiling of his portrait at Choate, in which he spoke about the responsibilities attached to educational opportunity and leadership. Across eight days and three states, the 2026 G30 Conference showed Choate at its best: intellectually engaged, globally connected, and strengthened by a community eager to contribute. For visiting heads, the conference offered a close look at Choate’s students, programs, and priorities. Mi Qi, Head of School at The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, left impressed by the “welcoming spirit” of the School’s community, while Nick Alchin, Head of College at United World College of South East Asia, added that Choate was “such an extraordinary place.” For Choate, it was an opportunity to convene an exceptional group of educators and to demonstrate how alumni and parents help extend

the School’s reach far beyond Wallingford — bringing expertise, perspective, and generosity to conversations shaping the future of independent education. For all parties, it reaffirmed the value of collaboration and exchange in creating learning experiences and opportunities for growth that will benefit schools worldwide. In the words of John O’Connor of Brookhouse School, “We all gain so much from seeing each other’s schools ‘in action.’”

KeriAnne Tisdale is the Director of Advancement at Choate Rosemary Hall.

“ We all gain so much from seeing each other’s schools ‘in action’. The integration of student interaction throughout the week was especially impressive and valuable.”

– John O’Connor, Director of Brookhouse School, Kenya

Q&A

NAVIGATING THE UNKNOWN Cultivating Discernment in a New Age

By Ellen Devine

Director of Pedagogical Innovation and Emerging Technologies updates how Choate is putting its valuesdriven AI framework into everyday practice.

Choate’s commitment to balancing both tradition and innovation has long shaped its approach to teaching and learning. The creation of the Director of Pedagogical Innovation and Emerging Technologies role is a natural extension of the Generative AI Steering Committee’s comprehensive work and ongoing community engagement since the committee shared its initial framework. This role recognizes that emerging technologies call us to revisit enduring questions about learning and relationships, and to grapple with what it really means to prepare students “to move into an unknown and exciting future with the insight, creativity, and skills to shape it.” Rather than preparing students for a single technological future, we aspire to help them cultivate the habits of mind that will allow them to navigate a landscape defined by continual change and unforeseen developments. We want students to approach AI as a human creation that demands critical inquiry, ethical reflection, and informed judgment, drawing on the knowledge and perspectives cultivated across every academic discipline. In that sense, a Choate education serves as a compass; it cannot predict every turn, but it equips students to navigate uncertainty with confidence, wisdom, and a commitment to shaping the future for the better.

DISCERNING

BULLETIN: What does it mean, in daily school life, to use AI

BULLETIN: How has Choate’s approach to generative AI evolved

DEVINE: Discernment is the act of making a decision, but importantly, it is making a nuanced decision in response to and within the context of a complex landscape. Using AI discerningly means asking everyone at Choate to begin by considering the work’s purpose. Sometimes AI can deepen learning or reduce routine work, and other times it can circumvent or outsource the very skills an assignment or task is designed to develop. The question isn’t whether to use AI; the questions are when to use it, how to use it, and, perhaps most importantly, when not to use it. Choate’s emphasis on discerning use of AI overtly discourages reflexive use. Instead, we are asking our whole community to embrace their agency and make intentional decisions.

from establishing a framework to applying it in practice? DEVINE: From the start of the AI Steering Committee’s work in 2023, we were clear that our role wasn’t to write rules to control a rapidly changing technology, but rather to develop an approach grounded in the enduring values of a Choate education. That framework — centered on the discerning, informed, and ethical use of AI — has functioned as a guide for everything from assessment design to faculty professional development and student expectations.

discerningly rather than reflexively?

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 15

BULLETIN: How are students and faculty learning to decide when AI is

useful, and when human judgment should lead? DEVINE: We encourage students and faculty to think first about what they are trying to accomplish before deciding whether AI belongs in the process. The “Acceptable Roles for AI Use at CRH” chart indicates learning goals and transparent expectations at the assignment level, helping students understand when AI supports growth and when authentic struggle is the point of the work. Faculty engage in that same process as they evaluate new tools, redesign learning experiences, and consider how technology can best support their teaching. Ultimately, we are trying to build habits of judgment because curiosity, creativity, and human relationships remain central to a Choate education.

INFORMED BULLETIN: How does the update to Choate’s AI Portal keep the Choate

community informed as AI tools and expectations continue to evolve? DEVINE: We created the AI Portal in response to a clear request from the Choate community for a single place to access guidance, policies, and resources as we began grappling with generative AI. As Choate’s work has evolved, so have the needs and uses for the portal. The update reflects a shift from helping the Choate community understand AI to supporting the community in living its commitment to discerning, informed, and ethical use through practical resources, professional learning, real-world examples, and a thoughtful curation of relevant media. By opening these resources to communities beyond Choate, and by organizing materials for different audiences, we hope others can build on what we’ve learned while contributing to the broader conversation about thoughtful and values-driven AI in education. BULLETIN: What tools is the School using to help students, staff, and/or

faculty work more efficiently while staying true to Choate’s values? DEVINE: Choate has experimented with and explored a variety of tools, including institutional accounts for several frontier models for faculty and staff use, as well as Magic School for student use. We evaluate all tools through the lens of privacy, transparency, educational purpose, and sustainability, recognizing that the most capable AI isn’t always the most appropriate AI. From the student use perspective, it is also essential that age-appropriate guardrails and protections are in place and that all students have equal access to a high-quality tool. Different models and platforms involve different tradeoffs, and we want our community to understand those choices rather than assume that bigger or more powerful is always better. The goal is never to automate education, but to create more space for the human work that defines it.

routine questions while students are working independently, AI can offer support in moments that would otherwise go unaddressed. That doesn’t replace the teacher — it creates more opportunities for individualized conferences, richer discussions, and more meaningful feedback throughout the learning process. The promise of AI in education isn’t that it makes teachers less necessary; it’s that it helps them be more available for the moments that matter most.

ETHICAL BULLETIN: How does Choate’s ethical framework guide the use of AI

across the classroom and beyond? DEVINE: Choate’s ethical framework affirms that technology should amplify, never replace, learning. It asks us to consider not only what AI can do, but also how it affects privacy, authorship, equity, sustainability, and trust, weighing the value a particular use creates against its broader impact. That includes recognizing that AI has real environmental costs from energy and water consumption to the infrastructure that powers these tools. Equipping our community with resources to evaluate the environmental impact of different AI uses and other forms of digital content consumption means that such considerations become part of everyday decision-making. At the same time, we recognize that individual choices alone cannot solve systemic challenges, which is why we’re committed not only to helping our community make thoughtful decisions but also to contributing to the broader conversations and advocacy needed to create more sustainable AI systems. BULLETIN: How does Choate help students understand that ethical AI use

is about more than following rules? DEVINE: We encourage students to ask thoughtful questions about authorship, bias, privacy, environmental impact, and the broader consequences of relying on these technologies. Every decision about AI is both an educational decision and an ethical one, and students need to develop the judgment to navigate both dimensions. Our goal is to help students evaluate not only how they use AI, but also which tools and approaches are most appropriate for a given purpose. One way we support students in this process is by developing an AI-generated tool called Choate’s AI Compass. It is an AI-generated tool trained on all of Choate’s policies and best practices for AI use. It offers in-the-moment guidance on AI use when students may be uncertain or want to confirm their decisions. This tool is designed to model discerning, informed, and ethical decision-making while also providing meaningful scaffolding for students as they practice this skill independently.

BULLETIN: What do students gain when AI is used in ways that preserve

time for faculty connection and meaningful interaction? DEVINE: Students benefit most when AI helps bridge gaps that teachers could never fill alone, allowing faculty to be more present where their expertise and relationships matter most. Whether it’s providing immediate formative feedback during a writing workshop or answering

Learn more at choate.edu/ai/gen

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 17

250 Years, One Continuing Story: CHOATE IN AMERICAN HISTORY By Ryan Shepard ’14

Reclaiming Stories Left Untold: Lettice, Kate, and Mina On a quiet stretch of campus, just beyond the grounds of Memorial House and the Paul Mellon Humanities Center, summer sunlight reflects off the sleek surface of two brass stones. Set into the ground near Squire Stanley House, one of the oldest structures in Wallingford, the two stones bear the names of Kate and Mina, a mother and daughter who were once enslaved there. Not far off down the road, there is another brass stone set in place at Homestead for Lettice, a girl once enslaved to Captain Caleb Atwater. For generations, their stories went untold. Today, their lasting memories are inscribed in the foundation of not only the School but also the town. Set into place in 2024, the ceremony marking the installation of what are known as Witness Stones was the culmination of months of student, staff, faculty, and community collaboration, a collective effort to recover lives nearly erased from local memory. But it was also a beginning; by publicly recognizing the lives of Lettice, Kate, and Mina and acknowledging the injustices inflicted on enslaved people throughout history, the School chose to engage more directly with a deeper truth about its campus. From the Kohler Environmental Center to Squire Stanley, the ground beneath the town of Wallingford and the School’s classrooms, dormitories, and playing fields is inseparable from the broader American story, with all its promise, pride, and contradiction. As the nation reflects on 250 years of its history, Choate’s own connections to that history come into sharper focus. From a site where George Washington is said to have stopped for tea, to alumni who shaped global diplomacy, to students today uncovering the realities of enslavement in New England, the School’s past is not a distant backdrop. It is present, layered into place, and still unfolding. The ground that holds the stories of Lettice, Kate, and Mina also remembers the footsteps of George Washington — a founding father remembered as the nation’s first president, but also as a man who enslaved more than 300 people.

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 19

Washington in Wallingford: A Revolutionary Stop in Town Days after the bloody Battle of Bunker Hill, the Second Continental Congress appointed Washington as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in June 1775. Traveling from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts to take command of the army, Washington and his aides stopped in Wallingford. There, he addressed townspeople and purchased gunpowder for his militia from Caleb Atwater, a merchant who produced it in a barn behind his home at 302 Christian Street, which still stands as one of the School’s oldest dorms. When the heat became too much to bear, Washington would occasionally seek shade under the elm that once stood near Nehemiah Royce House along North Main Street. Shortly after he departed from Wallingford, Washington arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and issued his first orders as Commander-inChief of the Continental Army on July 4, 1775, exactly one year before what would be known as Independence Day. As is well documented, the Virginian planter and farmer would go on to be known as the “Father of His Country,” leading the troops to victory and eventually being elected President in 1789. However, despite his travels and accomplishments, Washington did not forget about Wallingford. In the autumn following his inauguration, the President toured New England to gain a deeper understanding of the nation he was now tasked with leading — learning about agriculture, commerce, and citizens’ opinions of the new administration. During his travels through Connecticut, he was greeted by civic leaders, militias, and formal escorts, and spent a night at Jeremiah Carrington’s Tavern at 350 Center Street. More than 200 years later, visitors can still follow in his footsteps by traveling along the Washington Trail.

“ The longer I delve into it, the more I get the sense that [Wallingford] exists at the crossroads of American history. We can place several influential leaders during the Revolutionary period in Wallingford: George Washington, Roger Shepard, John Adams, Paul Revere, and Benedict Arnold. I mean, that’s quite a cross-section of American history, each with their own reasons for being in Wallingford during that period. It’s a microcosm of the nation as a whole.”

– Jerry Farrell Jr. ’86 Wallingford Historical Society President

Choate and the Great War: Answering the Call to Serve Washington may have left Wallingford in 1789, but the town and the School’s connection to American history remains. More than a century later, under the direction of then-Headmaster George C. St. John, the School navigated the impact of World War I. Anticipating that students might be called to serve, St. John organized what became known as the Choate Battalion, dividing students into companies that trained regularly in accordance with U.S. Army drill standards. While older boys practiced with rifles, younger students drilled with wooden stand-ins, preparing for eventual service. Beyond military training, the School mobilized in other ways, cultivating a 25-acre potato farm and raising funds for the Red Cross to finance an ambulance sent overseas. At Rosemary Hall, students contributed through their own efforts while also relocating to Miami during the winter of 1918, as wartime fuel shortages made it difficult to heat campus buildings in Greenwich. The School’s headmistress, Caroline Ruutz-Rees, also served as chair of the Connecticut Division of the Women’s Committee of the Council of Defense and joined young women across the state in various tasks, such as agricultural work and tending victory gardens. Three years after the Great War ended, Choate honored 15 students who lost their lives during the war by constructing Memorial House, transforming remembrance into a permanent part of campus life.

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 21

A Different Kind of War at Home: The Fight for the 19th Amendment As nations battled for territory, influence, and control in an evolving war, a cherished member of the Choate Rosemary Hall community was engaged in a battle for the right to vote. Throughout the 1910s, Ruutz-Rees was deeply entrenched in the women’s suffrage movement. Working alongside prominent suffragists, Katherine “Kitty” Ludington and Grace Thompson Seton, Ruutz-Rees was an integral member of the Connecticut Woman Suffrage Association (CWSA) and the National Woman’s Party (NWP), becoming a key leader in the NWP’s Connecticut efforts. By September 14, 1920, the work of Ruutz-Rees and others culminated in the state’s formal ratification of the 19th Amendment, which legally allowed women to vote. However, her work did not end with the passage of the 19th Amendment; she continued to advocate for full equality for women in the United States. In 1922, she considered a bid for the U.S. Senate, though ultimately she did not run. At the time, only four women served in Congress. Today, more than 100 women occupy Congress.

Choate During World War II: Community, Sacrifice, and Resolve As Germany began to sweep across Europe, Choate and Rosemary Hall once again found their campuses shaped by the demands of war, with students, faculty, and alumni drawn into a national effort that touched nearly every part of campus. During the summer of 1942, students were offered the opportunity to take aeronautics, navigation, and other courses to prepare them to serve in the Coast Guard, Navy, and other branches of the armed forces. Rosemary Hall also offered similar courses, including radio communications, first aid, and stenography. In addition, Choate students sold war stamps and competed in a Commando Course, complete with obstacles and physical challenges designed to prepare them for military service. When the war ended, however, the School’s influence would extend beyond the battlefield and into the nation’s political life, producing leaders who sought to shape America’s next chapter.

From Campus to the Campaign Trail: Choate on Capitol Hill For three consecutive presidential elections, a Choate graduate represented the Democratic Party in the general election. In 1952 and 1956, it was Adlai Stevenson II, Choate 1918, who was governor of Illinois from 1949 until 1953. While earning the Democratic Party’s nomination twice, Stevenson lost both elections to Dwight D. Eisenhower. However, in the 1960 election, John F. Kennedy Choate 1935, proved the old cliché true as the third time was, in fact, the charm. Defeating Richard Nixon by a narrow margin, he became the School’s first alumnus to reach the presidency and the nation’s first Catholic man to do so. Kennedy came to symbolize a generational and cultural shift in American leadership, redefining both the tone of national politics and the power of image in the television age before his life and presidency were cut short at 46. Kennedy and Stevenson are just two of many members of the School community who have served in public life. From Chester Bowles Choate 1919, governor of Connecticut, U.S. ambassador, and a key figure in the Kennedy administration, to Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett ’84, who represents the U.S. Virgin Islands and is currently running to be its governor, Choate alumni have helped shape American public life in ways that extend far beyond the campaign trail.

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 23

Carrying on the Tradition: A Legacy Shaped by Service The stories of recent alumni, including but not limited to Kristen Clarke ’92, Victoria Nuland ’79, Stacey E. Plaskett ’84, and Katherine B. Forrest ’82, illustrate how far-reaching Choate’s legacy of public service has become. Where Kennedy and Stevenson once defined the School’s presence in national politics through the presidency and presidential campaigns, today’s alumni carry that same instinct for service into the institutions that shape law, diplomacy, and culture. Clarke, the former U.S. assistant attorney general for civil rights, led the Justice Department’s enforcement of federal civil rights law and now serves as general counsel of the NAACP. Nuland, a changemaker, spent decades at the center of American foreign policy, including as assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs and U.S. ambassador to NATO. Plaskett, now serving her sixth term representing the U.S. Virgin Islands in Congress, became the first territorial delegate named ranking member of a House select committee and served as an impeachment manager in the historic 2021 Senate trial. Forrest, appointed by President Obama to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, spent seven years on the federal bench before returning to practice. From courtrooms and congressional chambers to diplomatic tables, their paths differ, but their journeys all intersect at one particular place — Choate. A School upon the hillside with a culture of service, community, and education that strives to mold students who dare to lead when it matters most. That culture of service endures, one graduate at a time.

REUNION 2026

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION The Choate Rosemary Hall Alumni Association’s mission is to create, perpetuate, and enhance relationships among Choate Rosemary Hall alumni, current and prospective students, faculty, staff, and friends in order to foster loyalty, interest, and support for the School and for one another, and to build pride, spirit, and community. OFFICERS President David Javdan ’86 Vice Presidents Justin Graham ’98 Ashley Holt ’11 Dewey Kang ’03 Members Sam Chao ’04 Rebecca Zubaty Cohen ’99 Marisa Ferraro ’92, P ’27 Ray Happy ’79 Chris Herzog ’99 David Kestnbaum ’00 Lambert Lau ’97 Bradford Mak ’96 George Ramirez ’11 Austin Rees ’09 Becky Vitas Schamis ’91, P ’21, ’26 Additional Executive Committee Members Chief Advancement Officer Anne Bergen Director of Alumni Relations Tory Flynn Alumni Association Past Presidents Susan Barclay ’85 David Hang ’94, P ’25 Chris Hodgson ’78, P ’12, ’14, ’17 Elizabeth Alford Hogan ’82 Parisa Jaffer ’89 Woody Laikind ’53† Patrick McCurdy ’98 REGIONAL NETWORK LEADERSHIP Boston Gabby Rundle Robinette ’06 Chicago Maria Del Favero ’83 Jacqueline Salamack Lanphier ’06

Connecticut David Aversa ’91 Katie Vitali Childs ’95, P ’24, ’26 Los Angeles Wesley Hansen ’98 Alexa Platt ’95, P ’29 New York Conrad Gomez ’98 Leah Lettieri ’07 Rosemary Hall Anne Marshall Henry ’62 San Francisco Albert Lee ’02 Washington, DC Dan Carucci ’76 Tillie Fowler ’92 Olivia Bee Moore ’10 Beijing Matthew Cheng ’10 Gunther Hamm ’98 Hong Kong Jennifer Yu Cheng ’99 Lambert Lau ’97 Sandy Wan ’90 London Tatiana Donaldson ’13 Elitsa Nacheva ’08 Seoul Rae-Eun Sung ’97 Shanghai T.C. Chau ’97 Thailand Uracha Chaiyapinunt ’13 Isa Chirathivat ’96 Natapitt Sethpornpong ’14 Tokyo Kirk Shimizuishi ’96 Miki Ito Yoshida ’07

† = deceased

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 25

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION | Reunion Recognition

2026

DISTINGUISHED

SERVICE AWARD LEFT Sam Bartlett ’91 received the Distinguished Service Award during Reunion Weekend on May 15-17, 2026. BOTTOM Head of School Alex Curtis and Director of Athletics Tom White with the 1990-1991 Choate Varsity Football Team, which was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame

RIGHT Head of School Alex Curtis, Choate Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee Fran O’Donoghue, and Director of Athletics Tom White MIDDLE Head of School Alex Curtis, Choate Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee Rod Fletcher ’76, and Director of Athletics Tom White BOTTOM Head of School Alex Curtis, Choate Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee Jamie Hillas ’11, and Director of Athletics Tom White

C H O AT E R O S E M A R Y H A L L

AT H L E T I C S H A L L FA M E OF

2026

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 27

CALENDAR OF EVENTS SEPTEMBER 2026 14 – Chicago – Reception with Head of School 16 – Denver – Reception with Head of School 25 – Boston – Reception with Head of School

OCTOBER 2026 6 – Virtual – Wild Boar Book Club 15 – New York – Young Alumni Reception with Head of School 22-24 – Wallingford – Family Weekend 28 – New York – Reception for 1890 Society members

NOVEMBER 2026 6 – London – Reception with Eight Schools Alumni 14 – Wallingford – Deerfield Day Home 16 – LA – Reception with Head of School 17 – San Francisco – Reception with Head of School 20 – Seattle – Reception with Head of School

DECEMBER 2026 4 – New York – Holiday Party

JANUARY 2027 5 – Tokyo – Reception with Head of School 11 – Seattle – Reception with Head of School

FEBRUARY 2027 24 – Shanghai – Reception with Head of School

MAY 2027 14-16 – Wallingford – Reunion Weekend

For more information, to see the complete list, and to register:

Come spend a few days on campus and see how we live and learn together.

October 22-24 Family Weekend events are intended to introduce our parents and guardians to the teachers and mentors, experiences and programs, and support systems and daily routines of Choate. Save the date!

Family Weekend 2026

The Rivalry Returns to CHOATE

Saturday, November 14

DEERFIELD DAY 2026 Visit for game schedules

Bring your family back to campus to experience the excitement of Deerfield Day — an afternoon of spirited competition, school pride, and reconnecting with fellow Choaties across generations. Gather your classmates, cheer on the Wild Boars, and make new memories together.

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 29

MAY 14-16 Classes ending in 2s and 7s: Return to campus for a weekend of reconnecting with classmates, celebrating old memories, making new ones, and seeing all that’s happening at Choate today. Until then …

Stay connected Follow Choate Alumni on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for Reunion news and alumni stories.

Update your contact information Make sure we have your current email and mailing address so you don’t miss Reunion announcements.

Start planning It’s never too early to rally your friends! Reach out to classmates, save the date, and start making plans to attend!

Reunion Registration begins early in 2027. Stay tuned to your email inbox for more! For hotel information, weekend highlights, and the latest Reunion updates, visit the Reunion Webpage: choate.edu/reunion

30 CLASSNOTES

CLASSNOTES | News From Our Alumni

1950s ’55 C

Sandy Wiener writes, “Hello classmates, 1955! Who is chugging along? Much of my shortterm memory is gone, so I am slowing down. But, I am still fluid in talking and writing. I no longer have a driver’s license, but my wonderful wife, Sarah, drives me to farmers markets, food co-ops, music concerts. Fortunate me! We live in the retirement community of Kendal, in Hanover, N.H., with our daughters and two-year-old grandchild nearby in Northampton and Keene. Our son and one-year-old granddaughter are in remote Arkansas.”

’56 C

Geoffrey Bullard writes, “It seems incredible that 70 years have passed since our graduation and launch into the great wide world. No doubt, you, like me, are saddened by those classmates who, having made a significant impact after Choate, have now passed on to greater glory. One of the latest to pass, and who will be truly missed for the role he played as our class secretary, is Bob Gaines ’56. An early loss was my roommate for two years, David Hughes. I was provided the honor of being a pallbearer at his funeral. In recent days, the list of those still remaining grows shorter. I have continuing contact with John Strothman and Bruce Hewitt ’57, as well as Chuck Klein, who lives in nearby Connecticut. However, I have lost contact with the other members of the Maiyeros, including Randy Ney ’55, who recently passed away. One happy contact with Choate is a one-time valued employee of one of my companies: Brianna St. John, who was the Manager of Editorial Services. I send my heartfelt greetings to her. A comment on my health: At 89, I am still hale and hearty and otherwise unimpaired. Two years ago, I sold my home in Kissimmee, Fla., to return to Albany, N.Y., where both of my children reside. In closing, I would like to send my hearty and hale greetings to those who returned for our 70th reunion. I mention that as a naval officer, I lost my hearing and became deaf on the eve of promotion to lieutenant commander. This has limited my ability to share these special reunion times. For those who did attend, I would appreciate any correspondence you are willing to share.”

of life for a growing young man. I will never forget the gracious names: Seymour St. John, Stanley Pratt, and Mr. Fowler, all great gentlemen and teachers. I still wonder about the whereabouts of Dave Black, my 1956-57 roomie, Luis Roche, Luis Fernando Sánchez, and many others. If some of you are 1953-1957 Choaties, it would be great to hear from you.” Mason Morfit writes, “My wife, Margaret, and I will move into Piper Shores, a retirement community near Portland, Maine, soon. We will continue to maintain a winter home in Gulfport, Fla.”

’58 C Peter Goldmark writes, “I continue to surprise myself and my family and friends by working ’heavily’. I consult for some foundations and other players in the climate area, where we desperately need bolder and more transformative innovations. I also mentor a handful of young leaders around the world who seek me out and ask me to serve as an adviser and coach. It’s rewarding, engaging work — I get to learn how the next generation of leaders, who are inheriting a deeply challenging world, think and engage, and help them sharpen the tools and values they’ll need for the work ahead. I was interviewed for a new book coming out at the end of the year to be called Still at Work, I believe, and the book profiles several people, including me, who are still working way beyond their 65th year. I had no idea that was so rare. Sobering for me is the not infrequent announcement of members of my class who have died. I guess that’s where we are in the cycle. Keep the aspidistra flying.” ’59 C

Richard Nichols writes, “We continue to follow the updates of our classmates. After law school, I joined JP Morgan and the Hartford National Bank in the Trust area. After corporate life, I started an investment management firm, DeWitt Capital, which I still operate today. My wife of 59 years, Charity, and I spend our off time sailing and traveling. We recently moved from Weston, Conn., to Mystic, Conn., and continue to visit with old friends, including Bill Breetz ’59 and others.”

’57 C

Frank Ashford writes, “I had a recent great country tour with family throughout some beautiful National Parks. We saw Old Faithful National Park and Devils Tower in Wyoming, Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, and finally, the Capulin Volcano National Monument in New Mexico. It was a great experience with paddling rushing waters, and ziplining for an old guy! I am still living in Naples, Fla., and after 60 years of beautiful marriage, she is with her Lord. I must return to Wallingford soon to visit the great location where I learned the most important facets

LEFT Miguel Suarez ’52. Here, I am standing on the large

terraza of my penthouse in Mijas Pueblo, Málaga Province, Spain, overlooking Fuengirola City and the Mediterranean Sea. I am happy and enjoying driving around the vast and beautiful Costa Del Sol with my wife, Yolanda. TOP Frank Ashford ’57 visited Devils Tower, a towering

column of volcanic rock rising 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River in northeastern Wyoming. BOTTOM Luis Fernando Sanchez ’57, Luis Armando Roche ’57,

and George Plata ’56 from the ’55-56 Choate soccer team. Frank Ashford ’57 is behind the lens, and he recalls they only lost to Lawrenceville that season.

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 31

1960s ’60 RH Nancy Platt Richardson writes, “I had a lovely visit with my Rosemary Hall roommate, Pam Wilkinson, last summer — the first time in many, many years. I am in the process of relocating to Essex, Conn., from Bluffton, S.C.” ’61 RH Lucy Finlayson Calcagni writes, “I’ve been busy with literature, knitting, canasta clubs, and also volunteering. My real passions are my family — three children and four grandchildren — cooking, and vegetable gardening.” ’62 C

F. John Wilkes Jr. writes, “As my substitute teaching job at Bayonne High School winds down, Gini and I are looking forward to our flight to London. We plan to lunch with two of my oldest English friends, one from my fifth-form year in France and the other from handling Tom Vaughan’s insurance needs when he brought his company, Juliana’s, to the U.S. Then, we will hop on our first-ever river cruise to the Normandy Beaches and, yet again, Paris. Football players from the undefeated ’61 team, beware! I have recruited Tommy Gagliardi ’62 to help me with next year’s 65th Reunion. As the two smallest players, and both wingbacks, how can we go wrong?”

’63 C

Cliff Ransom writes, “As I approached my 80th birthday in February, a longtime sailing buddy called from his adopted state of Alaska and suggested I join him on big snow machines to shadow part of the 1,000-mile Iditarod Dog Sled Race. My first reaction was, ’Are you nuts?’ I immediately reconsidered and exclaimed, ’Absolutely, I accept. What else might I do? Wait until I hit 90?’ With visits to 57 different countries, in some wild and woolly locales, under my belt, I invited my son and his charming wife to make us a foursome. We thundered 40 miles north on the frozen Yetna River to bivouac in an off-thegrid, somewhat-heated bunkhouse for three days. Manhandling a 900cc mechanical beast with a top speed of 80 mph may not have been the brightest solo activity to undertake (pun intended) after breaking my neck in 2022, but, boy, am I glad I did! My mantra remains: Always learning.”

’63 RH Rozzie Chubb Davis writes, “I went on a 10-day trip with friends on the lower Snake and Columbia Rivers following Lewis and Clark’s final leg of their Voyage of Discovery. We enjoyed amazing weather with only one day of rain. Mount St. Helens was rarely visible due to rain and fog. They had not a cloud, and a great lecturer on board.” Penny Griffith Dix writes, “This fall, we will escape again to enjoy the Canadian Rockies by train (Calgary to Vancouver). In December, we are sailing with Star Clippers for two weeks in the lower

Caribbean and through the Panama Canal; it has been on our bucket list. Having seen so many of our friends battle serious illnesses, we think we should travel while we can.” Alice Chaffee Freeman writes, “We are selling our house in Newfane and moving into an assisted living facility in Brattleboro, Vt. At the moment, we are preparing for the epic open house to show our property. It’s intense, but it’s also kind of like opening gifts on Christmas morning. I’m looking forward to this next phase of my life, especially the part where I don’t have to cook, clean, or haul groceries into my house up an icy pathway in a howling snowstorm.” Jean McBee Knox and her husband, Dick, visited Jean’s sister, Hetty ’61, who lives in Cornwall, England, last April. Hetty was known as Chickie while at Rosemary Hall. Angela Treat Lyon writes, “I just finished the first and second books in a six-book series, documenting my best art and design from 2021 to 2026. I decided I needed to create a record of my artistic legacy for my kids. No one else will, once I croak and no one will know what to do with all these files! Each book will have 200 images. There will be no words, only designs and art. You can find them on Amazon — Art and Design 2021, and Art and Design 2022. Books 2023 through 2026 should be completed in about three months.” Chris Murray McKee writes, “My life is pretty boring right now — doctor’s appointments, exercise, and just dealing with Parkinson’s. My daughter, Rachel, and her family, including my three granddaughters, live 2.5 hours away now, and we have been taking advantage of that — sports events and birthday parties. My son, Ethan, and his family from Florida were with me for two weeks this summer.”

Lucy Finlayson Cagcagni ’61 shows off Michael, who is the newest addition to her household. He is a miniature schnauzer and a joy.

Cliff Ransom ’63 in minus 19°F, but four layers below the belt and six layers above the belt.

Class of 1966, 60th Reunion group at Knuckleheads in Wallingford, Conn. Left to right (top to bottom): Walt Kelly, Parker Hansel, Jack Dickinson, RC Gilbert, Jamie Kirkpatrick, Craig Battle, Peter Erkkinen, Peter Wettlaufer.

32 CLASSNOTES

Dan Hunt ’67 and his wife, Jodie, on the top of the mountain for a New Year’s dinner in Sun Valley, Idaho

Vickie Spang ’69 (right) with former member of the House of Representatives Gabby Giffords

’64 C

1970s

Jeffrey Gould writes, “My roommate and great friend, Bob McCallum ’64, passed away in April, and I had the honor of eulogizing him on May 9. In addition, I had another honor, eulogizing another great friend, earlier, Danny Rugg. These are so tough, and it’s just so emotional to say goodbye. I wish all my classmates the very best for their health.”

’65 C

Peter Kastner built a public IT research archive and wrote his memoirs from it, and submitted a peer-reviewed research paper to the Annals of Computer History. He says, “Retirement is just great.”

’66 C

David Holmes writes, “Proudly, this past Reunion Weekend, 24 members of our class returned to celebrate. To wit: Craig Battle, RC Gilbert, Parker Hansel, Walt Kelly, Russ Kridel, Chris Born, Tod Hunt, Bill Barnes, Peter Hovey, David Holmes, Bill Todd, Dee McAllister, Bill Macreery, Jamie Kirkpatrick, Jeff Sturges, Sam Mink, Steve Fleck, Doug Clark, John Stendahl, Ed Miller, Jack Dickinson, Noel Hynd, Peter Erkkinen, and Peter Wettlaufer. We were treated to a seminar by Jamie Kirkpatrick on his three novels and his upcoming fourth. The campus looked wonderful. I even ventured alone into the Chapel for a moment of prayer and reflection. Then, seeing no one else around, I succumbed to the lure of a Steinway up front and played two verses of a hymn, humbly bowed, and appreciated the irony of the moment. Good fun!” Jamie Kirkpatrick writes, “Thank you to classmates and other alumni who attended my book talk on Reunion Weekend.”

Jeff Sturges writes, “In April, during a ceremony in the Massachusetts State House, I was named that state’s Senior Athlete of the Year. In March, I won both the Giant Slalom and the Super G at the Massachusetts Winter Games at Wachusett Mountain. I also compete in a single shell for the Quinsigamond Rowing Club and play forward for Sudbury FC Platinum in the New England OTH Soccer League.” Roderick Walker writes. “My brother, Bill Walker ’64, passed away unexpectedly on March 10. He is sorely missed by friends and family!”

’67 C

Doug Bryant writes, “My wife, Cammie, and I now spend our winters in Vero Beach, Fla., not far from where Dan Hunt and his wife, Jodie, have a house. In addition to Dan, I have seen Tony Childs ’68 on several occasions, and he and I won a member-guest golf tournament in February at his club in Jupiter. We also attended a Choate luncheon in Hobe Sound, where we saw Hal Clark and Jack Curtin ’68.” Dan Hunt writes, “After another season as a part-time ski instructor in Sun Valley, I arrived in Florida in time to celebrate Doug Bryant’s birthday in late March and have the usual Thursday lunches with Tony Childs.”

’69 RH Vickie Spang writes, “I recently attended the Bay Area Giffords Annual Celebration of Courage event. I’m a longtime supporter of Gabby Giffords’ cause, especially since I lived through workplace violence back in 1993 in San Francisco.”

’70 C Jim Berrien writes, “I’m happy to be alive post-stroke. I’m a grandfather of five and I’ve been married for 46 years. I am unsurprised by the health and success of my peers and fellow Choaties.” Peter Talbert writes, “I had my annual visit from great friend Jay Moorhead, who visits every March for business meetings here in Phoenix. Jay was my quarterback at Choate, throwing me multiple touchdown passes during his legendary career. Since graduation, we have played together, and against one another, on both golf courses and tennis courts when I was still living in New York City. I always look forward to seeing amigo Jay whenever the opportunity to get together arises.” ’71 C Pierre Gourdon writes, “On a beautiful weekend in the middle of May, 16 members of the Class of ’71 gathered at Choate Rosemary Hall for our 55th Reunion to share old campus memories, updates on what we have been doing in the years since graduation, and our plans for retirement. Having missed our 50th Reunion due to COVID, it was a great opportunity to reconnect in person. The Reunion Weekend committee of Pierre, Dan, Tim, and Dave sought to connect with as many of the class as possible, but encountered old email addresses, changed phone numbers, etc. Be sure to update the alumni office with your current contact information, as we hope to organize some local events in the next couple of years and begin planning our 60th Reunion.”

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 33

’73 RH Claudia Ream Fisher writes, “My husband, Norman, and I have done a final relocation to London, the city of my dreams! It is the home of gorgeous Georgian architecture, superb theatre, fab high teas, and good manners. The weather is ... meh... but you can’t have everything. I am starting to learn how to sight-read music and play the classical harp at the same time. It is not easy, but the harp sounds so beautiful, and I don’t mind it when I produce the inevitable boo-boo. I’ve had the chance to make contact after way too many years with the charming David Timberman and to speak to Bettye Ann Blatman whenever I can fit her in. She is moving to New York City. If anyone is in the London area, please contact me. We will have, oh, about 54 years to catch up on!” ’74 C David Abrahamson writes, “I’m living peacefully in Warrenton, Va. My daily priorities are caring for my two local grandchildren and plotting visits to the other two in Oregon. I run five miles every other day, fly my homebuilt airplane weekly, maintain the house, cars, and aircraft, and generally fail to carve out one day of the week to slow down. I ran the Pike’s Peak Ascent last year, and after 13.3 miles with 7,800 feet of vertical gain, I crossed the finish line swearing I’d never do it again. I’m doing it again this September, intending to improve my time and

get a top-three finish in the 70-74-year-old category. My first-place in that age group at this year’s Marine Corps 1775 race gives me hope that lofty goals remain within reach.” Jesse Bogdonoff Dean writes, “After a nine‑year grueling journey with Stage 4 prostate cancer, my most recent scans brought very encouraging results, and my strength and vitality continue to improve, allowing me to hike, swim, work, and write again. I’m deeply grateful for the support of my amazing medical team, family, friends, and the Choate community throughout these years, and I look ahead with renewed optimism and appreciation for each new day.” John de Jong writes, “I just finished my two-year term as president of the World Veterinary Association at our Congress in Tokyo. It has given me the opportunity to travel the world to protect, promote, and advance veterinary medicine. So many highlights, including speaking at the UN, WOAH, and establishing a memorandum of understanding with the World Medical Association to advocate for One Health. I am grateful for a long career in leadership in my profession, including having served as President of the American Veterinary Medical Association. My wife and I wrapped it up with a tour of Southeast Asia. To think, it all started with my sixth form project at Choate!”

Choate Class of 1970 friends Peter Talbert (left) and Jay Moorhead, playing a round in Scottsdale, Ariz.

’75 C

Bruce Cooper writes, “I am still so saddened by the passing of my friend and classmate Donnie Tansill that I spend more time reflecting on Barbara Bush’s Commencement address at Wellesley College about the balance between work and family. Given the birth of our first grandchild last July, family time is definitely winning out, and my retirement, after 33 years as a criminal defense attorney, is on the horizon.” John Geoghegan writes, “My newest book, Intrepid! Nine of the World’s Greatest Adventurers Forgotten by History, will be published by The History Press soon. This is the fifth nonfiction title I’ve authored, and I’m currently musing on a sixth. I am grateful for the writing life, which Amherst and many of my friends there helped prepare me for. Thank you, David, Tom, Tony, and Mindy. In the meantime, I continue teaching classes at the University of San Francisco and occasionally at UC Berkeley. I’m also appearing as an on-camera expert in three upcoming episodes of The History Channel’s Modern Marvels series. The episodes focus on unusual inventions of World War II. Given my background in White Elephant Technology, the show was a perfect fit and great fun to do.”

Members of the Choate Class of 1970 at Reunion 2025 in Wallingford. Left to right: Jay Moorhead, Jim Berrien, Bruce MacDougall, Chip Ryan.

34 CLASSNOTES

’76 C

Rod Fletcher writes, “I had a great time at Reunion Weekend, and so did so many of my 1976 classmates; everybody was raving about how much fun we had. I was extremely fortunate to have my wife, Barb, and our four children join me for the weekend. They all love the Choate campus and the opportunity to meet so many of my classmates.”

’76 RH Bette Ann Sacks Albert writes, “I have been graciously accepted as an international artist-inresidence at La Maison de Simon in Normandy. My focus will be landscape painting of this extraordinary area of France, in complete partnership with the significant purpose of this residency.”

’77 C

David Fried writes, “At the Connecticut Mission of Mercy Free Dental Clinic, a two-day event that provided more than $1.4 million in free dental care to over 900 patients, I met Qian Liu ’19 while volunteering. A past president of the Connecticut State Dental Association, I now serve as the Mission of Mercy Oral Surgery and UConn School of Dental Medicine lead. Liu, an active community volunteer, plans to explore a future career in dentistry. Our meeting reflected the event’s spirit of service and mentorship.”

’78 Robert Feldman writes, “At a time in life when we think about slowing down, I’ve decided to make a big leap. After 30 years in a variety of roles, culminating in a 12-year role as chair of the department, which I stepped down from a few years ago, I have decided to leave Houston but stay within the University of Texas system as a professor and associate chair for research in the department of ophthalmology at Dell Medical School in Austin. Houston will become my weekend home. Anyone down my way, come visit!” Matt Loeb writes, “Lyn, my wife of 42 years, and I are in seventh heaven with our ’Magnificent 7,’ who keep us grounded but keep us running! We also manage to travel and spend time at our Massachusetts beach house. I am enjoying golf, consulting, and board service. Retirement doesn’t suit me; now, I am making different choices about where I spend my time.” Charles L. Perkins writes, “I’m on the tech advisory board for the lunar space elevator team (Liftport.com), using Claude Code to build personal passion projects including a space territory caption game like Go in 3D and a user-extendable shared collaboration space in VR/3D which contains a walkthru version of my autobiography. I hope to finally launch Virtual Rendezvous later this year; keep checking rendezvous.com.”

TOP Class of 1971 55th Reunion in

May 2026 BOTTOM Jesse Bogdonoff Dean ’74

enjoying his morning beach walk

’76 Bette Ann Sacks Albert has been accepted

as an international artist-in-residence at La Maison de Simon, where she will focus on creating landscape paintings inspired by the scenery of Normandy, France.

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 35

3 4

1 Left to right: Alan Breed, Harold Malkin, and Gib Chapman at

the celebration of life for William T. Mitchell ’79 on May 9, 2026 2 John de Jong ’74 ending his term as president of the World

Veterinary Association 3 John Geoghegan ’75. The History Press published his fifth

book on September 17, 2026. 4 Rod Fletcher ’76 was inducted into the Hall of Fame during

Reunion Weekend 2026. Some of his fellow Class of 1976 volleyball teammates were there to cheer him on. From left to right, John Kazikas, Fabe Yeager, Rod Fletcher, Guy Rovezzi, Pat Fallon, and Jim Bryan. Fletcher said, “We all had so much fun playing together with Coach Yankus; it was a treat to be back together again.”

36 CLASSNOTES

2 3 1 Class of 1976 roommates Nick Lefferts and Jim Smith back at Mead House on Reunion Weekend 2 Choate graduates gathered at the Celebration of Life reception for Michael Furgueson ’56 in Essex, Conn. From left to

right: Christopher Craig ’80, Kate Furgueson ’11, Michael Furgueson ’80, Liz Goulian Kahle ’80, Jeffrey Kahle ’80, and John Baay ’80. Not pictured, Rob Harteveldt ’80. 3 David Fried ’77 and Qian Liu ’19 at the 2026 Mission of Mercy Free Dental Clinic 4 Matt Loeb ’78 and his wife, Lyn, with their “Magnificent 7” (ages 2-8) 5 Jonathan Segal ’84 points to his name on the plaque for squash captains. He says, “Forty-two years ago, I walked

these halls. This fall, my son, Liam ’29, will too. From Choate squash captain to proud Choate dad.”

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 37

CLASSNOTES | Profile

’81 Nike Irvin

Bonding Beyond Difference An unexpected stage appearance at Choate revealed Morenike “Nike” Irvin ’81’s voice, one she now uses to foster dialogue and inspire leaders across America.

When she went to cheer on her friends who were auditioning for a School production of The Me Nobody Knows, Morenike “Nike” Irvin ’81 had no intention of getting up on the stage. However, faculty member Terry Ortwein had other ideas. Waving aside her objection that she had nothing prepared to perform, he told her to stand up and sing “Happy Birthday.” The next day, Nike found herself on the cast list. “He must have sensed something about me,” Nike says. “He rewrote the role of William to make it Winnie so I could play the part.” Nike, a Los Angeles native, had arrived at Choate Rosemary Hall a few weeks earlier, traveling across the continent with her mother to a school neither of them had ever seen. Leaving California meant not only adjusting to Connecticut weather but also shifting her sense of self as she settled into a different environment. Nike had always excelled in the classroom — maybe, she says, a little too easily. “Back home,” she recalls, “my mother was telling teachers to give me more work.” So, when she had the chance to attend Choate, Nike and her parents thought it was a great opportunity. Her father was so proud that he drove 6,000 miles roundtrip to attend her first Family Weekend. While adjusting academically, Nike was also navigating an unfamiliar social milieu as one of only about two dozen Black students attending the School. “While my race and culture were always important to me,” she says, “I began to discover other ways to bond — through sports, food, language study, theater.” She acted in several plays during her three years, made the Dean’s list consistently after a rocky first semester, became a house counselor, and was elected girls’ student class president her last year. “Finding common ground with people who are very different became a superpower for me,” she says. Now, as managing director of the Civil Society Fellowship (CSF) at the Aspen Institute, Nike applies her superpower to CSF’s mission of “(engaging) the next generations of national leaders, across political ideology and other differences, to explore and forge solutions to the biggest issues facing our society.” The Fellowship’s seminars, which Nike helps moderate, are designed, she says, “to build trust between often unlikely — even adversarial — partners so they can become change agents in their own communities.”

Nike hadn’t always planned to enter the nonprofit world. She majored in economics and political science at Yale while continuing with theater and studying Spanish and Italian. After graduating, she went to Chicago for a corporate consulting job. She later returned home to pursue a two-year MBA program at UCLA, working for American Express during the summer. Her next corporate job — brand marketing for Pepsi — took her to San Francisco and then New York. Then, in 1992, Nike experienced what she calls her personal 9/11: witnessing the outpouring of rage that engulfed her hometown in response to the acquittal of the four White police officers charged in the assault of Rodney King. “As I was leaving work one night,” she recalls, “a friend called to ask if I was watching CNN. I asked him why. And he said, ‘Your city is burning.’ I began to understand that my calling was at home, in the nonprofit sector.” Returning to Southern California, Nike began volunteering with the Riordan Programs at UCLA, which provide leadership training to young people, particularly those who have overcome significant challenges. Soon, she was recruited to run the program named after Richard Riordan, then the mayor of Los Angeles. Four years later, Riordan asked her to run his charitable foundation, which uses technology to improve early childhood literacy. Before leading the Civil Society Fellowship, she spent six years as vice president of programs for the California Community Foundation, where she directed grant strategy. CSF brings together cohorts of carefully vetted Fellows who spend five weeklong seminars over three years at places of historic significance discussing works by a variety of authors, including Niccolò Machiavelli, Martin Luther King, Jr., Ursula Le Guin, and many others. “Place matters in our work,” Nike says. “Imagine the feelings provoked by visiting the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, after reading firsthand accounts from Etty Hillesum’s diaries as her family was shipped to a death camp. Or being in Montgomery while reading Frederick Douglass’ What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” CSF Fellows are a cross-section of America with a diversity of gender, race, religion, ideology, profession, life experience, sexual orientation, and physical ability. They are screened for their willingness to be vulnerable and to build the capacity to hold tension rather than ducking it. “Fellows learn to look to the left and the right — literally and figuratively — with patience and curiosity,” Nike says. In one cohort, a difficult yet productive conversation happened between a White chief of police from Virginia and a Black man from Pittsburgh who had lost the use of both legs when shot by police at 19 in a case of mistaken identity. In another, an African-Latino Democratic state senator from Georgia became accountability buddies with a White Republican state senator from Mississippi. The relationships fellows develop last beyond their time in the seminars. One of Nike’s favorite examples of CSF’s impact involves a former federal official who moved home to North Carolina and was appointed the state’s Secretary of Health. An out gay man, he became known as “the Republicans’ favorite Democrat” for his ability and willingness to engage in constructive dialogue with those who were much more conservative while maintaining his core values. The outcome: the state’s most vulnerable benefited, as the Fellow negotiated a bipartisan agreement to expand Medicaid coverage for 600,000 North Carolina residents who had not previously had access to health care. “The work I’m doing with CSF draws from what I’ve been learning for decades,” Nike says. “From becoming at Choate someone who could trust myself and my own voice and create comfort in an unfamiliar environment, to growing up in a blue city in a blue state and earning the confidence of a Republican mayor to run his foundation, I know that I can meet a stranger, find some bond in our common humanity, and help others do the same.”

BY Rhea Hirshman Rhea Hirshman is a freelance writer, editor, and communications consultant, working in areas including health, science, politics, law, public policy, and education.

38 CLASSNOTES

1980s ’80 Michael Lewyn is now a great-uncle. His niece, Sarah, just had a baby, Elizabeth Adelaide Gerzberg. He continues to teach at Touro Law Center in Long Island, where he was chair of the Jewish Programs Committee this year and brought many speakers to campus. He is also chair-elect of the Association of American Law Schools State and Local Government section. ’81

Brenda Platt, director of the Composting for Community Initiative at the Institute for Local SelfReliance, was awarded the Jerome Goldstein Lifetime Achievement Award by the US Composting Council in February. The award recognizes an individual who has achieved excellence and made significant contributions over more than 25 years in their professional career to the field of environmental stewardship and natural resource sustainability. Brenda is the first woman to receive the award. Mark Shulman writes, “I am the Bozeman Professor of International Relations at Sarah Lawrence College. I live in New York City and Madison, Conn., with my partner of 34 years, Dr. Diego Diaz, and our dog, Amigo. I haven’t stayed in touch with many of my Choate classmates but am always happy to hear from them.”

’84 Amie Paschal Rudolph writes, “After 35 years as a clinical social worker at UCSF Children’s Hospital, I am excited to begin my retirement. I am proud to be a social worker, and it has been a privilege to help care for and support children and their families along their medical journey. I will miss being a part of a multidisciplinary team and working alongside so

many skilled and compassionate doctors and nurses. And, I will also miss the academic environment of a university hospital and campus. It’s been a rewarding career, and now I’m excited to see where this next chapter leads.” Jonathan Segal writes, “Our son, Liam Segal ’29, started at Choate this fall, where he will also be playing lacrosse. Liam continues a meaningful family tradition. As a member of the Class of ’84, I had the privilege of playing lacrosse and serving as captain of the squash team. Liam continues our family’s connection to such a remarkable school.”

’85 Eric Costello writes, “In May, I was invited to join the National Cartoonists’ Society, the premier professional organization for those involved in producing comic strips. This ties in directly with my work as guest writer on the Dick Tracy comic strip, which will likely continue through at least the start of 2027. Two of the clubs I belong to here in New York City, the Dutch Treat Club and The Coffee House, both have roots in, and long-standing ties to, cartoon art. I hope to make one of the national conventions of the NCS next year.” Jennifer Stone Randolph co-founded Compass IGG & Advocacy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to resolving decades-old cold cases of unidentified missing persons. As one of the first Accredited Investigative Genetic Genealogists (AIGG) in the world, Jennifer has helped shape the ethical framework and effective application of this emerging field. She has spoken about her work at both national and international conferences and has applied her expertise to hundreds of unidentified remains cases. Reflecting the spirit of service and intellectual curiosity nurtured during her formative years at Choate, her career is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary innovation.

LEFT Brenda Platt ’81 (far left) receives lifetime achievement award for her work

advancing composting. MIDDLE Abigail Zavod ’87 and her husband in their front yard (Normandy, France) RIGHT Hannah True Sears ’93 at Christie’s New York Rockefeller Plaza in May 2026,

where a Brancusi sold for $93 million.

’86

David Feiner writes, “The Chicago theater company I co-founded, Albany Park Theater Project, turns 30 next year. The formative experience I received at the Paul Mellon Arts Center with Bob Mellon, Paul Tines, Terry Ortwein, and Gale Silverberg laid the groundwork for my life’s work: collaborating with teens in one of the country’s most diverse communities to create original theater inspired by the real-life stories of immigrants and refugees. The past year has been tough for our community, which was one of the sites of ICE’s Operation Midway Blitz. Even as our teens had parents and other loved ones deported, they continued performing APTP’s longrunning immersive production, Port of Entry, which takes audiences on a journey through the stories of people launching new lives in a 12,000 square foot replica of an apartment building that is home to immigrants from all parts of the world. I’m most proud that Port of Entry suggests the possibility of a world where we treat one another with dignity, curiosity, humanity, and love. The eighth season of Port of Entry runs from October through March. If you’re in Chicago, I’d love to share it with you.” Peter Finfrock writes, “I think attending Choate was like getting the winning ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I want any bright person in my life to aspire to go there.”

’87 Abigail Zavod writes, “After a serious illness led to deep reflection, my husband and I decided to buy a rundown house in Normandy, fix it up, and fulfill my lifelong dream of living in France. This aspiration, nurtured by the incredible French teachers at Choate and a semester abroad, became a reality this year as we began a new life in our very, very old home.”

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 39

1990s

2000s

’92

’00 Lisa Mondani has been working as a Head Nurse in Infection Prevention at Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown. While she has been working for the State of Connecticut in the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services since October 2014, she recently accepted a promotion at Connecticut Valley Hospital from Whiting Forensic Hospital. She says, “It was great seeing a variety of our classmates at our 25th Reunion on campus last May!”

Chris Barish writes, “Our 17-year-old, Beatrix, graduated from Avenues in New York City and is headed to St. Andrews this fall to study English literature. Her sister, Riley Barish, stepmother, Julie Mulligan Barish, and I are thrilled, but will miss her very much. We look forward to visiting her via British Airways from their JFK Terminal 8 hub, with Tender Crush, The Bar by Black Tap, and Black Tap Singles & Doubles to enjoy before we fly. Wishing the Class of ’92 all the best and missing my roommate, Garrett Soden, always.” Sara Schaefer Muñoz has started a new job as finance editor, Americas at Bloomberg News. She is based in New York and continues her in-depth financial coverage of Wall Street, Canada, and Latin America. Harmony Caton Stratton writes, “I am currently the medical director at the Jamestown Healing Clinic, a tribal opioid treatment program. When I am not at work, I enjoy exploring the Olympic Peninsula with my husband and son.”

’93

Hannah Sears is employed at Roots Floral DC and The Potomack Company in the Washington, D.C. area.

’99 Meredith Osterman continues to practice hand surgery in the greater Philadelphia area and was recently named the Chief Medical Officer of her orthopedic practice. She practices with her father, A. Lee Osterman ’65, and they both travel the country lecturing on a variety of topics while training surgeons locally and running the largest hand surgical fellowship in the country. Jonah Spear writes, “After a decade of soldout shows in San Francisco, including a packed house at Cobb’s Comedy Club during SF Sketchfest, Worldwide Puns, of which I am the co-creator, is officially expanding to New York City with the NYC Pun Off, launching an ongoing residency at Caveat. Part comedy show, part gladiatorial arena for language nerds, the Pun Off treats one of the most loathed forms of humor — puns — with almost absurd seriousness. Contestants (’punslingers’) battle through elimination rounds, delivering rapid-fire wordplay to a live audience that arrives not only to laugh, but to groan, roll their eyes, and bury their heads in their hands. I am an O. Henry Pun-Off World Champion — arguably the closest thing the art form has to an official title. My love of language and performance took root at Choate, where I was deeply involved in theater and improv, and has only gotten more unhinged from there.”

’01 Hiep Nguyen writes, “It was truly wonderful to reconnect with my classmates at our 25th reunion. Seeing everyone again after so many years brought back many great memories and reminded me of the friendships, experiences, and moments we shared together. It was especially meaningful to see my football coaches — Jim Irzyk, John Connelly, and Tim Stanton. Their guidance, leadership, and support

had such a positive impact on so many of us. It was amazing to see how much everyone has grown personally and professionally while still carrying the same spirit and connection from our younger days. The reunion was filled with laughter, stories, and appreciation for the journey we have all taken over the years, and I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to reconnect with such an incredible group of people.”

’04

Alessandra “Allie” Echeverria recently started a new role as Lead Dietitian at S2 Medical Supply. She is excited to bring her clinical expertise to the durable medical equipment company setting and launch S2 Medical’s home tube feeding program. Allie lives in Atlanta. Rebecca Jones’ short story “Hello, Little Girl” was selected for inclusion in HarperCollins’ forthcoming title, The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2026.

TOP Dr. Nikisha Alcindor ’96

(right), president and founder of the STEM Educational Institute, appeared in the Wall Street Journal after moderating Mind the Gap: Intelligence in Transition, a New York Tech Week event, in June. BOTTOM Members of the

Class of 1998 supporting their classmate, Nicolas Valdes-Fauli, who qualified for and ran the 2026 Boston Marathon. Left to right: Valdes-Fauli, Gene Nogi, Josh Dolin, and John Meadow

40 CLASSNOTES

CLASSNOTES | Profile

’06

Kaitlin Kunkler Wright

A Magical Place At Red Rocks, Kaitlin Kunkler Wright ’06 uses her skills behind the camera to bring live shows to big screens.

With dramatic panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains, accentuated by a towering backdrop of rust-colored sandstone formations, Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a breathtaking place to visit and, if you’re lucky, settle in for an evening of live entertainment. Now imagine the one-of-a-kind venue being your place of business. That’s been the reality for Kaitlin Kunkler Wright ’06 for the past decade. Since 2017, Kaitlin has worked on close to 500 shows at Red Rocks as a member of the venue’s film crew, capturing the performances of rock bands, comedians, symphonies, and more. Technically employed by the City of Denver, which operates the venue, Kaitlin initially served as a camera operator, filming concerts for viewing on large screens so attendees could see the performers up close. While her job usually relegated her to the periphery, on one memorable evening in 2019, Kaitlin had a rare opportunity to step out of the shadows. At the request of Stevie Wonder’s manager, Kaitlin stood directly beside the legendary musician, charged with capturing close-up shots of his hands tickling the ivories of a grand piano. She spent the night in the spotlight, awed by Wonder and a surprise appearance by eight-time Grammy Awardwinning artist Usher, who danced atop the piano as Stevie played.

“That was my all-time coolest experience,” Kaitlin says. “It was pretty epic.” Despite her long tenure, Kaitlin says Red Rocks’ natural beauty continues to impress her. Over the last few years, she’s taken on increased responsibility for live shows as a director, overseeing nine cameras and five operators per show, choosing which shots appear on the screens and directing operators to capture specific details, such as a guitarist’s fingers or a drummer’s lightningquick hands. It’s a total team effort to bring the images of the stage to the entire audience, those in the venue, and those watching via livestream. “It’s a whole production,” Kaitlin explains, “and we put a lot of thought into what’s on the screen.” Her work at Red Rocks allows Kaitlin to blend her interests in mixed media. After following a friend from Chicago to Choate, Kaitlin took a film class that transformed her childhood hobby of shooting home videos into a more serious interest in filmmaking. For one assignment, Kaitlin recreated a movie scene from the comedy Anchorman, directing friends and carefully matching camera angles. She went on to add a film studies minor to her political science major at Colorado College and remained in the state after graduation, working as a camera operator for local TV stations in Aspen and Denver. Through these experiences, she gained industry experience filming municipal meetings and later earned a master’s in media, film, and journalism from the University of Denver before landing at Red Rocks. Her live work is fast-paced, tempered by 10 seasons of experience at the venue. Kaitlin now knows the music and movements of returning bands well enough to anticipate guitar solos and choruses, staying a step ahead of the requisite shots. For unfamiliar acts, she sometimes gets up to speed by studying their work, but her trained ear allows her to listen and react in real time. Frequent symphony shows have sharpened Kaitlin’s ear for distinguishing even the most specific instruments, from mandolin to oboe, without formal musical training. Red Rocks hosts roughly 200 shows per season, across multiple mediums. Of those, she directs nearly 50. Kaitlin adapts her shot planning depending on the genre, using different shot lists and sometimes accommodating artist requests, such as avoiding tight facial close‑ups for older classic rockers. Kaitlin has also learned to navigate Mother Nature because shows must go on, regardless of the weather. “We’ve seen rain, hail, snow, wind,” she shares. During a recent May snowstorm, chart-topping hitmaker David Guetta performed for a full house. “We’re prepared for anything,” Kaitlin adds. While she’s focused on leading her team, Kaitlin also allows herself to appreciate the entertainment. She’s a longtime fan of the rock band Widespread Panic, which commands the Red Rocks stage each summer, and her familiarity with their music helps her anticipate optimal camera angles. She’s also particularly excited about an upcoming show featuring 2026 Time 100 honoree Hilary Duff at Red Rocks. “It appeals to my inner Lizzie McGuire,” she says with a smile. Beyond her work at Red Rocks, Kaitlin worked as a camera operator for 20 episodes of the Boulder-based talk show We Got Time Today, co-hosted by two-time Super Bowl champion Deion Sanders. The show featured guests from three-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee Leslie Jones to Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Ice Cube. She also moonlights as a concert photographer at Red Rocks and other venues, hired by bands to cover their Colorado dates or snapping pictures in exchange for tickets. This summer, she’ll travel to Maine to document the reunion concert of folk band The Ghost of Paul Revere. “Would I do this job at an indoor venue?” Kaitlin asks. “Probably. But would it be the same? No. It’s definitely a magical place.”

By Jana F. Brown Jana F. Brown is a New Hampshire-based writer and editor.

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 41

’06

Lis Hulin Wheeler’s fundraising organization, Our Family Our Fight, ran its third craft fundraiser last spring and raised nearly $80,000 for the American Immigration Council. The total raised for immigrant and trans-focused nonprofits since February 2025 is nearly $250,000, all from amateur craft and art donations. Lisa Viccione writes, “Since graduating, I’ve continued working in the entertainment industry while also exploring projects that combine storytelling, advocacy, and justice. Most recently, I’ve been volunteering with Love & Justice, a true crime investigative podcast exploring the death of Andrew Wieman in season two. It’s been meaningful to contribute to a project that asks difficult questions, centers a family’s search for answers, and uses long-form storytelling to examine the details of an unresolved case. If true crime is your thing, or you’d simply like to support the work, check out Love & Justice wherever you listen to podcasts.”

’08 Lily Ackerman and her husband, Brian, welcomed their second girl, Scarlett Jane Egan, on February 26, 2026. Tessa Sacramone has been working as a freelance violinist, music educator, and actor-musician in the Boston area. Recent violin performance credits include Stardew ValleySymphony of Seasons at the Wang Theater; Death Stranding Live in Concert at Boston Symphony Hall; Celtic Woman at Lowell Memorial Auditorium; and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony 4 with the Rhode Island Philharmonic at the VETS Auditorium. She has also been cast in regional musical theater productions: The Irish and How They Got that Way at Greater Boston Stage; Once and Noise at the Wilbury Theater Group. She credits the Arts Concentration program at Choate for providing her with the support to pursue the performing arts in college and beyond.

and policymakers across the ecosystem and turning what I learn into a market analysis and a database of the region’s biotech and life science startups. Florianópolis is one of those places that doesn’t get nearly enough visibility from international investors, despite being Brazil’s ’Silicon Island’ with a startup density 10 times that of São Paulo’s. The pristine beaches and active lifestyle don’t hurt either, but the real reason I’m excited is the chance to spend a year helping put this scene on more people’s radar.”

2020s ’21

Kailani Day writes, “I have graduated from Tufts with a Master of Arts degree in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning. My thesis, Resilience Amid Political Waves: Organizational Responses to Federal Attitudes on Environmental Justice and Equity in Boston and Newark, examines the challenges and opportunities facing communitybased environmental justice organizations given the federal government’s anti-equity stance.”

4 1 Hilary Knight ’07 won a gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games

Milano Cortina 2026. She says, “I appreciate all of the support from the Choate community!”

2010s

2 Kailani Day ’21 in front of Bromfield Pearson Hall at

Tufts University 3 2001 classmates Alex Pullen (aka Apac, aka Showrocka) and

’19

Brent Valentine writes, “After Choate, I spent two years playing junior hockey outside Boston before heading to UC Davis, where I double majored in business and neurobiology. At Davis, I started Discovering Academia, a podcast where my co-host and I travel the world interviewing professors about their research. We’ve recorded on the floor of a traditional music studio in Indonesia, in the home of a party member in rural China, and inside the gates of a Turkish university surrounded by police. We’re currently at about 90 episodes across nine countries with plans to continue after college. In bigger news, I was accepted to a Fulbright US Student Research grant. Starting in August, I’ll be in Florianópolis, Brazil, for about 10 months researching the region’s emerging biotech scene. The plan is to spend the year interviewing founders, investors, academics,

Hiep Nguyen

4 Lisa Viccione ’07 volunteers with Love & Justice, a true crime

investigative podcast. 5 Sarah Platt ’18 (left), now a medical student in the Rutgers–

Princeton MD-PhD Program, had a fun surprise reunion with fellow alum Egun Im ’18, a computational biology PhD student at Northeastern University, when the two unexpectedly ran into each other while presenting their research at the ASCB|EMBO Cell Bio Meeting in Philadelphia this past December.

42 CLASSNOTES

CLASSNOTES | New Beginnings

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 43

7 9

1 Charles Greszes ’21 married Eliora Davis in Israel, surrounded by

family and friends. The couple is excited to begin this new chapter together in Israel. Photographed walking to the Chuppa

5 Lily Colley Ferguson ’08 and Duncan Lockhart Ferguson welcomed

their son, Brooks Duncan Ferguson, on May 12, 2026, in New York. 6 Caroline Potolicchio ’10 and her husband, Devin, welcomed their

2 Wedding of Christian Hakim ’17 to Mary Kallberg on November 15,

daughter, Stella, on January 12, 2026.

2025, in Bethel, Conn. Left to right – Ramin Hakim ’80, Linda Hakim, Mary, Christian, and Alexandra Hakim ’19

7 Jill Mastroianni ’08 and her wife, Marielle Tamkorv, welcomed their

3 On March 11, 2026, Alexandra Lengel ’16 and Dieter Eiselen ’16

were married at Lanzerac Wine Estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa. They met in Mr. Farrell’s English class. After almost a decade of long-distance, they have finally settled in Westport, Conn. They note, “Going to Choate was the best decision we both could have made, and we will be forever grateful to the school for opening a world of opportunity and introducing us.” 4 James Chuck ’93 and his wife, Alexandra, welcomed their son,

Luca Torin Chuck, on April 1, 2026, in Reno, Nev. His name tells a small family history. Luca is Italian for light, Torin is Norse-Gaelic for thunder, and Chuck is the Americanized form of the family’s Serbo-Croatian surname Ćuk, meaning little owl.

first baby girl, Mila Mastroianni, on May 6, 2026. 8 Erin (Grajewski) Williams ’08 and her husband, Gareth, welcomed

their third child, Charlotte Elizabeth Williams, on March 26, 2026, in Bermuda. Big brothers Rhys and Cooper are thrilled! 9 Max Dietz ’12 and his wife, Anna, welcomed their first child,

Solomon Dietz, on June 12, 2026. Baby Solomon had a nice visit with his great-grandmother and his grandma, Elizabeth Kromelow ’83.

44 IN MEMORIAM

In Memoriam MICHAEL J. CARR ’76 Chair, Choate Rosemary Hall Board of Trustees 2011 to 2019 Michael J. Carr ’76, 68, a Choate Rosemary Hall Trustee from 2005 to 2019 and Chair of Trustees from 2011 to 2019, died on May 12, 2026, in New York City. Born in Hollywood, Calif., Michael came to Choate in 1974; he lettered in lacrosse, won the Coach’s Trophy Award in that sport, and served as Circulation Manager of The Choate News. He then earned degrees from Wesleyan University and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Michael achieved great success in investment banking and became widely respected on Wall Street as an “old-school rainmaker” who played a major role in expanding Goldman Sachs’s advisory business. He joined the firm as a partner in 1998 before earning the titles of Head of Americas Mergers & Acquisitions in 2011 and Global Co-Head of Mergers & Acquisitions in 2015. Michael played an integral role in expanding the firm’s advisory business across Asia from 2000 to 2004 and advised on landmark transactions such as the $130 billion merger between Dow and DuPont and CVS Health’s $70 billion acquisition of Aetna before retiring in 2022. “Michael Carr was one of a kind, and just saying his name, you feel in the presence of greatness,” Max Schapiro, a former colleague and fellow Wharton School alum, wrote after learning of his passing. Michael was as beloved on Christian Street as he was on Wall Street for his 14 years of service as a Trustee because his leadership and vision helped shape the Choate community many know today. He chaired the committee that hired Choate’s current Head of School, Dr. Alex Curtis, and helped strengthen the School’s commitment to technology and student experience by helping implement the iPad program, constructing the Lanphier Center and developing the new St. John Hall. He also did not shy away from challenges and displayed the courage necessary to address the mistakes of the School’s past in a comprehensive and transparent manner, setting a high standard for future School leaders to follow.

“Michael was a model Board Chair. He served as a trusted advisor to our Head of School; he ably led us through a crisis with no precedent to guide the Board while both protecting the School and treating the victims with compassion and fairness; and he left Choate very much better off than he found it,” current Board Chair Dan Kelly wrote. “Michael brought his integrity, inherent sense of right and wrong, strength of conviction, courage, humor, patience, tolerance, empathy and sympathy to bear on the challenges the school faced,” former Trustee Jim Lebovitz added. Above all, Michael and his fellow Trustees and Senior Officers worked diligently not only to preserve the traditions and standards that have made Choate a standard-bearer in independent education, but also to emphasize the importance of continuing to attract the best students possible to carry the torch forward. In this effort, he led the Board through its first comprehensive strategic planning process in 20 years. It is fitting that the final page of the 2013 Choate Rosemary Hall Strategic Plan reads, “We seek to enroll the most talented and accomplished individuals who together create an engaged and inspiring student body,” because 12 years later, the School’s welcome center, named in his and his wife’s honor, is the place where the newest members of the student body begin their Choate journey. When not on campus or in the boardroom, Michael found great happiness in cheering for the New York Giants, skiing the steepest mountains, traveling through Italy, listening to the Grateful Dead, and most of all, spending time with his family and his beloved goldendoodle, Cricket. He is survived by his wife, Shelley; his daughters, Alexandra and Elisabeth; and his sons-in-law, Nick Ribovich and Alec Dunn.

“ The Choate we know today was shaped in profound ways by Michael’s leadership. He believed deeply that the School needed to evolve while remaining grounded in its values.”

– Dr. Alex Curtis

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 45

IN MEMORIAM | Remembering Those We Have Lost Alumni and Alumnae

’43 RH Caroline Hudson Lynch Firestone, 99, died March 10, 2026. Born in Oklahoma City, Okla., Caroline came to Rosemary Hall in 1940. She was Head of Tea House, in Hospites, and on the Library and Dance committees. Her first husband, Edmund Lynch, was the son of the man who co-founded the Merrill Lynch investment firm. Caroline was the first woman elected to the Board of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York and was on the Board of the National Peace Corps Association. She traveled widely and wrote three books about Afghanistan. Her second husband was Leonard Firestone, a former U.S. Ambassador to Belgium. She leaves two children, seven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

’44 C

Charles F. G. Kuyk Jr., 99, a retired military officer and executive of the Boeing Co., died December 20, 2025, in Gig Harbor, Wash. Born in New York City, Charlie, known to his classmates as Goodwyn, came to Choate in 1942; he lettered in football, hockey, and baseball. After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Charlie spent 36 years in military service. Charlie was a combat pilot in Korea, a test pilot at Edwards Air Force

’44

Base in California, a commander and electronic countermeasures pilot in Vietnam, and a general officer at the Pentagon, retiring as a Major General. He was then an aerospace expert at Boeing. He enjoyed cross-country skiing, hiking, and gardening. He leaves three children, including Charles Kuyk III ’69; five grandchildren; and seven greatgrandchildren. A brother, the late David Kuyk ’49, also attended Choate.

’45 C Charles R. Stocker, 98, a retired executive with Caterpillar Tractor Co., died May 15, 2026, in Eureka, Ill. Born in New York City, Bob, as he was known at School, attended Choate for one year. After graduating from Columbia, he was in the Army’s Paratrooper Corps. He then spent many years traveling and working in Europe for Caterpillar. He leaves several cousins. ’46 C James L. Hamilton, 96, a retired architect and inventor, died September 6, 2025, in Lexington, Mass. Born in Meriden, Jim came to Choate in 1942. He was editor of The Literary Magazine, in the Cum Laude Society, and won a School prize for excellence in writing. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design, he served in the Navy for several years, then joined the Architects Collaborative in Cambridge, Mass. Jim was also a co-inventor of

the Aurora and Prisma clocks, which used polarizing filters to produce colors, making the time. Another of his clocks is in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He enjoyed sailing, skiing, and photography. He leaves three sons and seven grandchildren.

’47 C William H. Kirby, 97, a retired retail stockbroker, died March 26, 2026, in Rutland, Vt. Born in Rutland, Bill came to Choate in 1945; he was a captain in the Campus Cops and in the School’s Choral Club and Ski Club. After graduating from Middlebury and serving in the Army, he spent more than 40 years as a retail stockbroker. He was an officer with Laidlaw & Co., a partner in Whitney Goadby, and a sales associate of Stifel Nicolaus & Co. Bill enjoyed skiing, especially in Killington, Vt. He was also interested in genealogy and belonged to several historical organizations. He leaves his wife, Zoe Birren Kirby; three children; and four grandchildren. ’49 C William C. Jackson, 95, a retired executive of a steel business, died February 7, 2026. Born in New York City, Bill came to Choate in 1945; he lettered in hockey, was in the Glee Club and on the board of The Brief, and later was a Class Agent. After serving in the Korean War, he graduated from Washington & Lee. Then he worked in the family business, Jackson Steel

Products, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Bill was an avid golfer, skier, sailor, hockey player, and youth hockey coach. He leaves his wife, Norma Jackson; two daughters; and a nephew, Spencer Jackson ’74.

’50 C Herman Floyd Dormire Jr., 93, a retired journalist, died June 12, 2026, in Richmond, Va. Born in Norfolk, Va., Floyd attended Choate for one year; he was in the Cum Laude Society. After graduating from the University of North Carolina and serving in the Army, he began a 30-year career with The Virginian-Pilot newspaper in Richmond. He enjoyed fishing, football, and competitive running. He leaves two children, two stepchildren, 13 grandchildren, five step-grandchildren, and 30 great-grandchildren. ’51 C Borden W. Stevenson, 93, a retired investments counselor and nightclub owner, died August 11, 2025. The son of the late former Presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson II C 1918, Borden was born in Bloomington, Ill. He came to Choate in 1948, where he was in the Choral Club and on the board of The Brief. After graduating from Harvard and serving in the Army, he was an investment counselor in New York City. For a time, he was co-owner of Cheetah, a New York nightclub at Broadway and 53rd Street. He leaves a brother.

After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Charlie F. G. Kuyk Jr. spent 36 years in military service. Charlie was a combat pilot in Korea, a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base in California, a commander and electronic countermeasures pilot in Vietnam, and a general officer at the Pentagon, retiring as a Major General.

46 IN MEMORIAM

’46

Jim L. Hamilton was also a co-inventor of the Aurora and Prisma clocks, which used polarizing filters to produce colors, making the time. Another of his clocks is in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

’51 RH Laura Sandifer McGown, 92, an artist, died December 1, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas. Born in Fort Worth, Laura came to Rosemary Hall in 1949; she won the Senior Art Prize and was Treasurer of the Chapel Committee. After earning a BFA from the University of Texas, she lived in Japan, where her husband was in the U.S. Navy. They then moved back to Fort Worth, where Laura practiced her art and was a Docent at the Fort Worth Art Museum. She served on the Board of the Fort Worth Opera and was chair of the Scott Theatre Company for the Fort Worth Art Association. She enjoyed sailing and worked to promote youth sailing. She leaves three children. ’52 C

Michael R. O’Connor, 90, a retired lawyer, died December 14, 2025. Born in New Haven, Michael came to Choate in 1949; he lettered in lacrosse, served as Sports Editor of The Choate News and Business Manager of The Literary Magazine, and was a member of the Cum Laude Society. He won a School prize for excellence in Latin. After earning degrees from Yale and the University of Connecticut School of Law, Michael was an attorney for Norwalk (Conn.) Legal Services. He enjoyed reading and playing Trivial Pursuit. He leaves his wife, Maureen O’Connor; five children; and six grandchildren.

’54 RH Ethel Ogden Burwell, 89, a school administrator and volunteer, died July 17, 2026. Born in Atlanta, Ga., Ethel came to Rosemary Hall in 1950; she was Chair of the Dance Committee, Prize Day Marshal, Assistant Head Day

Boarder Marshal, and Captain of the second hockey team. After graduating from Sweet Briar College, she and her husband moved to the Detroit area, where she was active in the Junior League, the Wayne State Metro Teen Conference for Racial Reconciliation, and other organizations. In 1996, she was given the Spirit of Detroit Award. She was also an admission officer for University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. She leaves three children, eight grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and a brother.

’55 C Peter H. Elebash, 89, a developer of resorts, died April 19, 2026, after a fall as a complication of brain cancer. Born in Atlanta, Ga., Peter came to Choate in 1953. He lettered in golf and basketball, earning a School award in the latter sport; was Chair of the Honor Committee; was on the Student Council; was President of the Athletic Association, and played trumpet in the Band and the Golden Blues. After graduating from Yale, where he formed a jazz band called the Yale Bullpups, he served in the Army as a Green Beret. Peter then joined his cousin, the late LeGrand Elebash C 1933, in the real estate business, and later joined a resort development firm in Panama City, Fla. An enthusiastic polo player, he also enjoyed fox hunting and music. He leaves his wife, Jane Elebash; three children, including Palmer Weiss ’89; and five grandchildren. Another cousin, the late Sheren Elebash C 1940, also attended the School.

George E. Villerot Jr., 89, who worked for the Music Corporation of America, died December 24, 2025, in Vero Beach, Fla. Born in Grosse Pointe, Mich., Skip, as he was known, came to Choate in 1951; he lettered in basketball and track and was Sports Editor of The Brief. After graduating from Washington and Lee, he worked with his father in the automotive business before moving to California and joining MCA; among his clients were TV host Johnny Carson and singer Robert Goulet. Skip supported underserved and underachieving students and was an Episcopal Church vestryman.

’56 C George Clyde Buck, 88, an investment banker, died June 21, 2026. Born in Glen Ridge, N.J., Clyde came to Choate in 1952; he lettered in soccer, squash, and tennis, and was in the Altar Guild and the Cum Laude Society. After earning degrees from Williams and Harvard, he was an investment banker in Houston with First National City Bank, Rotan Mosle, Smith Barney, and Rauscher Pierce Refsnes. Clyde also served on several public and private boards: Smith International, Frontier Oil, Gray Tool, Adams Resources, and the Henry S. Miller Realty Trust. Clyde was also on the board of re:MIND of Greater Houston. He enjoyed tennis (winning several local titles) and photography. He leaves his wife, Sharrie Elise Farrar Buck; two children, David Buck ’86 and Susan Strowbridge ’89; five grandchildren; and two brothers.

George Michael Graham Furgueson, 88, a retired engineer, died April 11, 2026. Born in Bayshore, N.Y., Mike, as he was known, came to Choate in 1951. He lettered in lacrosse and football (manager) and was President of the Campus Cops. After graduating from St. Lawrence University, he served in the Navy aboard the USS Grasp, a rescue and salvage ship. He was then an engineer with the Electric Boat Co., a submarine builder, in Groton, Conn., for 36 years. He also worked for Pratt Read Co. in Ivoryton, Conn. Mike was a member of the Essex Elementary School Board of Education and Director of the Lyme Public Hall. He leaves his wife, Sherley Furgueson; three children, including Michael Furgueson ’80; and five grandchildren, including Catherine Furgueson ’11. Robert L. Graham III, 89, a retired Anglican priest, died January 15, 2026, in Ottawa, Canada. Born in New York City, Bob came to Choate in 1952; he was President of the Dramatics Club and earned a School prize for excellence in drama. After graduating from Columbia, he worked as a packaging engineer before moving to Canada to study to become an Anglican priest. Ordained in 1991, Bob served several parishes in New York state. In retirement, he returned to Ottawa, where he served for 10 years as a volunteer priest at Christ Church Cathedral. He leaves his wife, Joan Leadbeater-Graham; two children; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 47

’54 Ethel Ogden Burwell was Chair of the Dance Committee, Prize Day Marshal, Assistant Head Day Boarder Marshal, and Captain of the second hockey team. After graduating from Sweet Briar College, she and her husband moved to the Detroit area, where she was active in the Junior League, the Wayne State Metro Teen Conference for Racial Reconciliation, and other organizations. In 1996, she was given the Spirit of Detroit Award.

’57 C Stanley W. Stillman, 86, a retired publisher, died January 1, 2026, in New York City. Born in New York, Stanley came to Choate in 1953. He was Business Manager of The Literary Magazine, on the staff of The Choate News, and in the Current History Club and the Cum Laude Society. After attending Yale and Harvard Law School, he founded Access Publishing Co., a consultancy and news-intelligence service covering higher-education governance, university policies, and international monetary policy. An avid sailor, Stanley was happiest navigating the coastal waters of Maine. He leaves two children, three grandchildren, a sister, and 11 nieces and nephews, including Elizabeth Bressel ’84. ’58 C Christopher C. Norris, 86, a retired educator, died February 22, 2026. Born in Boston, Chris was at Choate for one year; he lettered in hockey and golf. After graduating from Harvard, he was with the Coast Guard for two years. He then joined Proctor Academy in Andover, N.H., where he was an English teacher, multi-sport coach, and dorm parent; he later served as Associate Head of School. While there, Chris brought the Outward Bound program to Proctor, and he later served on the school’s Board of Trustees. He enjoyed restoring recreational trails. He leaves his wife, Kathleen “Kit” Norris; three children; eight grandchildren; and four other family members. ’60 C Philip R. Farnsworth, 84, an attorney, died April 13, 2026. Born in New Orleans, Phil came to Choate in 1955; he was in St. Andrew’s Cabinet and the Southern Club and was Secretary-Treasurer of the Current History Club. He then earned degrees from Washington & Lee, Tulane, and New York University. During his college years, he interned for U.S. House Majority Leader Hale Boggs of New Orleans. Phil was an attorney for Entergy, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and Capital Cities – ABC, retiring in 1997. He leaves two brothers, including John Farnsworth ’58. Cary Kelly, 84, a retired military officer, died July 13, 2026. Born in Oak Park, Ill., Cary came to Choate in

1956, where he achieved a remarkable record and was described as “loyal and dedicated.” He was captain of the varsity football team, winning two awards in the sport; he also lettered in hockey and lacrosse, served on the Student Council, was President of his sixth form class and the Astronomy Club, won the Aurelian Society Honor Award, and received the School Seal Prize. He then earned degrees from Stanford and the University of Sweden before serving in the U.S. Marine Corps for 33 years. He served in Vietnam, flying F-4 Phantoms and large transport aircraft, retiring as a colonel. Cary and his wife then moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, where he worked for the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office for 18 years and was active in the community as school district trustee and county commissioner for four years. He leaves his wife; two children, Kim and Chris Kelly ’88; five grandchildren; a sister; and two half-siblings.

’61 C Stephen P. Johnson, 82, a coordinator of emergency medical services, died of cancer on November 25, 2025, in Blue Hill, Maine. Born in New Haven, Steve came to Choate in 1958; he was in the Maiyeros and the Altar Guild. After graduating from Colby College in Maine, he spent four years in the Peace Corps in India. For years, Steve was the regional coordinator for emergency medical services across four counties in Maine; he later helped establish similar services in Saudi Arabia. He enjoyed singing, umpiring baseball, and theater; he and his wife were foster parents to 13 children. He leaves his wife, Dede Johnson; four children; and seven grandchildren. A brother, the late Clinton Johnson ’67, also attended Choate. Alfred M. Warden, 82, a photographer, died of cancer on September 2, 2025. Born in Fairfield, Conn., Al came to Choate in 1958; he lettered in track and was a member of the Automobile Club. A Vietnam veteran, he served in the Navy and was part of the team that retrieved the Apollo 11 team after their return to Earth, making the only known photograph of that event. Al also enjoyed woodworking and carpentry. He leaves three children, six grandchildren, and two siblings.

48 IN MEMORIAM

A Vietnam veteran, Alfred M. Warden served in the Navy and was part of the team that retrieved the Apollo 11 team after their return to Earth, making the only known photograph of that event.

’61

’62 RH Margaret Rogers Flynn, 82, active in the community, died June 26, 2026, in Kent, Conn. Born in Odessa, Texas, Molly, as she was known, came to Rosemary Hall in 1959. She was on the Ground Committee and in the Debate Society, Nativity Play, and Drama. She then graduated from Vermont College. In New York City, Molly volunteered at the Corporate Angel Network, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital. She enjoyed gardening, reading, and spending time in Paris. She leaves her husband, John J. Flynn Jr.; two daughters; seven grandchildren; a great-grandson; and two siblings. ’63 C Daniel W. Jones, 81, a retired lawyer, died May 5, 2026. Born in Washington, D.C., Dan came to Choate in 1958. He was in the Cum Laude Society and lettered in crew and wrestling, winning a School prize in the latter sport. After graduating from Yale, Dan began law school at Boston University, but was drafted into the Army and served in Vietnam. He then completed his law degree at Boston University and spent many years practicing law in Exeter, N.H., focusing on real estate and probate work. He served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives and was on town boards in Exeter. Dan and his wife lived on a farm where they raised sheep, pigs, chickens, and geese. He enjoyed rowing and restoring antique cars. Predeceased by his wife, he leaves a brother, two children, and four grandchildren. Robert E. Patterson, 80, a former Massachusetts state planner and later a private equity executive, died February 17, 2026. Born in New York City, Bob came to Choate in 1959; he was Managing Editor of The Choate News, a member of the Cum Laude Society, and won a School prize for excellence in debate. After graduating from Harvard and its Law School, he joined a Boston law firm, then was Deputy Director of the state Office of State Planning. In that capacity, he worked on the plans for Boston’s 1990s “Big Dig” project. Bob later was a founder of Cabot Advisories and other private equity firms. A longtime

trustee of the Joselin Diabetes Center in Boston, he enjoyed world travel and especially sailing in the Mediterranean Sea. He leaves his former wife, Jane Manopoli; two daughters; two grandsons; and four brothers.

’64 C William C. Walker Jr., 80, an executive of technology companies, died March 12, 2026, in Keowee Key, S.C. Born in Bethlehem, Pa., Bill came to Choate in 1960; he lettered in crew, winning a School trophy in the sport; played trombone in the Band and Orchestra; was in the Cum Laude Society; and was Secretary of the Chess Club. After graduating from MIT with a degree in the relatively new area of computer science, he worked for many years for technology firms, including Digital Equipment Corp., Compaq, and Hewlett-Packard. Bill enjoyed fishing and teaching others to fish, gardening, and making pies and jams. He leaves his wife, Caren von Hippel; a son; and a brother, Rod Walker ’66. ’73 C Edwin John Barton, 71, a retired English professor, died on October 27, 2025, in Bakersfield, Calif. Born in Waterbury, Conn., Ed attended Choate for one year; he lettered in wrestling. He then earned degrees from Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, N.H., the University of Toronto, and Vanderbilt. Ed spent 10 years at California State University, Bakersfield, then served as chair of the English Department at Bakersfield College, retiring in 2017. An amateur poet, he authored two books and several other publications. He enjoyed tennis, golf, hiking, and cooking. He leaves his wife, Glenda Barton, and a daughter. ’74 C Hart L. Goodrich, 70, a real estate executive, died March 20, 2026. Born in Houston, Texas, Hart came to Choate in 1972; he later graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. He spent many years working in the oil & gas and real estate industries. He enjoyed reading, music (especially the Grateful Dead), and film. He leaves his wife, Amy Firestone Goodrich ’75; two children; a grandson; and two brothers. Don coached youth hockey and enjoyed playing golf and squash.

’75 C Donald B. Tansill III, 69, a retired securities broker, died April 12, 2026. Born in New York City, Don came to Choate in 1971; he lettered in soccer and hockey, winning two trophies in the latter sport, and was on the Judicial Committee. He then graduated from Brown, where he also played hockey. He was a broker, first with F. Eberstadt & Co. and then with First Manhattan, retiring in 2019. He leaves his wife, Amy Tansill; three children; and two siblings, including Audrey Montalto ’74. ’81 Marcella Martin, 62, died June 5, 2026. Born in New Milford, Conn., Marcella came to Choate Rosemary Hall in 1978; she lettered in archery and was a math tutor. She then attended Salve Regina University in Rhode Island and Western Connecticut State University. A member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, she held many positions within the organization. Marcella also volunteered at many organizations, including Loaves and Fishes and the VFW Auxiliary. She leaves seven siblings. ’00 Daniel Aram Mushegian II, 44, died September 21, 2025. Born in New Rochelle, N.Y., Aram came to Choate Rosemary Hall in 1997; he was Editor of The Choate Press, a biweekly sports paper. He enjoyed technology, building computers from scratch. An expert skier, Aram made several trips to Armenia, both as a tourist and as a volunteer. He leaves his mother, Sara Mushegian, and three siblings. Andrew C. Stewart, 44, an investment banking analyst, died May 1, 2026. Born in New York City, Andrew came to Choate Rosemary Hall in 1998; he lettered in soccer. After earning degrees from Middlebury and Penn’s Wharton School, he was in finance in New York, including roles at Ares Management and Goldman Sachs. Andrew was active in Darien, serving with the town’s volunteer fire department and the Darien Soccer Association. He leaves two children, a brother, and his parents.

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 49

Yassine Benzinane, who taught Arabic and French, was director of the School’s Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies program and Muslim Chaplain, died June 18, 2026, while at prayer in a local mosque. He was 52. Born in Morocco, Yassine earned degrees from Hassan II University in Casablanca, Clark University in Worcester, Mass., and Villanova University in Villanova, Pa. Before coming to Choate in 2021, he taught at the Hill School in Pottstown, Pa. for seven years. After one year at Choate, Charlie Fuentes, head of the School’s Language Department, wrote, “It is impossible not to see the immediate impact Yassine has had on our Language Department. A true linguist, Yassine can be heard teaching

Faculty, Trustees, Staff Richard A. Boucher, who taught summer school at Choate, died March 13, 2026. He was 88. Born in Burlington, Vt., he was a graduate of Wesleyan University. He taught mathematics at Choate for five summers and at other schools and colleges. He leaves a daughter and a granddaughter. Rosalie L. Fountain, who worked for more than 30 years in Choate Rosemary Hall’s Financial Office, died April 9, 2026, in New Haven. She was 88. Born in New Haven, Rosalie lived in Cheshire, Conn. She was active in St. Bridget of Sweden Parish as President of the Ladies Guild and an Eucharistic Minister. Chip Lewis, the School’s Director of Auxiliary Services, remembered: “She was my assistant, and for many years she did the school’s student kiosk/petty cash for folks needing reimbursements. She ran the School’s lost and found and did many other tasks. She assisted with the School Store, mailroom and student activities. In other words, a little bit of everything, and nobody could pull the wool over her eyes!” She leaves her husband, Robert Fountain; three children; seven grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and a brother.

Leslie Allison Hammond, who worked in Choate Rosemary Hall’s Theater Department for three years, died May 23, 2026. She was 47. Born in San Diego, Calif., she graduated from Albertson College of Ohio (now The College of Idaho) and earned her Master of Fine Arts in Theater Technology from Indiana University. From 2006 to 2009, she worked in Choate’s Theater Department, where she oversaw theater productions, set building, lighting, and props. She then worked first at Yale and then at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, Ore. She leaves her spouse, Sonia Ryuts, and two children. Robert Davis McCallum ’64, a Trustee from 1991 to 2001, died April 16, 2025, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 80. Born in Memphis, Tenn., Bob came to Choate in 1961, where he was an important student figure. President of his fifth and sixth form classes, he was the winner of the School Seal Prize and the Aurelian Honor Society Prize, Chair of the Student Council, in the Cum Laude Society, co-captain of varsity basketball, voted by his classmates Most Respected, Done Most for Choate, Most Likely to Succeed, and won the prize for Greatest Contribution to Athletics in

Arabic classes in the morning, talking with colleagues in Spanish and French during passing periods, later teaching our Arabic-in-Translation course for the English Department, capping off the day teaching a high-level French course.” Yassine was incredibly involved with student interests and was faculty adviser to the Muslim Students Association and Middle East and North Africa Club, and a tennis and squash coach. Head of School Alex Curtis said, “Mr. Benzinane was a valued member of our community whose contributions, dedication, and presence touched the lives of students, colleagues, and friends across campus.” He leaves his wife, Shana Benzinane, and two children.

the sixth form. He graduated from Yale, where he was captain of the tennis team. Bob then attended Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship and completed a law degree from Yale. Spending three decades with the Atlanta law firm of Alston, Miller & Gaines, he was nominated by President George W. Bush to be Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice. In 2006, he was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Australia, a post he held until 2009. Bob was a Choate Rosemary Hall Trustee from 1991 to 2001, and Vice Chair of the Board from 1999 to 2001. He was a Director of the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly and was on the Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee. He leaves his wife, Mary “Mimi” McCallum; two sons; three grandsons; and a sister.

Barbara Dobratz Riotte, a clerical assistant in the Alumni Office for 14 years, died May 19, 2026. She was 91. Born in Wallingford, she was a class officer at Lyman Hall High School and worked at International Silver Co. Barbara worked at Choate Rosemary Hall from 1976 to 1990. In retirement, Barbara was Assistant Registrar of Voters for Wallingford. She enjoyed cooking and baking. She leaves five children, 14 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Edward John “Jack” McCarthy, formerly the School’s Director of Facilities, died June 28, 2026. He was 87. Born in Philadelphia, Jack was a licensed engineer with degrees from Villanova and the University of Hartford. He was Director of Facilities at several institutions, including Choate from 1999 to 2001. He leaves three children, nine grandchildren, four greatgrandchildren, and three siblings.

Roberts V. Cram ’64 (Later Roberts Vaux) April 26, 2026

Our sympathy to the friends and family of the following, whose deaths are reported with sorrow: Anne Johnson Stone ’52 January 9, 2026

Richard D. Hausman ’46 October 21, 2025 John L. Radkins ’73 January 5, 2026 Ivan Taback ’85 March 24, 2026

SCOREBOARD | Spring 2026 Athletics Overview

With an overall varsity winning percentage of 66%, the Wild Boars had many reasons to celebrate this spring as they racked up historic regular-season victories, league championships, and individual accolades. Girls Varsity Water Polo led the way, going undefeated and ending the season with their second consecutive New England Championship. Girls Varsity Crew also had a great showing on the New England stage, finishing second overall at the NEIRA Championships, the program’s highest finish in history. In Founders League action, Varsity Softball claimed its fourth title in five years. The Varsity Baseball team also had success on the diamond, earning the program’s first Founders League regular-season title since 1998. Also, both the Boys and Girls Varsity Lacrosse teams qualified for the Founders League playoffs, with the boys defeating nationally ranked Avon Old Farms to advance to the championship game.

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 51

VARSITY BASEBALL Varsity Record: 16-3 Captains: Jeter Andrews ’26, Shaun Flannery ’26, Gianni Vora ’26 Highlights: Earned first Founders League regularseason title since 1998. Consistently ranked as among the top programs in the northeast. Shaun Flannery ’26 named Founders League Player of the Year. BOYS VARSITY CREW Captains: Liam Etienne ’26, Max Garsten ’27 Highlights: A strong season of growth both on the water and in roster size. At NEIRAs, the First Boat came in 9th overall, the Fourth Boat came in 10th, the Second Boat came in 12th, and the team finished in 10th overall. GIRLS VARSITY CREW Captains: Saylen Blake ’26, Erin Kim ’26, Rose Lightfoot ’26 Highlights: The Wild Boars enjoyed an exceptional season, establishing themselves as one of the best programs in New England. At NEIRAs, the First Boat finished 5th overall, the Third Boat won gold, the Second Boat earned silver, and the Fourth Boat also won silver to help Choate finish 2nd place overall. BOYS VARSITY GOLF Varsity Record: 9-7 Captains: Luke Britton ’26, Paul Stearns ’26 Highlights: Finished in 2nd place at the Suffield Invitational Tournament while also finishing 11th at the Independent International Invitational. Defeated Avon Old Farms, Hopkins, and Kingswood-Oxford during the regular season. GIRLS VARSITY GOLF Varsity Record: 12-4-1 Captains: Elizabeth Burgstahler ’26, Rebecca Huang ’27 Highlights: Enjoyed another strong season on the course, defeating Hotchkiss, Miss Porter’s, and Greenwich Academy during the regular season. Finished 4th overall at the Founders League Tournament and 5th overall at the Pippy O’Connor Independent School Girls’ Tournament as well. BOYS VARSITY LACROSSE Varsity Record: 10-5 Captain: Joey Swan ’26 Highlights: Had some of its biggest wins in program history this past spring, including defeating nationally ranked Deerfield at home for the first time since 2005. Also defeated nationally ranked Avon Old Farms in the Founders League semifinals to advance to the championship game.

GIRLS VARSITY LACROSSE Varsity Record: 12-5 Captains: Natalie Beach ’26, Annie Cady ’26, Sofia Fronzi ’26, Natalie Yuh ’26 Highlights: Most wins in a season since 2017. Qualified for the Founders League Tournament as the #2 overall seed. Defeated Exeter for the first time since 2014, as well as earning wins over Hotchkiss, Taft, and Williston Northampton. CO-ED VARSITY SAILING Varsity Record: 5-2 Captains: Brayden Bratti ’27, James Sherriff ’27 Highlights: Claimed the Connecticut League Fleet Championship. Also earned regular-season wins over Salisbury, Williams School, and Branford High School. VARSITY SOFTBALL Varsity Record: 14-2 Captains: Hope Giammatteo ’26, Margot Seiden ’26, Maggie Swanson ’26 Highlights: The Wild Boars had another exceptional season on the softball diamond, claiming the Founders League title for the fourth time in five years while also qualifying for the Western New England Playoffs as the #2 overall seed. Defeated Deerfield, Loomis, and Taft during the regular season. BOYS VARSITY TENNIS Varsity Record: 10-2 Captains: Johnny Guo ’26, Andrew Watcharananan ’26 Highlights: Finished 1st place overall at the Kingswood-Oxford Invitational. Defeated Deerfield, Loomis Chaffee, and Avon Old Farms during the regular season. Individually, Reid Bock ’27 won the singles championship at the NEPSITT, earning NEPSAC Player of the Year honors. GIRLS VARSITY TENNIS Varsity Record: 4-9 Captains: Eloise Streeter ’26, Kaya Weerasuriya ’26 Highlights: Played against top competition the entire spring, earning regular-season wins over Kent, Ethel Walker, Westminster, and Miss Porter’s.

GIRLS VARSITY TRACK & FIELD Varsity Record: 9-4 Captains: Dominique Welcome ’26, Taliah BuckneySmall ’27 Highlights: Had an impressive spring as the Wild Boars almost doubled their win total from the previous season. Defeated Hotchkiss, Greenwich Academy, Miss Porter’s, Westminster, and Hopkins during the regular season. Finished 4th overall at the Founders League Championships and took 8th place overall at the New England Championships. CO-ED VARSITY ULTIMATE Varsity Record: 6-10 Captains: Leah Harder ’26, Alex Zhao ’26 Highlights: Saved best performances for last as the Wild Boars had exceptional showings at the NEPSUL Championships. Earned key wins over Cambridge School of Weston and Xavier High School to finish 6th overall, Choate’s highest finish since 2018. BOYS VARSITY VOLLEYBALL Varsity Record: 6-6 Captains: Ian Cho ’26, Will Garcia ’27 Highlights: Had one of the best seasons in program history, including regular-season wins over Northfield Mt. Hermon, Storm King School, and Wilbraham & Monson Academy. This helped the Wild Boars earn the #3 overall seed for the New England Playoffs. GIRLS VARSITY WATER POLO Varsity Record: 9-0 Captains: Maddy Childs ’26, Emily Scandrett ’26, Chloe Smith ’26 Highlights: Enjoyed a historic, undefeated regular season before defeating Andover and Exeter en route to claiming their second-straight New England Championship title. Maddy Childs ’26 was named MVP of the tournament, while Emily Scandrett ’26 was named Outstanding Goalie for the second-straight year.

BOYS VARSITY TRACK & FIELD Varsity Record: 4-7 Captains: Andrew Fazzone-Chettiar ’26, Kino Liu ’26 Highlights: Earned regular-season wins over Hopkins, Westminster, Trinity-Pawling, and Greenwich Country Day during the regular season, while finishing 5th and 8th overall at the Founders League Championships and the New England Championships, respectively. For more athletic photos, visit: photos.choate.edu

DEERFIELD DAY 2026 is HOME this year! Join us and cheer on our Wild Boars on November 14! GO CHOATE!

Watch On Campus or Online

SCOREBOARD | Spring 2026 Highlights

5 1 Hugh O’Kane ’29, Yoshiki Chitose ’27, Raymond Jones ’28, Gage Weber ’29, and

John Durbin ’28 (coxswain) work together to power through the race course. 2 Back-to-back All-American Bryce Privateer ’26 (#10) works around a defender to

deliver a shot on goal. 3 The Varsity Girls Water Polo team poses with their New England Championship

trophy after defeating Phillips Exeter, 7-2, in the title game. 4 Esiyena Ojior ’29 holds on tight to the baton as she helps Choate’s relay during

a home meet. 5 Tucker Larson ’27 sprints to the finish line as he breaks the school record in the

200-meter race. 6 Andrew Feng ’27 (left) and captain Jamie Sherriff ’27 (right) navigate rough

waters during a race against Xavier High School and Daniel Hand High School. 7 Girls Crew poses with their medals after finishing second overall in team points

at 2026 NEIRA Championships.

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 53

4 7 9 8

1 Chloe Carling ’28 winds up and delivers another strike from the mound. 2 Kaz Kousaka ’27 keeps his eye on the ball as Choate begins a home

match in the WJAC. 3 Co-captain Paul Stearns ’26 tries to land on the green with his shot

from the fairway. 4 Amber Yeung ’27 is laser focused as she gets ready to ace a serve. 5 Co-captain Rebecca Huang ’27 drives the ball from the tee box as she

begins her round. 6 Co-captain Alex Zhao ’26 surveys down the field to find an

open teammate. 7 Nate Kesselmark ’27 was named Founders League Underclass Pitcher

of the Year after a dominant season. 8 Johnny Guo ’26 (left) and Andrew Watcharananan ’26 (right) celebrate

winning a set during their home doubles match. 9 Chase Powers ’28 sprints into the open field during a home game.

BOOKSHELF

This issue features three reviews spanning family, loss, and the fragile bonds that hold people together under pressure, whether during a fractured weekend upstate, an international mystery, or a mountain retreat. Together, these works remind us that clarity rarely comes easily. Rather, it is earned through vulnerability and trust.

Go Gentle By Maria Semple ’82 | Reviewed by Cole Depuy

GO GENTLE Author: Maria Semple ’82 Publisher: Random House Large Print About the Reviewer: Cole Depuy is an Advancement Program Coordinator at Choate Rosemary Hall.

Few novels have a main character as memorable as Adora Hazard, the middle-aged divorcee and heroine of Go Gentle. She is witty, shameless, endlessly selfaware, incredibly funny, and, for me, the main reason to read this excellent book. Her rebellion is subtle rather than revolutionary and countercultural, mainly within the confines of an Upper West Side life. For example, while pitching the practical brilliance of splitting groceries with another woman so neither has to buy an entire stalk of celery, she has an almost religious epiphany and declares the idea “divine and spinsterish.” As an offhand line, it captures her enthusiasm perfectly. While Go Gentle is ostensibly an international mystery, complete with misdirection and twists, the plot ended up being, in my opinion, mostly a stage for the novel’s real strength: its characters. The dialogue is sharp, the relationships feel authentic, every character is uniquely alluring, and the quieter moments consistently outshine the larger conspiracy. At its heart is the relationship between Adora and her 15-year-old daughter, Viv. Their conversations capture the rhythm of adolescence and parenthood with admirable realism and contemporariness. They irritate, misunderstand, and deeply love each other, sometimes within the span of a single back and forth. Viv is perceptive and wonderfully teenage in her passions and social cues. Adora is wise and judgmental, while semi-blind to some of her own contradictions. Their chemistry is so endearing and carries the novel.

Fascinatingly, Adora is also a scholar of Stoic philosophy, and quotations from Socrates, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and other classical thinkers are woven naturally throughout the story. Rather than feeling academic or plugged in, these philosophers become characters themselves, interjecting into Adora’s stream of consciousness through moments of triumph and calamity. The novel offers serious and tongue-in-cheek philosophical insights and never takes itself too seriously; importantly, it comes alive in the places where life’s messiness refuses to cooperate with neat Stoic ideals. People who enjoy an easy read with a healthy helping of philosophy will find plenty to like here. Add in a layered and passionate love story, a genuinely funny cast of characters, and one of the most memorable mother-daughter relationships I’ve read in a while, and Go Gentle becomes an easy recommendation. I finished the book caring far more about spending a little more time with Adora and Viv than about solving the mystery.

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 55

St. Ivo By Joanna Hershon ’90 | Reviewed by D. Gam Bepko “Here was the thing she couldn’t get used to: she had only one story now. It was obvious to everyone who knew her.” Grief has a way of permeating the everyday minutiae — a familiar scent or song that brings you to tears, a silhouette that suddenly changes into something foreign upon closer scrutiny. The void a person leaves behind can feel like a black hole, one that can hypnotize you if you stare into it long enough, tempting you to be enveloped in a numbing comfort. St. Ivo, a slim novel by Joanna Hershon ’90, focuses on a weekend in the life of Sarah, a Brooklyn filmmaker struggling with grief over her missing daughter, Leda. Her career has stalled due to the lack of a new screenplay, and after a frustrating lunch with her agent, she encounters a stranger with a message on the subway. Later that day, while out with her husband Matthew, they get mugged. Without her cell phone, she fears she’s lost the only way Leda can reach out to her. Despite this, she is determined that they keep their plans to go upstate for the weekend, where their long-lost friends Kiki and Arman have moved, along with their new baby, Sylvie.

From the moment they arrive, things seem awkward at best. Matthew and Sarah are not the only guests, and Arman is away. Tensions are high, and lies are tossed around almost casually. As the weekend progresses, a trip to a nearby lake brings an unexpected confrontation with a stranger that may or may not have disastrous consequences. By the end of the weekend, tensions and trauma have reached a boiling point, along with the question of whether these relationships can be saved. Clocking in at 211 pages, St. Ivo is a quick and devastating read about loss, trauma, reconnection, and how people handle them.

ST. IVO Author: Joanna Hershon ’90 Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux About the Reviewer: D. Gam Bepko works in the Financial Office at Choate Rosemary Hall.

Discuss St. Ivo by Joanna Hershon ’90 with the Wild Boar Book Club Tuesday, October 6, 2026 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. EST on Microsoft Teams Register today!

56 BOOKSHELF

Warning Signs By Tracy Sierra ’99 | Reviewed by Nicole Brothers

WARNING SIGNS Author: Tracy Sierra ’99 Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books About the Reviewer: Nicole Brothers is a Teaching and Resource Librarian at Choate Rosemary Hall.

Tracy Sierra, author of Nightwatching, makes bold choices in her second novel, Warning Signs. The new novel is an adult psychological thriller as told through the eyes of a jittery 12-year-old boy named Zach, who is on a weekend getaway with his father, and more importantly, his father’s affluent investors. The skittish young narrator doesn’t quite grasp the nuanced adult conversations and scheming going on around him on this ski trip to a covert location in the remote Colorado mountains. Despite Zach’s naïve misunderstanding of what the adults on this trip say, he can see right through their talk and easily identify what they desire — money, respect, women, and danger. Each of these powerful forces could drive any of these acutely ambitious men of consequence to desperate measures. Zach’s perception is wellearned; it comes from his now-absent mother, who taught him not just how to survive in the mountains, but also to respect nature at all costs and never to underestimate what it is capable of. After a series of increasingly eerie occurrences, Zach senses the party is in danger, but his meek efforts to speak up against these bold men leave him powerless to warn them. All he can do is use his deep-rooted survival skills to keep himself alive. For all his concerns and awareness, even he cannot predict what sinister secrets and dangers lie buried just below the surface of the snow.

Tracy Sierra capitalizes on her personal experience living in the Rocky Mountains to great effect, creating a shockingly realistic environmental backdrop as readers find themselves ensnared atop the mountainside with the rest of the party. Sierra excels in depicting nail-biting, unexpected encounters. At no point while reading this book does the reader know what is going to happen next. In Warning Signs, she crafts haunted, inadequate main characters who do not trust their own judgment, leaving the reader doubting them, too. It is easy to sympathize with Zach as he constantly makes himself small for his endlessly unsatisfied father, but it’s also natural to be frustrated with him. He is afraid of everything, full of fear and doubt, being judged by others and himself, and found wanting. But Zach’s story isn’t just of survival; it’s about learning to trust yourself even when the odds are against you. Warning Signs offers an achingly slow reveal of the characters’ nature and what they are truly capable of. I strongly recommend this work to anyone who enjoys a good thriller or wants a deeper investigation of humanity’s darkest impulses. Its piercing look at family obligation will make you question who deserves loyalty as the story keeps you guessing what lies beyond the next ridge.

BULLETIN | FALL 2026 57

NALU: HISTORY, LEGENDS, AND WISDOM FROM 1,000 YEARS OF HAWAIIAN SURFING Author: Ian Lendler ’92 Publisher: Clarkson Potter Available: August 4, 2026

EAT WITH AFIA Author: Afia Amoako ’14 Publisher: Avery Available: August 18, 2026

THE FARTHER SHORE Author: Seth Fleisher ’89 Publisher: Green City Books Available: October 20, 2026

Offering a wide selection of quality gear, the Choate Store makes it easy to be “ever true to gold and blue.”

www.choatestore.com

END NOTE |

A Career Measured in More Than Wins

This was the first time in 50 years that I wasn’t officially on a school sports team. There was no preseason, no team planning, no countdown to the New Haven Road Race — or really, any race at all. I was cheering from the sidelines instead of coaching, and it was both surprisingly freeing and emotional. Looking back, my love for sports didn’t start with strategy, or drills, or championships; it started with simple joy. In elementary school, my favorite things were gym, recess, and lunch, in that order. By junior high, being on a team felt like heaven. Fall, winter, and spring were defined by practice, games, and friendship. Sports shaped not just my body, but my outlook on life. I was lucky to have amazing role models along the way. One of my college coaches brought women’s sports to Dartmouth and encouraged me — someone who had never played lacrosse — to try a new sport with positivity, patience, and confidence. Her example taught me that the right coach can change your life. Those lessons — belief, encouragement, joy in effort — became the foundation for everything I tried to do as a coach. I started coaching at Choate in 1984 with zero clue about what I was doing. I made up drills as I went along, borrowed ideas from other teams, and yes, I introduced the Cracker Jack Award, which I gave out every field hockey and lacrosse season I coached. Over time, my approach evolved. Winning was exciting, but developing the whole athlete — physically, mentally, and emotionally — was always more important. Coaching is challenging. Every player comes with different strengths, needs, and personalities. Building a team is about more than filling positions on a field — it’s about building trust, commitment, and shared purpose. I wanted the players to leave the field confident — not just as athletes, but as capable, independent women. We worked hard, we played hard, we laughed a lot, and sometimes, we even lay down on the field, looked at the colors of the leaves, and had Fall Appreciation Day. Because fun isn’t a bonus — it’s essential. I have so many memories — halftime talks that somehow inspired greatness, strategies that completely backfired, and countless moments when players exceeded my expectations. The payback is seeing those athletes grow, return, and tell stories of confidence, courage, and joy that still resonate decades later: the reason coaching was the greatest joy of my career. After all of those years, I found myself being inducted into the School’s Athletics Hall of Fame, a deeply gratifying and humbling experience. But it’s not about me alone. It’s about every player who showed up, gave her best, learned, and grew. It’s about the colleagues who supported me, the mentors who guided me, and the legacy of Choate athletics that inspired me every day. To anyone reading, I implore you to cherish your teams, coaches, athletes, and every lesson learned along the way — because the victories, the challenges, the laughs, the lessons, and yes, even the Cracker Jacks. They don’t just make a day or a season — they make a lifetime.

BY Fran O’Donoghue Fran O’Donoghue served as a dedicated faculty member at Choate, teaching chemistry and physics from 1984 to 2026. Beyond the classroom, she coached a combined 70 seasons over four decades. In 2025, she received the prestigious M.D. Nadal Sportsmanship Award in lacrosse, field hockey, and cross country. Presented annually by the Founders League, the honor is bestowed upon a coach who exemplifies the proclamation of “play by the rules, accept victory or defeat graciously, respect all who assemble and participate.” In May, Fran was inducted into the Choate Rosemary Hall Athletics Hall of Fame.

2025 - 2026

TOGETHER, WE MAKE IT POSSIBLE Every year, thousands of alumni, parents, and friends invest in Choate’s mission. Gifts of every size come together to strengthen the School’s academic program, enrich student life, and support the people and opportunities that make a Choate education exceptional.

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*This represents a 14% increase in the number of donors.

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Annual Fund Designations: 1. Financial Aid 2. Athletics 3. Academics

$250 Median Gift Size

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Contributed through the Annual Fund

161 First time donors

A new school year is underway, and the campus is alive with possibility. Why wait? Make your 2026-27 Annual Fund gift today! choate.edu/donate

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Learning doesn’t stop when the spring term ends. Instead, it opens the door to new creative possibilities. Through the Young Artist Program, students in kindergarten through seventh grade write scripts, choreograph dances, compose music, and create original works of art.

As part of our commitment to environmentally sustainable practices, the Choate Rosemary Hall Bulletin is printed using UV inks that emit zero volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions. Printing utilized a combination of solar, windpower, and hydrogen fuel cell for 100% renewable power energy.