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SUMMER 2026 THE MAGAZINE OF THE PHILLIPS ACADEMY & ABBOT ACADEMY COMMUNITY

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Samuel Phillips Hall LEGO model by Xavier Moran ’26 and Lucy Heyd ’26

Up First Paul Manship's Venus Anadyomene (Venus Rising from the Sea) has greeted visitors in the rotunda of the Addison Gallery of American Art since 1931. Commissioned by museum founder Thomas Cochran, Class of 1890, the fountain was refurbished in 2009, reviving its flowing water feature and preserving one of the Addison’s signature works of art for future generations. In June, the rotunda was dedicated in memory of Jason Sloan Tyler ’01. Read more at andover.edu/news PHOTO BY HENRY MARTE

From the Head of School

ALWAYS CURIOUS AND CONTRIBUTING

write just weeks after Commencement and Reunion Weekend, two hallmark events that celebrate new beginnings and nurture lifelong connections. While both enliven the campus, there is another lesser-known tradition that deserves recognition for its role in creating community. The annual Volunteer Summit, held each fall, connects alumni who serve in myriad roles—and for whom non sibi could be a verb. They act not for self but in service to Andover. They come to campus, curious and motivated, eager to understand the Academy’s priorities, to workshop ideas, and to engage in campus life. All so they can better serve fellow alumni and their alma mater. We rely on alumni—more than 1,000—to serve as class agents, class secretaries, and alumni admission representatives. But that’s just a fraction of the full roster. Alumni are also generous with their knowledge and expertise. In fact, a popular AllSchool Meeting features Andover Alumni Award of Distinction honorees sharing their life experiences and unique career paths. Conversations that start in the chapel often extend to lunch and connect to classroom learning. “Volunteer” is much more than a title. The role is central to the operation of our school. From the board of trustees to Alumni Council and philanthropic advisory committees, volunteers serve as extensions of the Academy—strengthening

a global network that always responds when a fellow alum or former teacher reaches out. I also have the pleasure of seeing these efforts extend far beyond campus—at regional events, industry roundtables, and intellectual exchanges like the Future of the Endowment Conference. Volunteers play key roles in bringing our community together “off the Hill.” I was inspired to highlight volunteers after reading this issue’s feature story chronicling class secretaries. With more than 180 scribes and over 60 pages of Class Notes in each magazine, it got me thinking about the vastness of our volunteer network, and how crucial it is to fulfilling Andover’s mission. Class secretaries—all Andover volunteers— model a desire to give back; they activate non sibi with passion and purpose. As one class secretary put it, “We’re still curious, still contributing, and still finding ways to lift others up.”

Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, ’27 Head of School

Andover magazine reinforces the special connection alumni have with Phillips Academy and Abbot Academy. Through thought-provoking stories, contemporary design, and inspiring profiles of alumni, students, and faculty, we aim to highlight the school’s enduring values, recognize our unique history, and celebrate the rich diversity of our community. CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

CLASS NOTES EDITOR

EDITOR

CONTRIBUTORS

Tracy M. Sweet Allyson Irish

MANAGING EDITOR

Rita Savard DESIGN

Harshetha Girish Stephanie Testa

Katie Fiermonti

Jill Clerkin Neil Evans Nancy Hitchcock Henry Marte Gil Talbot Bethany Versoy Jessie Wallner Tory Wesnofske

Andover, the magazine of the Phillips Academy and Abbot Academy community, is published four times per year. It is produced by the Office of Communication at Phillips Academy, 180 Main Street, Andover, MA 01810. Main PA phone: 978-749-4000 Changes of address and death notices: alumni-records@andover.edu Phillips Academy website: www.andover.edu Andover magazine phone: 978-749-4677 Email: magazine@andover.edu Postmasters: Send address changes to Phillips Academy 180 Main Street Andover MA 01810 ISSN-0735-5718

EDITOR’S NOTE What Andover graduate isn’t enamored of the iconic Samuel Phillips Hall? The classic Georgian Revival building opened in 1924 and has welcomed tens of thousands of students and faculty through its dramatic front entranceway over the past 100 years. Now, thanks to two ingenious recent grads—Lucy Heyd ’26 and Xavier Moran ’26—you can get an up-close-and-personal look at the 35,000-square-foot building. In LEGO form! Read more on page 8. This fun end-of-summer issue of Andover magazine is chock-full of news and stories to make you smile as you remember your time on campus, whether that was 40 years or just a few months ago at Reunion. Peruse “Lights, Camera, Andover!” on page 16 to discover which famous actors have been identified as alumni and/or used the campus as a backdrop for movies and TV. We’ve also included pages to share the special moments from Reunion Weekend 2026 (see page 24). Up for a challenge? Try our Andover crossword puzzle on the inside back cover. To answer the questions, you’ll have to read most of the stories in this issue. And the first three readers to email their correct answers to magazine@andover.edu will win an embroidered Andover tote, just like the one below! So, relax, put your feet up, and enjoy this issue.

“Great stories survive not because they remain frozen in time, but because each generation discovers how to make them its own.” NATALYA BALDYGA P’29 PAGE 13

“Even the most familiar places can continue to spark curiosity, creativity, and wonder.” XAVIER MORAN ’26 PAGE 8

© 2026 Phillips Academy, Andover, MA All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

ANDOVER | SUMMER 2026

Allyson Irish Editor magazine@andover.edu @andovermagazine

EWA STUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK

SUMMER 2026

Volume 119, Number 4

JESSIE WALLNER

ALL SCHOOL

DEPARTMENTS

6 Buzz

1 Head of School

8 5 Things About

96 End Note

FEATURES

16 Lights, Camera, Andover! PA’s campus has been the backdrop for films, TV shows, and famous fictional alumni.

14 Bookshelf

18 Life, Noted

CLASS NOTES 28 Class Notes 85 Alumni Bulletin Board 86 Photo Gallery 90 In Memoriam

Long-serving class secretaries keep generations of alumni connected.

24 Reunion Weekend 2026 For 1s and 6s, there's no place like home.

ON THE COVER TORY WESNOFSKI

Photo of LEGO Sam Phil by Jessie Wallner Story on page 8

All School

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Eyes Up From the Phillips Academy Observatory atop the Gelb Science Center, physics and astronomy instructor José Manuel Zorrilla Matilla gives students a front-row seat to the universe. By day, the observatory’s telescope offers outstanding views of the sun; by night, it opens a window into the cosmos. PHOTO BY JESSIE WALLNER

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Known for his positive, collaborative approach, James F. Ventre ’79, currently assistant head of school for admission and financial aid, has been chosen as the Academy’s 17th head of school. The unanimous decision was shared by the Board of Trustees this summer; Ventre will begin his tenure on July 1, 2027. “Jim’s appointment comes at a crucial moment in Andover’s history,” said Eric Zinterhofer ’89, P’18, ’19, trustee president and chair of the search committee. “Approaching the school’s 250th anniversary, Jim will have the opportunity to reimagine and shape an even stronger legacy of excellence across teaching and learning.” Ventre is one of the longest-serving leaders at the Academy and a seasoned expert among independent school leaders. He joined the Phillips Academy faculty as a teaching fellow in English and later became an admission officer until 1986. After a brief time on Wall Street, he was appointed director of financial aid at Andover in 1990. In 2013 he became dean of admission, and in 2018 he was named assistant head of school for admission and financial aid. From 2019 to 2020, Ventre served as interim head of school. the

GIL TALBOT

NEW HEAD OF SCHOOL

“Andover has shaped my life profoundly. I feel humbled and energized by the opportunity to advance our mission and engage with all who believe in the power of an Andover education.” —JAMES F. VENTRE ’79

“I am honored by the trust placed in me and the opportunity to advance Andover’s mission alongside Eric Zinterhofer, the entire Board of Trustees, and my dedicated colleagues. Our work matters deeply and will require a non sibi spirit in service to students and to one another,” said Ventre, who will continue to work closely with Head of

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Who knew the Class of 1956 could be so cool? Oscar Tang ’56 served as an executive producer on Laufey’s latest video for “Madwoman.” The highly stylized video features Heated Rivalry star Hudson Williams, Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu, KATSEYE member Megan Skiendiel, and Lola Tung, star of The Summer I Turned Pretty.

School Raynard Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, ’27, to advance key institutional priorities and to ensure a smooth transition over the coming year. In the announcement, Ventre shared that he is especially proud of his work stewarding Andover’s need-blind admission policy, which was adopted in 2008. Among his many roles at the Academy, Ventre has served as an advisor, coach, and house counselor. He has worked closely with advancement leadership and trustees to help secure close to $200 million in financial aid for Andover students over two fundraising campaigns, and he has advised numerous professional boards related to admission and financial aid. Ventre is a native of Methuen, Massachusetts, and a graduate of Dartmouth College. He lives on campus with his wife, Kristen, their grown children Elaina and James, and their dog, Ralphie.

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Artist Carroll Dunham ’67 recently exhibited a major 50-year retrospective at the Art Institute of Chicago. Carroll Dunham: Drawings, 1974–2024 featured more than 200 works.

Three cheers for faculty emeriti Nat Smith P’81, ’86, ’91, ’94, and Cilla Bonney-Smith P’81, ’86, ’91, ’94! Both were honored for outstanding volunteer service in Greensboro, Vermont, where their many non sibi contributions include civic leadership, church service, organizing local events, and leading walking groups.

DAVID FRICKE

SPRING REIGN: THREE TEAMS, ZERO LOSSES Girls’ tennis, track and field, and softball all finished undefeated while capturing consecutive spring championships. “What it takes to achieve the level of success these programs are celebrating is truly exceptional,” said Director of Athletics Lisa Joel. “Their commitment to their sport—and equally to one another’s success, in the truest spirit of non sibi—is what enables these teams to raise championship trophies.” Andover also dominated the spring rivalry with Exeter, capping the season with an impressive A-E Weekend in which Big Blue won eight of nine contests.

MULTIMEDIA HONORS Andover Insider, a new video series focused on classroom teaching and learning, recently received two Telly awards and a Communicator Award from The Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts. Each competition received more than 10,000 entries globally, with winners representing some of the most respected advertising agencies, television stations, production companies, and publishers. Also this summer, Andover magazine received a 2026 Circle of Excellence Award for Best Alumni/ G eneral Interest Magazine, Independent and International

Schools from the Council for Advancement and Support in Education. A total of 4,185 entries were submitted representing 33 countries.

Scan here to watch the video series.

All School Xavier Moran ’26 and Lucy Heyd ’26 spent the past year re-creating one of Andover’s most iconic campus buildings with LEGO bricks. Measuring about 7 feet long, 2.5 feet tall, and a foot wide, their model of Samuel Phillips Hall, which will be on display in George Washington Hall, includes a few surprises—and plenty of student ingenuity.

The idea began across the Atlantic. While visiting the National Library of Ireland in Dublin, which holds the world’s largest collection of W.B. Yeats manuscripts, Moran spotted a LEGO model of the historic building. Back on campus, he teamed up with Heyd, and they set out to build their own Sam Phil replica.

5 THINGS ABOUT LEGO SAM PHIL

3 Every detail tells a story. Peer through the windows of the building’s right wing and you’ll spot students studying, taking tests, and a teacher at a desk. Moran’s favorite feature? The intricate clock tower—the most elaborate part of the entire build. “We wanted the model to feel alive,” he says.

Building from scratch was a treasure hunt. Moran and Heyd could not simply order a giant LEGO kit— because one didn’t exist. With the help of a $4,200 Abbot Academy Grant, the pair sourced 22,000 individual bricks from 12 countries.

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Xavier Moran ’26

Engineering was the real challenge. The students spent three months creating the digital design and another nine months constructing the physical model. Once construction began, weight, tension, and gravity introduced problems no computer model could predict, demanding careful problem-solving, repeated revisions, and patience.

5 It’s meant to inspire a second look. The LEGO model is designed to encourage others to see Andover’s campus with fresh eyes. “We hope the model reminds you that even the most familiar places can continue to spark curiosity, creativity, and wonder,” Moran says.

Dr. Ruben J. Alvero ’76

Christine Okike ’01

NEW TRUSTEES APPOINTED Congratulations to Dr. Ruben J. Alvero ’76 and Christine Okike ’01, both selected to serve four-year terms as alumni trustees beginning July 1. Renowned for his work in reproductive health, Alvero retired from full-time clinical practice in 2024. He is a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford Medical School and former division director of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Alvero served as division director for infertility services at the National Naval Medical Center and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. During 27 years of military service, he rose to the rank of colonel and was deployed to regions across the United States and abroad. His honors include the U.S. Army Meritorious Service Medal with four bronze oak

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leaf clusters. A founding member of the Center for Surgical Innovation, Alvero has earned numerous accolades for teaching, including three national faculty awards for excellence. Alvero’s volunteer leadership at Andover includes serving on the Alumni Council Executive Committee, his Reunion Planning Committee, and as a class secretary. He holds degrees from Harvard University and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences as well as an honorary degree from Brown University. Alvero lives in Sacramento, Calif., with his wife, Karen. They have three grown children. Okike is an attorney practicing corporate restructuring law in New York City. She is a partner at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Embracing the non sibi spirit, Okike maintains a robust

pro bono practice, representing immigrants and survivors of human trafficking, sexual abuse, and other crimes to ensure they have equal access to justice. Her board service has included Lawyers Alliance for New York, Legal Outreach, and Her Justice, and she has volunteered as a teacher in the New York City Public School System. While at Andover, Okike was a Blue Key and a three-sport athlete, playing varsity basketball, volleyball, and tennis. Since graduating, she has remained deeply engaged with PA as a member of the Andover Women’s Endeavor, the Bulfinch Loyalty Society, and the Non Sibi Circle, and has served as a class agent and a member of her 25th Reunion Planning Committee. Okike has also been involved with alumni programs such as Opening Blue Channels and Blue Runs Deep, both of which have kept her connected with current students interested in careers in law. Okike graduated from Brown University with degrees in political science and Spanish and has a JD from Columbia University. She lives in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., with her husband, Jeff, and their son, Lion.

BU Z Z Big Blue or Big Red? Andover’s 15th head of school, John Palfrey P’21 (a 1990 Exeter graduate), had a serendipitous meeting at the airport with new Exeter principal, former colleague, and good friend Jenny Karlen Elliott ’94, P’22, ’24, ’26.

Focusing on what he calls “third stream”—a blend of classical music and jazz— Gerry Bryant ’72 has released his 16th album, A World of Happiness.

Andover has two alumni in the reality TV world this year. Nick Barber ’03 appears on Bravo’s In the City, and James Lim ’12— a Survivor season 36 alum—will join the fifth season of Traitors: New Blood, set to air this fall.

All School

The 2026 Tang summer workshop fellows: Back row, from left, are leadership consultant Deb Hanmer, Sarah Driscoll, Joel Jacob, Brad Seymor, Carmen Muñoz-Fernández, and Tang interim director Eric Roland. Front row: Claire Gallou, Kate Lewellen, Camille Torres Hoven, Aviva Halani, Aly Blakeney, Clara Isaza Bishop, and Tessa Hite (not pictured).

TANG FELLOWS PUT IDEAS IN MOTION The Tang Institute Faculty Fellowship is back with a refreshed approach that gives Phillips Academy instructors something every educator needs more of—time to innovate. This summer, fellows spent up to five weeks transforming promising ideas into classroom-ready projects, which will continue to be developed throughout the school year with regular feedback from colleagues and mentors. The 2026 fellowship follows a comprehensive review of the Tang Institute’s first decade. After pausing in 2024 to assess and strengthen the program,

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The future looks bright for recent graduates Ethan Liu ’26 and Shixun Song ’26, winners of the 15th Annual Fidelity Investments Young Artists Competition. The pair were among only four young musicians selected to perform with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall in June.

The revised format also brings fellows together for a shared period of focused work, creating space for projects to develop alongside one another. Having participated in a Tang Fellowship nearly a decade ago, Joel Jacob, chair of mathematics, statistics, and computer science, says the new model is “ideal.” “We’re sitting around the table, talking through ideas and learning from each other,” says Jacob, whose project is focused on developing a curriculum and designing a summer seminar in mathematics and democracy. “Those

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This spring’s Board of Trustees meeting included recognition of five remarkable women leaders: retiring charter trustees Tamara Elliott Rogers ’70, Tristin Batchelder Mannion ’82, P’19, and Board President Amy Falls ’82, P’19, ’21, and alumni trustees Aisha Jorge Massengill ’88 and Loyce LaShawndra Pace ’95, who completed their four-year terms in June.

SAMANTA IORIATTI

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organizers shifted from reducing teaching loads during the academic year to providing dedicated summertime space for deep work, collaboration, and experimentation. “We received a lot of helpful feedback from previous fellows that informed the current program,” explains Eric Roland, interim Currie Family Director of the Tang Institute. “The summer opportunity provided unencumbered time to focus on project work, and we’re excited to see these ideas grow into action that will benefit both students and teachers.”

Faculty members Aly Blakeney and Anna Van Voorhis explore big ideas at the Tang.

conversations and brainstorms have been invaluable.” Throughout the summer, faculty also learned from visiting experts in assessment, artificial intelligence, systems thinking, and project design while joining conversations with Academy leaders and fellow educators. Launched in 2014, the Tang Institute builds on Andover’s long-standing commitment to educational innovation. Past fellows have explored projects ranging from the science of learning to digital

HENRY MARTE

2026–2027 TANG FELLOWSHIP PROJECTS INCLUDE:

teaching resources and strategies for creating more inclusive classrooms. “The fellowship is an extension of the Academy’s mission to create meaningful support structures for students that build skills and confidence, and help them get where they need to go,” Jacob adds. “We’re building out ideas that we hope will have an impact long after the summer ends.”

Project Rootbound Students use systems thinking to assess the interrelationship of their choices in academics, social life, and beyond. Peer Language Connections Utilizing the many multilingual members of the PA community, students will learn from one another in various spaces both in and out of the classroom. AI Literacy Led by faculty in the history department and the Oliver Wendell Holmes Library, this project will help students understand how to evaluate AI tools for their studies and daily life.

THE BIG ASK

Inspired by the classic ’90s rom-com 10 Things I Hate About You, Philip Meng ’26 grabbed a PA system, enlisted a backing band, and serenaded Sophie Liang ’26 with Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” in a promposal that left students and faculty—and @andovermagazine on Instagram—smiling. 11

PHOTOS BY GIL TALBOT

All School

CELEBRATING ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE Alumni inducted into the 2026 Andover Athletics Hall of Honor were celebrated during Reunion Weekend. Honorees included tennis player Ousmane Diop ’90; varsity softball coach and faculty emeritus Peter Drench P’90, ’95; Olympic cyclist Kristen Faulkner ’11; track star Merzudin “Zoom” Ibric ’06; rower and lacrosse player Navy SEAL Lt. Cmdr. Erik Kristensen ’91 (posthumously); and equestrian endurance rider Julie Weston Suhr ’42, P’65. Now in its 18th year, the Alumni Council Athletics Committee annually selects a group of athletes who have distinguished themselves through achievement, teamwork, and character.

Read more about these phenomenal athletes at andover.edu/alumni.

Top, from left: Peter Drench; Sara Faulkner ’79, P’06, ’07, ’09, ’11, ’16, accepting on behalf of daughter Kristen ’11; Merzudin Ibric ’06; U.S. Navy Rear Adm. (ret.) Edward Kristensen accepting on behalf of his son Erik; and, at the podium, Eric Diop accepting on behalf of his father, Ousmane. Clockwise: Erik Kristensen ’91's parents, Edward and Suzanne Kristensen; Merzudin Ibric greets an old friend; alumni and faculty gather to congratulate Peter Drench.

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A STORY FOR THE AGES

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—NATALYA BALDYGA P’29

COURTESY PHOTO

What does it take for a 300-year-old story to continue making audiences laugh? According to Phillips Academy history and theatre instructor Natalya Baldyga P’29, the answer is simple: let it evolve to meet the moment. In April, students at the American School of The Hague in The Netherlands performed Baldyga’s adaptation of The King Stag, an 18th-century Italian fantasy filled with sorcery, mistaken identities, and magical mayhem. The Hague’s theatre director Katrina Middleburg chose Baldyga’s reimagining of Carlo Gozzi’s 1762 play for its blend of improvisation, physical comedy, and slapstick that gives student actors an engaging way to explore comic performance. “The stories that endure are the ones that are adaptable,” Baldyga says. “Everyone has always made Shakespeare their own, with Shakespeare himself borrowing freely from earlier tales—and generations after him reshaping his plays to reflect changing audiences. We haven't really had Shakespeare since there was Shakespeare.”

“You are experiencing a unique phenomenon in a moment of togetherness with strangers.”

Students from the American School of The Hague in The Netherlands perform Natalya Baldyga's adaptation of The King Stag.

In reimagining the play, Baldyga expands the agency of female characters, updates the comedy, and replaces the original ending with one centered on collective action, civic responsibility, and a call to stand together against tyranny—changes inspired in part by conversations with students and shaped to meet the current cultural moment.

That message landed in The Hague, which serves students from pre-K through grade 12, where high school actors praised the play’s relevance, adding that “it has jokes for every age group.” Watching an audience of elementary school students respond to actors’ prompts and questions—laughing, leaning in, believing—reminded Baldyga of what live theatre does that no other medium can. “Every performance is different,” she says. “You are experiencing a unique phenomenon in a moment of togetherness with strangers—laughing and crying together. In an age of streaming and scrolling, that’s part of the magic. Great stories survive not because they remain frozen in time, but because each generation discovers how to make them its own.”

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For the second time, golfer Evan Harmeling ’07 has won the Massachusetts Open Championship. Harmeling, who also won in 2013, is one of only 17 golfers to have captured multiple titles in the championship, which began in 1905.

A three-year veteran of The New York Times, Paul Sonne ’03 was promoted to Moscow bureau chief in April. In announcing his new role, the newspaper described him as “a critical member of the award-winning team of journalists who have been fearlessly and incisively reporting on the war [in Ukraine].”

Nate Flagg ’07, an adjunct assistant professor at the Pratt Institute in New York City, was selected as a 2026–2027 Roswell Artist-inResidence in Roswell, New Mexico. The program is one of the country’s most prestigious year-long programs for visual artists.

All School KEVIN OLUSOLA ’06: ‘TRUST THE GIFT’ BY NANCY HITCHCOCK

hen Grammy Award– winner Kevin Olusola returned to Phillips Academy this past spring, he shared the message at the heart of his new book. “You’re an original, and you have been gifted your uniqueness to change the world around you,” Olusola told students during AllSchool Meeting in May. It’s a lesson Olusola wishes he had fully understood sooner—that even extraordinary success doesn’t automatically bring fulfillment. After Olusola joined Pentatonix shortly after graduating from Yale, the group became an international phenomenon. Over the past 15 years, Pentatonix has released 12 studio albums, toured the world, won three Grammy Awards,

and become the first a cappella ensemble to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “An a cappella group going mainstream is unheard of,” Olusola says, “but we were touring six to seven months out of the year and putting out one or two albums every year.” Yet despite the meteoric rise, something was missing. “I want people to realize that to honor their calling, they need to figure out who they are,” he says. That idea became the foundation for Designed to Succeed: A Faith-Driven Blueprint to Building the Life You Were Created to Live, co-written with Donovan Dee Donnell and Mark Tabb. Rather than offering another formula for achievement, the book encourages

World-renowned musician Kevin Olusola performed a concert for a full Cochran Chapel audience, thanks to The Bernard and Mildred Kayden Fund and William Thomas Visiting Artist Fund.

LISA CZECH

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readers to align their goals, habits, and ambitions with their authentic identity. Raised by immigrant parents—his father from Nigeria and his mother from Grenada—Olusola grew up expecting to pursue a career in medicine. Although he did complete his premed requirements from Yale, music also shaped his life. Trained in piano, cello, and saxophone, he discovered while studying abroad in China that combining classical cello with beatboxing created something new. Innovative. The viral performances that followed caught the attention of Pentatonix and altered the course of his life. Accepting music as his calling, however, meant embracing every part of who he was. During his campus visit, Olusola reflected on finally accepting that he was “a part African, part Caribbean, Chinesespeaking cello- and saxophone-playing beatboxer from Kentucky.” “I had a feeling growing up that I didn’t really fit in,” he told students. “But this is what I figured out: I’m really just a misfit, but misfit is not a bad word. Misfits aren’t broken. They’re originals.” That realization transformed not only his music but also his understanding of success. “Success without knowing your purpose is just a more expensive way of solving the problems you’ve been trying to solve in your life,” Olusola says. “If you do it with faith intact, you’re going to

BOOKSHELF find more purpose, more joy, and more of yourself.” He hopes readers finish his book feeling less pressure to seek validation and more confidence in the unique gifts they already possess. “I hope that people feel like where they are is where they need to be and that they have some tools to take the next step in their lives so they are pursuing things from joy.” Returning to Andover gave him the opportunity to share life lessons. “I was you guys 20 years ago,” he said. “Trust the gift.” Olusola collaborated with student musicians in Falls Music Center, performed a concert to a packed Cochran Chapel, and joined the student jazz band for an impromptu show. “We performed a rock ’n’ roll concert on stage in Susie’s, and the students were having the best time. I was so impressed with them. It was electric,” Olusola says. With his newfound formula for success, Olusola continues to explore new creative paths while balancing family life with his wife, Leigh, and two young children, Kaia and Christian. In addition to making music with Pentatonix, he released his debut solo album, Dawn of a Misfit, in 2025, and co-hosted the podcast Imagine Faith Talk. This fall he will publish his first children's book, My Voice Is a Beat. As the Academy’s first William Thomas Visiting Artist—a program honoring the late music department chair and director of performance—Olusola also was excited to celebrate one of his Andover mentors. “This visit meant so much to me because William Thomas was somebody who made me truly feel seen,” Olusola says. “He made me feel that no matter what I chose to do in life, I could make an impact. To come back two decades later and share that message is a fullcircle moment.” 

Visitations JULIA ALVAREZ ’67 Penguin Random House Gracing the cover of Poets & Writers magazine this spring, Alvarez recently released Visitations, a new book of poetry. With titles such “On Sundays,” “Erasing the Blackboards,” and “Mami at Her Vanity,” the collection draws from the seasons of her life and includes detailed memories of her childhood in the Dominican Republic.

Unfinished Business: A New Story for a New Era of Human Flourishing MICHAEL MEGALLI ’89, P’20 Indie.biz Press Something fundamental isn’t working in the economy. In his debut novel, Megalli claims capitalism isn’t dying—it’s unfinished. He argues that what many call “late-stage capitalism” is actually an early stage, and that the work of building something better belongs to the next generation. Drawing on thinkers such as Jonathan Haidt and Peter Drucker, Megalli explores new possibilities for reshaping both the economy and the ideas that drive it.

The Gap Years: Climbing, Skiing, and the Journey Back TOM FRENCH ’77 Brandeis University Press After retiring from a successful career at McKinsey & Company, French, a former Andover trustee, embarks on a three-year global adventure, summiting the likes of Mount Washington to Mount Everest and competing in cross-country ski races. In this inspiring memoir, French draws on his ski racing experiences at Andover and Dartmouth and his lifelong passion for mountaineering as he reflects on embracing new challenges.

Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile SARAH GOODYEAR ’80, DOUG GORDON, AARON NAPARSTEK Penguin Random House In Life After Cars, Goodyear and her coauthors argue that America’s dependence on automobiles has reshaped communities, fueled inequality, and accelerated climate change. They examine the lasting effects of car-dependent living while offering a hopeful vision for safer, healthier, and more equitable transportation systems.

To be considered for “Bookshelf,” please send a brief summary of your recently published book to magazine@andover.edu.

1983 FIRST AFFAIR Known for her breakout role as “Hot Lips” on MASH, Loretta Swit starred in this CBS Saturday Night Movie that included scenes shot inside Samuel Phillips Hall.

THE DRAMA Starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, this romantic thriller was shot on campus last year using the Addison Gallery of American Art as the fictional Cambridge Arts Museum.

1999–2006 THE WEST WING Another fictional U.S. president portrayed by Martin Sheen, Josiah "Jed" Bartlet graduated from Andover.

2000–2007 GILMORE GIRLS Rory Gilmore's final boyfriend on the original run of the series, Logan Huntzberger attended PA for a year but was kicked out due to bad behavior.

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ZENDAYA: IMAGESPACE/ALAMY.COM, PATTINSON: UPI/ALAMY.COM, MARTIN SHEEN: PICTORIAL PRESS/ALAMY.COM, HUNTZBERGER: TSUNI/USA/ALAMY.COM

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GARNER: TINSELTOWN/SHUTTERSTOCK, PACINO: UNIVERSAL PICTURES/ALAMY, UNDERWOOD: PATRICK HARBRON; SONY PICTURES TELEVISION/NETFLIX/ALAMY, IRON MAN: EWA STUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK, HUGHES: USV/FLICKR

2009 THE INVENTION OF LYING Starring Ricky Gervais and Jennifer Garner, this comedy takes place in a fictional world where no one can tell a lie. Some scenes were shot at the Andover Inn (for real!).

IRON MAN According to Marvel, Tony Stark ’84 attended Andover for seven years, during which time he hacked into the Pentagon on a dare from friends.

1992 SCENT OF A WOMAN Al Pacino won the Academy Award for Best Actor in his role as Lt. Col. Frank Slade. The campus's architecture and quads appear as a New England preparatory school. “Hoo-ah!”

2010 THE SOCIAL NETWORK The “Harvard campus” plays a major role in this film, as depicted by Andover locations. However, a real PA alum—Chris Hughes ’02—was Mark Zuckerberg’s freshman roommate in college and a cofounder of Facebook.

ANDOVER!

2013–2018 HOUSE OF CARDS Claire Underwood, wife of politician Frank Underwood, eventually becomes the first female U.S. president on the HBO series. OFC she attended PA!

From small-town dramas to presidential politics to intergalactic battles, Phillips Academy has played more than one supporting role in Hollywood’s imagination over the years. 17

BY RITA SAVARD

ASS HE CL O’VE T T E ME S WH TARIE ADES E R C SE T DEC NI SPEN ING ALUM L NIC CHRO TORIES S

Life, Noted FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY,

Phillips Academy and Abbot Academy alumni have stayed connected through Class Notes. In the pages of Andover magazine—which many veteran secretaries still affectionately refer to as The Bulletin—a remarkable record unfolds: first jobs and final careers, weddings and reunions, growing families, cross-country moves, artistic pursuits—and, inevitably, the losses that become part of every story. Behind every column is a hard-working class secretary. Sometimes it’s one devoted volunteer. Sometimes it’s a small team. Some alums have been doing the work for 15 years, others have collected news for more than half a century. Together, they’re the Academy’s quiet chroniclers—part reporters, part historians, part keepers of the flame. The work begins with small moments: a quick email, a postcard, a chance conversation

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at Reunion Weekend. But over decades, those seemingly ordinary updates become something extraordinary. One classmate becomes a parent, then a grandparent. Another launches a career, changes direction, publishes a book, travels the world, or celebrates a milestone anniversary. Piece by piece, class secretaries weave thousands of individual stories into a fascinating and often laugh-out-loud shared history. It’s meticulous work, sustained by curiosity, generosity, and an unwavering belief that even the small moments in life are worth remembering. Most volunteers never seek recognition. They simply keep showing up, issue after issue, ensuring that no matter how many years—or miles—separate classmates from Andover, they never drift too far apart.

Malieka Bundy, Terri Stroud, and Naomi Cromwell, all Class of 1988

Terri Stroud with her grandmother and sister

11 Year s

s r a e Y 20

CLIFF CROSBY ’46

TERRI STROUD ’88

Not a day goes by that Terri Stroud doesn’t talk to a classmate. “Being a class secretary is the gift that keeps on giving,” she says. The role, she adds, has become something of a “ministry of connection”—conversations with old friends, shared memories, and check-ins that can always lead to something more. Through times of celebration and profound loss, those friendships have only deepened, reminding her that the people who know you best expect to share every chapter—not just the happy ones. She hopes her column sparks a little good nostalgia and reminds Andover friends to reach for one another long after they’ve turned the page.

Q: After chronicling classmates’ lives for two decades, what’s one piece of advice you’d give to today’s students?

“Prioritize your connections. People often let friendships drift because life gets busy or they think they’ve grown apart. Fight for those relationships. Life is difficult, and your friends will carry you through the hardest seasons. My Andover classmates certainly have. Ambition matters, but so do joy, contentment, and the people who remind you who you are.”

Cliff Crosby ’46

A legend among class secretaries, Cliff Crosby turns 98 in September, making him the Academy’s oldest-serving volunteer in the role. He hasn’t missed a column since his friend, Dick Phelps ’46, asked him to become class scribe in 2015. Today, just 10 members from his class of 280 graduates are still living, and Crosby makes a point of calling each one for Class Notes updates. “Waiting for people to send news isn’t much of a strategy,” he says with a laugh. “I’d rather pick up the phone and ask, ‘How the hell are you doing?’”

Q: What does being the keeper of your class’s stories mean to you?

It’s fun. Being class secretary gives me an excuse to reach out and ask personal questions. It’s fascinating to hear how people who shared the same education handled life afterward. We all made choices—college, careers, marriage, raising children. Most of us worked those choices out pretty well. We’ve had some dark spots too, but what I hear most when I call classmates isn’t moaning and groaning. It’s confidence. It’s people reaching for the good times. You see, it doesn’t make a difference whether you’re 28, 48, or 98. The difference is in how you face the day. I think that’s one story our class has in common: Our education gave us a recipe for success that includes weathering life’s storms.”

Crosby also writes class notes for Harvard, where, as an undergrad baseball star, he stole home five times.

George Rider ’51 and PA’s Jill Clerkin, director of publications

s r a e Y 30

GEORGE RIDER ’51, P’86, GP’22

George Rider has spent three decades proving that good class notes rarely arrive by accident. When submissions slow down, he writes classmates’ names on slips of paper, drops them into a teapot, and draws random names to start making calls. The same curiosity that keeps him chasing news also keeps him coming back to campus. After wrapping up his 75th Reunion Weekend in June, Rider still marvels at one of the first sights that greeted him when he arrived at Andover in 1947: the Memorial Bell Tower. “I was in awe then and I still am now.”

Q: After all these years, what makes being class secretary still worthwhile?

“It’s as good as a postgraduate course. Andover has so many interesting people from every background and profession you can think of and by staying in touch, it’s a lifelong education in the study of people. I love hearing what classmates are up to and keeping track of it all. It keeps me busy—and curious. Picking up the pen to write our class notes also had an unexpected dividend. I went on to publish my first book at 82, and I have two more in the works!”

A standout athlete, Rider earned eight letters and captained the varsity hockey team.

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s r a e Y 52 DAVID OTHMER ’59

More than five decades Q: What wisdom comes from writing Class Notes will teach chronicling hundreds of lives you a thing or two about your over 50 years? friends. David Othmer shares “I’m still trying to get it the distinction with Marcia right! Andover had a lasting McCabe ’73, of being the impact on all our lives. We’re Academy’s longest-serving all very different people, but class secretary. He left Rio de the shared experience during Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach a time when we were all for Andover at 14—a move learning and growing together he jokes wasn’t entirely his is something that stays the decision, but one that changed course of time. There are the the course of his life. Keeping years before Andover and the classmates connected has years after Andover, but the never really felt like work to years we were in it together— Othmer—it has simply been we all remember that.” one of life’s great joys. Each time he sends out a request for news, PA friends “come out of the woodwork” with updates, David Othmer ’59 reflections, and memories. It’s a reminder, he says, that while much has changed on campus since graduation, the bonds formed as high schoolers remain the strongest relationships of his life.

s r a e Y 34 BLAKE HAZZARD ALLEN ’66

At her 60th Reunion in June, Blake Hazzard Allen was up all night in Bartlet House with her Abbot besties, eating junk food, laughing, and having the kind of unfiltered conversations only friends with deep history can share. “Life is a crooked line,” she says. “When we’re young, it’s easy to imagine a straight path. Then reality teaches us otherwise.” After decades of chronicling her classmates’ stories, she believes the strongest communities are made up of people who continue showing up for each other, no matter where life leads. With her longtime friend and class agent, Ruth Weiner ’66, Hazzard Allen intentionally fosters a class culture where people feel valued, heard, and supported. “Everyone needs pick-up-the-phone friends,” she says, “the ones who will answer anytime—whether it’s good news, bad news, or anything in between. For me, those are my Abbot classmates.”

Q: The thing my classmates never stop doing is…? “Lifelong learning. That is the Abbot catchword— and Andover’s, too. I’d add giving back. When I think about the women in my Abbot universe, that’s true of every one of them. We’re still curious, still contributing, and still finding ways to lift others up.”

0 2 eY ars Club +

Hugh R. Kelleher ’69 48 YEARS Douglas C. Segal ’79 42 YEARS John W. Gray ’74, P’10 41 YEARS Roger L. Strong Jr. ’75 41 YEARS Marjorie Wellin King ’75, P’05, ’07, ’10 41 YEARS Julia Gibert ’72 29 YEARS Dermod O. Sullivan ’58 28 YEARS Parry Ellice Adam ’58 24 YEARS

Gordon P. Baird Jr. ’68 24 YEARS Frank F. Herron ’70, P’00 22 YEARS Kathrin A. Krakauer ’62 22 YEARS William P. Heidrich II ’03 22 YEARS Anne Woolverton Oswald ’56 20 YEARS Robert B. Segal ’48, P’74, ’75, GP’12 20 YEARS Alexandra O. Gillespie ’84 20 YEARS

Blake with classmate Barbara Timken ’66.

s r a e Y 35 RAY HEALEY ’66

On the drive to his 25th Reunion in 1991, Ray Healey’s Class Notes predecessor, Skip Freeman ’66, made an unexpected pitch from behind the wheel of his sports car: “Raybo, I’ve been doing this for 25 years. It’s time for a new scribe at the helm.” Thirtyfive years later, Healey is still chronicling the lives of the Class of 1966, convinced the greatest reward isn’t writing the notes— it’s the privilege of following his classmates’ remarkable journeys long after graduation.

Ray Healey ’66

Q: What has surprised you most about being a class secretary?

“What a privilege it's been to spend decades chronicling the extraordinary lives of my classmates. Through Class Notes, I’ve followed their educations, careers, travels and adventures, successes and families—and the many ways they’ve shaped their communities and the wider world. It’s a front-row seat to the impact an Andover education can have over a lifetime.”

Members of the Class of 1966 have authored more than 100 published books spanning fiction, nonfiction, and scholarly works—including several best-sellers.

s r a e Y 40 JOE KAHN ’67, P’14

After a distinguished career in journalism at The Boston Globe, Joe Kahn has found that some of the most meaningful stories aren’t front-page news. For decades, he’s brought a reporter’s curiosity to his class notes, where he and co-secretary Ray Bird ’67 remind readers that every life is worthy of a byline. “Being a class secretary,” Kahn says, “has connected me to the broader school community, leading to opportunities to serve on Alumni Council, the Class Secretaries Committee, and contribute to Andover magazine—an unexpected and delightful gift.”

Q: What’s something that people assume about class secretaries that isn’t true?

“That we’re inundated with class news and don’t need to hear from them. Or that their own lives and connections to the class aren’t column-worthy. They are.”

The Class of 1967 boasts more alumni with works in the Addison Gallery of American Art than any other. Joseph P. Kahn ’67

53 Year s MARCIA MCCABE ’73

Long before email, text messages, and social media, Marcia McCabe gathered class notes the old-fashioned way—through long phone calls and handwritten letters. The process was slower, but it reflected something she loved about Abbot Academy: traditions like Tiffin, a daily tea break that encouraged students to pause and reconnect. More than five decades later, technology—and a reliable group of co-secretaries—has made compiling notes easier, but the purpose remains the same: “People are hungry for

Marcia McCabe

news about their classmates and keeping in touch.”

Q: What has your class taught you about the value of staying connected?

“We’re a real hodgepodge, but the chemistry just works. We were the last class to graduate from Abbot Academy, and I think there’s a deep sense of gratitude for that experience. We have artists, writers, business leaders—a wonderfully diverse group—and we still go out of our way to stay in touch. It proves to me that if you find a happy place when you’re young, it sets the stage for the rest of your life.”

McCabe is keeping the Tiffin tradition alive by hosting tea gatherings for alumni and friends of Andover. The first one took place in New York City last year, with another in the works.

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s r a e Y 15 ORIE IDAH ’11

Every issue of Andover magazine arrives with one section Orie Idah dives into first: Class Notes. Not just her own column—every one of them. Since becoming her class’s secretary immediately after graduation, she’s discovered just how much love her fellow secretaries pour into preserving stories that might otherwise be lost. “Class Notes is a place that holds the whole community in your heart,” Idah says. “You can feel the care and connection in all the notes. I don’t think there is another tool that can capture the community in this way.”

Bill III, the boys’ dad, Bill Jr., and Tom can all say Class Notes runs in the family.

Q: Why do Class Notes still resonate with alumni in the era of social media?

“It’s algorithm-proof. Class Notes spark memories and connect you back to people who might not be on your radar in the moment. That’s powerful. It has taught me that evolution and change don’t mean the synapses that connect us break—they grow and evolve too. I’ve seen classmates—me included—become close years after graduation. Class Notes can be a driver of that.”

Orie Idah ’11

Jim Ventre ’79’s appointment as Andover’s next head of school has the Class of 2011 buzzing with excitement. As assistant head of school for admission and financial aid, he admitted every member of the class— and, Idah says, made them feel they belonged from day one.

The

SEELEYS:

A FAMILY LEGACY IN CLASS NOTES W. PARKER SEELEY JR. ’54, P’84, ’90, GP’21 (15 YEARS) WILLIAM P. SEELEY III ’84, P’21 (17 YEARS) THOMAS W. SEELEY SR. ’90 (30 YEARS) Long before Tom Seeley ’90 became a class secretary, Andover was part of his family’s story. As a young boy, he remembers arriving on campus in the family RV and wandering off with his older brother, Bill, to watch a movie in George Washington Hall while his father attended Reunion Weekend events. “Andover feels like it’s in my DNA,” Seeley says. The first Seeley to attend PA was Tom’s grandfather, William Parker Sr., Class of 1909, followed by his father, Bill Jr. ’54, and brother, Bill III ’84. “There was never another school I wanted to go to. Andover always had a pull on me.” Thirty years into writing Class Notes, Tom says his dormmates from junior year remain his closest friends. Just as meaningful, classmates who barely knew one another at Andover have

found each other years later and built lasting friendships. “Our class has this incredible sense of community and family,” he says. “Class Notes creates a record of all these unique and special connections that you can’t find anywhere else.” That sense of connection spans generations of class secretaries. Tom’s father, Bill Jr. ’54, finds that nearly every conversation he has with classmates circles back to the same touchstones: demanding academics, unforgettable teachers, lifelong friendships, and the quiet pride of having made it through Andover together. “I approach Class Notes with the goal of writing something that makes everybody remember their connections to Andover,” Bill Jr. says. “It was an inflection point in all our lives.” 

reunion 6 2 20 24

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weekend R

eturning to campus is like stepping back in time. Alumni are suddenly 15 again, laughing with friends while having dinner in Paresky Commons. Taking laps around The Cage. Strolling arm in arm along the Elm Arch. Reunion 2026 was a time not only to relive memories but also to make new ones. “I am enthralled by my classmates,” shared James Kenley ’01, a member of his 25th Reunion Planning Committee. “They are interesting and interested, thoughtful and wildly successful by many measures, and they showed up for our 25th

with a genuine curiosity and camaraderie that made the weekend memorable.” This notion was shared time and again by alumni from all decades, highlighting their common experiences—and joy—as they returned to the place they once called HOME.

Scan here for more photos from Reunion!

“

While we all came from different ‘quarters’ and ended up doing different things in different ways, reunion made clear that we share a profound appreciation for the full experiences we had at Andover. —Jame Kenley ’01

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”

“

I am continually surprised by our adult selves, rooted in our common Abbot history. We’ve segued from adolescents to thoughtful, smart, articulate grownups. Who knew back in the ’60s?! —Blake Hazzard Allen ’66

”

“

It was surprising how much had changed and how much had not—with both classmates and campus. The Garver Room got me the most—the same hushed, studious quiet and even the same smell, like no time had passed at all. —Jeff Duffield ’96

” 27

The Write Stuff BY RITA SAVARD

Not long ago, Robbie Nyamwaya ’24 sat where this summer’s young writers in Andover Bread Loaf (ABL) do now—discovering that words have the power to connect people, spark change, and create belonging. Nyamwaya returned to ABL in July as a writing leader in the Lawrence Student Writers Workshop, helping the next generation find their own voices. Hosted each summer on the Phillips Academy campus, the three-week outreach program brings together public-school students in grades 8 through 12 for an immersive experience in creative writing, the arts, leadership, and social justice. For Nyamwaya, the decision to come back was an easy one. “I had Lou Bernieri as a teacher,” he says, recalling the popular English instructor and retired ABL director, who taught at PA for 48 years. “I joined his young writers' program as a volunteer, and becoming a writing leader felt like the natural next step. Seeing kids develop as students and people is something

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HENRY MARTE

END NOTE

Robbie Nyamwaya ’24 takes a selfie with students in Andover Bread Loaf's Lawrence Student Writers Workshop and special guest Jamele “Harlym 125” Adams (near mic), an award-winning poet and social justice activist.

“

Even the students who were shy confidently shared what they cared about—it was incredibly inspiring.

”

—ROBBIE NYAMWAYA ’24

special. Bread Loaf has created a community where that can happen.” That spirit of connection was on full display when acclaimed slam poet Jamele “Harlym 125” Adams visited the workshop. After leading students through a writing session, he challenged everyone to “immortalize a moment in time with each other” by gathering for a giant selfie. But perhaps the most powerful moment, says Nyamwaya, came at the program’s final reading. Students who had spent weeks writing and revising stepped forward to share deeply personal work with an audience of peers. What happens next can reach far beyond the page. “I hope they realize their voice matters,” Robbie says. “When people come together as a community, they can have a real impact on the world. It’s important to create spaces where young people feel free to express themselves.” 

PA G E - T U R N E R P U Z Z L E Fill out the crossword and email us a photo of your completed puzzle to magazine@andover.edu. Hint: All answers are in this issue. The first three readers to provide correct answers will win a custom embroidered Andover tote bag—made right here on campus in The Nest makerspace!

Across

DOWN

2. Grant supporting innovative student projects

1. Science center where students study the cosmos

5. Building recreated with 22,000 LEGO bricks

2. Outreach program using writing and the arts to promote literacy

6. Military branch in which trustee Ruben J. Alvero ’76 served 8. Longest-serving class secretary's last name 10. Roman goddess depicted in the Addison Gallery rotunda 11. Fictional U.S. president and Andover alumnus from The West Wing 12. Faculty member who adapted The King Stag for modern audiences 13. Fellowship program returning after a brief pause 14. Sport in which Olympian Kristen Faulkner ’11 competes professionally

3. “Iron-clad” comic-book hero and alumnus of the Class of 1984 4. 17th head of school, Class of 1979 7. Number of Andover teams that finished undefeated this spring 8. Country covered by Paul Sonne ’03 for The New York Times 9. Grammy-winning a cappella group featuring an Andover alumnus 12. Orchestra with which two recent graduates performed under Keith Lockhart 14. Organization that honored Andover magazine this year

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DAWN OF A NEW CHAPTER Congratulations to Andover's most recent graduates, the Class of 2026, pictured here at Senior Sunrise. During this Big Blue tradition, seniors gather at Phelps Stadium to watch the first rays of the sun rise above the treetops. PHOTO BY DAVID FRICKE