May 26, 2022
Hello, Friends,
At last week’s 2022 Reunion weekend, we created a lot of wonderful memories and I’ll share several of them with you below. For those of you who joined us, I hope you had a terrific time. For those who weren’t able to attend, we hope to see you at the next Reunion or gathering!
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Hall of Fame Inductees Honored
We kicked off the weekend with our Class of 2022 Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Thursday, May 19 at Crowne Plaza Albany – The Desmond Hotel. This event recognizes and honors alumni, alumnae, coaches, and teams for outstanding contributions to athletics and their dedication to the ideals of The Albany Academies, including the highest level of sportsmanship. Please join us in congratulating the AA Hall of Fame inductees Tim Alston ’77, TJ Conti ’97, Tim Harris ’82, Mark Nemith ’02, Devon Wimberly ’97, and the 1996-97 Boys Varsity Basketball Team and AAG Hall of Fame inductees Madison Daly ’10 (not present), Jenny Evans ’92, Bridget Malicki ’11 (not present), and Molly Ortolano ’05. The new format and addition of local NBC affiliate sports director Rodger Wyland were a nice touch to the evening that drew more than 100 attendees.
Watch for the videos on the website early next week!
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Recognizing Distinguished Alumni and Alumnae
On Friday evening, May 20 under a tent on the front lawn of AA, our Class of 2022 Distinguished Alumni and Alumnae were honored during our Reunion Welcome Reception. Congratulations once again to Dr. Peter Kim ’87 (top left), Distinguished Alumnus; Suzanne Walsh ’87 (top right), Distinguished Alumna; Emanuel “Manny” Pollard ’12 (bottom left), Outstanding Young Alumnus; and Brittiny Belmonte Razzano ’04 (bottom right), Outstanding Young Alumna.
Watch for the videos on the website early next week!
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Pen Pals Meet with Students
Alumnae from the Class of 1972 enjoyed time Friday afternoon, May 20 with their fifth grade pen pals in the courtyard at AAG. The fifth graders have been writing to these women for the past several months and finally were able to meet them in person during Reunion. The students and alumnae also enjoyed a dance performance together in the Auditorium after the reception.
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Head of School Presents State of the School Address
During his annual State of the School Address on Saturday of Reunion weekend, Head of School Chris Lauricella spoke about the proposed idea of a campus-by-division realignment. He detailed the plan and asked for feedback from alumni and alumnae. If you would like more information, please contact me or Chris directly. The address can also be found on YouTube. Click here to view.
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Celebrating the Classes of 1972
At noon on Friday, May 20, members of the AA Class of 1972 and prior years got together for the Old Guard Luncheon in a tent outside Leonard House for a special celebration honoring the Reunion class. A special thank you to John T. McClintock II '57 for sharing information from the archives. Also on Friday, several members of the AAG Class of 1972 celebrated with a 50th Reunion luncheon in the Drawing Room. Both were lovely events with friends reconnecting and sharing memories of their time on campus.
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Class of 1970 Pavilion Unveiled
A ribbon-cutting ceremony and unveiling of the new Class of 1970 Pavilion took place at noon on Saturday, May 21. Members of the 1970 class (pictured here) pledged last year to raise more than $220,000 to fund the design and construction of the pavilion to honor the class’ legacy (and they exceeded their goal and raised more than $230,000!). Located on the north side of the main AA building, this beautiful pavilion provides outdoor classroom space, a venue for annual events such as Reunion and Commencement, and a place for summer campers to engage in camp activities outdoors. The first event was held after the ribbon cutting when the Alumni Association sponsored a barbeque. Our sincere thank you to the class members and others who contributed and especially to those who participated in the unveiling, for this generous gift to the school.
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Jane Lathrop Stanford Induction Ceremony at Alumnae Luncheon
It was a beautiful setting in the Courtyard at AAG for the annual Alumnae Luncheon and Jane Lathrop Stanford, Class of 1845, Induction Ceremony of the AAG Class of 1972. Congratulations, also, to Trustee and Alumnus Nancy Wekselbaum ’69 (pictured here with Alumnae Council President Samantha Miorin '10) as this year's recipient of the Fredericka V. Slingerland Volunteer Service Award, and special thanks to Margaret Lamar King ’65 for sharing information from the archives.
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Class Dinners
It’s always fun for Chris Lauricella and me to head out on Saturday evening of Reunion and visit the various classes holding their individual dinners around the region. We made it to as many as we could and apologize if we missed your event! Thanks to everyone for being so gracious to us. Please visit the website to see photos from the class dinners.
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Making A Visit to An Old Friend
When he was in Albany for Reunion weekend, Ed DeBerri ’77 made a special visit to Joann Donnelly Skinner, a member of the AAG Class of 1947 who was unable to attend the events. Ed snapped this photo of them together and shared this note with us: “Since she wasn't able to make it to Academy Road for the weekend for her 75th, I decided to bring the reunion to her on Sunday. I've known Joann all my life. She and my parents were close friends, and she and I are equally close. I visit her every time I get back to Albany.” Thanks, Ed, for including Joann in the celebration.
In addition to all these Reunion activities, a lot of cool things have been happening at the school.
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Alumnus Featured in CODA
A belated congratulations to Armen Garo ’73 on his latest film, CODA, which won the Oscar for Best Motion Picture of the Year! Armen, who played the role of Gio Salgado in CODA, said he’s still walking on air since the award was presented in late March. The movie, about a child of deaf adults, also won several other film industry awards. You may have also seen Armen, who is also a writer and producer, in his earlier films, The Departed, The Wolf of Wall Street, and American Hustle.
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Flight into Space for Kindergartners
The Albany Academy kindergarten class took a simulated flight into space recently. Each student chose a planet to study and, as they passed their planet on this simulated journey, they read their research aloud to their teachers and classmates. When they landed back on earth, they were treated to some space ice cream. There may be some future astronauts in this group!
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AAG Lower School Students Researching Famous Women
Second graders at the Albany Academy for Girls researched a variety of important women for the grand opening of the Famous Women Portrait Gallery at the school and presented the information to their parents and teachers recently. Featured women included Michelle Obama, Eleanor Roosevelt, Marie Curie, Elizabeth Blackwell, Misty Copeland, Susan B. Anthony, Nellie Bly, Harriet Tubman, Aretha Franklin, Bessie Coleman, Rachel Carson, Katherine Johnson, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Sally Ride. These young girls make us all proud and we can’t wait to see them in the gallery some day!
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AA Varsity Baseball Team Wins Against LaSalle
Congratulations to Albany Academy Varsity Baseball team members for their win over LaSalle Institute on May 12. Geneo Savoca '24 was highlighted in a Times Union article for pitching a fantastic game. Congratulations, Cadets, on the huge win! Unfortunately, the team lost in the first round of sectionals on May 19. You can read the article about the LaSalle win HERE.
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AAG Varsity Lacrosse Earns #2 Ranking
Congratulations to the Albany Academy for Girls Varsity Lacrosse team for being the #2 ranked team after winning the first round of Sectionals on May 23 against Averill Park. They played in the semifinal game against #3 Scotia the following day and won! Today, they play against #3 Scotia. Congratulations and go Bears!
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Alumni and Alumnae Golf Tournament Planned
We hope you’ll join us on Monday, June 20 for the Alumni and Alumnae Golf Tournament, the first in many years, at the Colonie Country Club, which is being organized by AAG senior Meleena Ottati ’22 as her May Project. The format is a four-person scramble and golf will be followed by dinner and drinks. The cost is $200 per person for golf and dinner and $75 per person for dinner only. For more details or to register, please visit www.albanyacademies.org/alumniae-golf-tournament-2022.
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Mock Trial Team Competes in State Tournament
The Albany Academies Mock Trial team competed in the New York State High School Mock Trial Program on May 23 and finished third out of the eight teams competing at the statewide level. Overall, more than 400 teams participated in the program throughout the year. What a great accomplishment for these students! Congratulations to the coaches – Carol Crummey McCardle '04; Tim Service P’29, ’29; and Dr. Stephen Brown P’18 – and the students for a job well done! The New York State High School Mock Trial Program is a joint venture of The New York Bar Foundation; the New York State Bar Association; and the Law, Youth, and Citizenship Program. Through this educational program, high school students gain firsthand knowledge of civil/criminal law and courtroom procedures.
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Nick Conger '99 Featured in Washington Post Article
Nick Conger ’99 was recently featured in a Washington Post article on “7 White House climate staffers to watch.” The Albany Academy graduate, who previously served as press secretary at the Environmental Protection Agency, recently joined the Office of Domestic Climate Policy at The White House for a six-month detail. “I'm very excited to help advance the president's leadership on environmental justice, climate change, and clean energy,” he said. Congratulations, Nick, on this prestigious appointment!
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Still Time to Make an Annual Fund Gift
It is a long-standing tradition at The Albany Academies for Alumnae and Alumni to give back to the school in honor of Reunion, and this year was no exception. Gifts to the Annual Fund have been received from former students representing every graduation year spanning 1943 through 2021. The comments that accompany these gifts are heartfelt and inspiring as classmates recall teachers, friends, programs, and events from back in the day that made lasting impressions on their lives. Thank you to everyone who has participated so far. You can view those comments and add your own HERE.
We have not yet reached this year’s Annual Fund goal and there is one month left to our fiscal year. Please visit the Reunion Giving page - give.albanyacademies.org/campaigns/reunion-2021 - to join your classmates in making a year-end gift. Donations can be made on this site via credit cards, Venmo, Google Pay, Apple Pay, BitCoin, PayPal, or bank transfer, and you can even set up a monthly recurring gift to spread your donation out over time. Checks can still be mailed to The Albany Academies, 135 Academy Rd, Albany, NY 12208, and if you’re interested in making a gift of stock or securities you can find the instructions HERE.
Thank you all for your support.
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Ann Wendth
Chief Advancement Officer
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