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October 6, 2023 | Issue 2 | |
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Dear Alumnae & Alumni Community,
It is with great excitement that we share the second issue of our reformatted Happenings. This issue, like the last, includes links to update your contact information, share class notes, and share your interest in participating in engagement opportunities with current students. We’ve added links for you to nominate alumnae and alumni to be considered for Distinguished Alumnae/i, Outstanding Young Alumnae/i, Athletic Hall of Fame, and Arts Hall of Fame awards and inductions.
New to this and subsequent issues is an archival photograph provided by our incredible archivist team, John McClintock ‘57 and Margaret King ‘65, for you to guess or share the year, people, and occasion of the photo. Each month, we will share the results of those who guess or remember correctly along with a new photo.
I am pleased to share that the 2023-2024 school year has begun with great vigor and excitement. Lower School boys are now attending class on the Lower and Middle School campus and boys’ and girls’ faculty have expressed their appreciation for increased collaboration amongst faculty and shared resources specific to their division.
Even morning rain did not stop our Homecoming events that included a Varsity Girls Soccer game, Caird Classic Football game, breakfast and spirit sale hosted by our Alumnae Association, beverages provided by our Alumni Association, and food provided by our Parents’ Association (AAPA). It was a privilege honoring Cindy Caird and her late husband Jim Caird ‘52 for their transformational support to The Academies.
In closing, I would like to thank the many members of our alumnae/i community who dedicate time and expertise by serving as volunteer leaders to ensure our amazing school remains the very best.
Respectfully,
Joe Cheeseman
Chief Advancement Officer
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Albany Academy for Girls Alumnae Council Update | |
The next meeting of The Alumnae Council will be Monday, October 16 at 6:30 p.m. For more information please contact Samantha Miorin at miorinsa@gmail.com.
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The Albany Academy Alumni Board Update | |
The next meeting of the Albany Academy Alumni Association will be Thursday, October 12 at 8:30 a.m. For more information please contact Joe Fitzgerald at jgfitz56@gmail.com.
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Comm. Service Day | Oct. 27
Giving Week | Nov. 14 – 21
Spring Gathering | April 20
Reunion | May 16 –18
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Alumnae & Alumni Participation Form
There are many opportunities for Alumnae and Alumni to engage with students. Please complete the form to let us know which activities you would like to participate in between September and December. We will contact you with more information. *There will be another signup form for spring events later in the year.
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Faculty Spotlight
Senior Ryan J. ‘24 with Mr. Kauth.
The Senior English VI: Communications Academies Coverage Team (ACT) interviewed Mr. Kauth, Upper School History Teacher, for a faculty spotlight.
Before teaching, Mr. Kauth worked for five years as a complex property broker in New York City. “After 5 years of working there, I realized the job would either be the career I stuck with, or I needed to decide what career I really wanted to pursue. A career defines us, and I wanted a job that would fulfill me. Not to say my old job could not be fulfilling, I simply wanted to be around young people full of life and community, which is most important to me.”
Since these two jobs are extremely different, students asked how Mr. Kauth applied the lessons he learned on Wall Street with big business owners to his job as a teacher working with teenagers. “I took from that experience the value of communication skills, the value of being collaborative with those around me, the value of how your reputation, character, and work ethic can define your position in the workplace, and the necessity of risk-taking.” Mr. Kauth wants young students to find a career that is right for them, stating, “students are more than welcome to reach out to me if they are ever interested in either of these careers.” The senior communications class would like to thank Mr. Kauth for engaging in our new series of student, staff, and faculty interviews. Students can learn a lot from their teachers, and Mr. Kauth is a prime example of that.
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In the Archives
Test your memory skills by identifying the year, people, and occasion of this photo. Click the link to submit your answers, we will include all correct answers in next month’s newsletter.
Click here to submit your answers
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Dr. Robert Higgins '77 to speak at Siena College
On Tuesday, October 10, Albany Academies alumnus and Board of Trustees member Dr. Robert Higgins '77, President of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Executive VP at Mass General Brigham, will be the guest speaker at Siena College's Fall Speaker Series for Health Professions, presenting on the topic "Inclusive Leadership in Healthcare." This event is free and open to the public.
The lecture will begin at 7 p.m. in Maloney Great Room, Sarazen Student Union (#24 on the map. Please click here for a map of the Siena campus - https://www.siena.edu/visit/campus-map/ ). The event should wrap up by 8:30 p.m. Please tell security at the gatehouse that you are attending a lecture in the Student Union. There will not be a charge for parking.
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Dr. William Tedesco '53 recently sent us this update: I am still practicing medicine at 88 and still skiing a bit. At age 80, in honor of my wife and son, both of whom I lost to cancer, I walked the 500-mile Camino De Santiago (The Way of St James) in Spain in 40 days. Since then I have done treks in Ireland, Portugal, and Jordan. Now mostly I just walk locally. For many years my late wife and I worked with various medical missionary groups annually in Central and South America. My free time now is spent enjoying my 6 grandchildren. |
 |  | Fred Tibbitts, Jr. '64 was featured in a Times Union article, A Lifelong Learner Still Hitting The Books, this past summer. When asked for a comment he sent this note: "I'm nobody special, but many are intrigued when they become aware of my world of travel, ongoing and never-ending education, successful careers from A to Z, and changed life after being reborn post-18 months of meditation & and teachings at the KTD Buddhist Monastery at Woodstock, NY. Nowadays, I focus on mentoring hundreds of SUNY-Albany students regarding the importance of following their PASSION, not money, when choosing a career. I have found PEACE, which is Priceless. 😀 And to think all this started in 1952 in the AA Kindergarten with Miss Abbot. Though I have been around the world 5 times on business and on every continent and just about every country; and have been a featured subject of magazine interviews and articles just about everywhere, I now focus on being updated on the science of the Psychology of TODAY (Not the 1960's, when I was originally college educated), and completing my Master's and PhD. I will be teaching psychology at SUNY-Albany until my final day in this life and then I will reincarnate to begin, once more, living a life in service to others, especially those less fortunate. " CLICK HERE to read the article.
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 | | Dr. Peter Aufsesser ’65 was honored for his 50+ years of work as a Soccer official when he was inducted into the San Diego County Sports Officials Hall of Fame last month. Peter is only the 5th Soccer referee inducted into this Hall of Fame. He's worked more than 8,125 games, and he estimates in that capacity he has covered between 33,000 and 36,000 miles! He played 4 years of high school Soccer at Albany Academy and as a freshman at Springfield College where began his officiating career as an intramural Referee. He was Head Soccer Coach at Newark State College 1970-1972 and a Youth Soccer Coach 1984-1991. He became a USSF-certified Referee in 1972, and a National Intercollegiate Soccer Referee 1973 in the Greater Washington, DC Soccer Officials Association. Peter served as the SCSOA Vice President 2000-2022 and High School Assessor/Mentor 2000 to the present; National Intercollegiate Soccer Referee Association, San Diego President 2010-2016, Secretary 2016-2018, College Assessor 2010-2018, National College Assessor 2011-2022. In addition, Peter founded the Fitness Clinic for Individuals with Disabilities in 1983 (now entitled the Adaptive Fitness Clinic) which commenced its 40th year in operation in September 2023. Dr. Aufsesser has dozens of professional awards including being inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame (2005), Channel 10 Leadership Award 1998 and 2008, and Adapted Physical Educator of the Year 1991. These are the most prestigious of dozens of awards for his community service. He has served on 13 different community Boards of Directors and is the author of “A Foul is a Foul! Isn’t it?”
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Craig Hatkoff '72
While our Visual and Performing Arts Director, Rich Johnson P'35, was in New York City attending a NYSIAS conference, he caught up with inaugural Arts Hall of Fame inductee Craig Hatkoff '72. Craig has been a wonderful support to our students at the Academy, coming to visit, speak, and work with them. One of Craig's passions is the idea of 'disruption' (Craig is the co-founder of The Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards) and they spoke about Keith Richards and how the inflection point of being at the same studio as Ry Cooder and learning about 'Open G tuning' helped create the Rolling Stones' sound.
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Steve Turner '81 and his son Grant stopped by for a visit recently. They were up from Baton Rouge where Steve has lived since graduating. Grant was happy to finally have a visual for all his dad's stories! | | |
| |  | George Miller '14 was in town this September for site visits and meetings with Opera Saratoga and the Opalka Gallery. His former teacher, director, and our Visual and Performing Arts Director, Rich Johnson P'35 caught up with him and came up with some exciting opportunities for our students! Since George graduated and received an undergraduate degree in Music Composition and Visual Art, he’s become a Director and Producer of all things live performance - specifically focused on opera, dance-theater, and interdisciplinary performance art spaces. In the 2024-2025 season, George will be working with Opera Saratoga to develop and present a new, opera - dance-theater production of Franz Schubert's Winterreise. Opera Saratoga is producing the production, and it is looking like The Albany Academies will be partnering with Opalka Gallery to present the run of shows in their space. It is also slated to tour NYC and Los Angeles in 2025 and beyond. George and Rich will be working together over the next few months to have our current students be a part of the process and potentially a part of the production. You can read more about George’s work HERE.
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Michael DeVito '16 has been steadily working in theatre while going to school since he left the Academy. Currently, Mike stars as Billy Cane in Bright Star at the Majestic Theater in West Springfield, MA, with music, book, and lyrics by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. The story is about the power of storytelling and the power of love. From a review of his performance by The Berkshire Edge, “Billy Cane, the hero of our story here, is played by Michael Devito, an actor who takes softness to a new level and makes it work with a sense of reality that is somewhat awesome. His performance makes us want to hold him close, to comfort him in his many disappointments, and to cheer him for his small realizations of his dreams.”
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Owen Robinson '21 came back to campus to visit his former Advisor, Rich Johnson, and talk about how his passion for writing has grown since graduating and how his time at Academy set him up for success!
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