December 16, 2022
Dear Friends,
With winter break fast approaching, we have a lot to share about recent activities and even more coming up in the new year.
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Young Leaders gather in NYC, Boston, and Albany
On December 7, Alixandra Rutnik ‘15 and Alydaar Rangwala ’11 hosted a gathering for young New York City-based alumni/ae at The Standard Biergarten on Washington St. in New York. Ali and Alydaar serve as co-chairs of our new Young Leaders Program, aimed at keeping graduates from the classes of 2006-2022 engaged with the Academies. A wide range of classes was represented and several people who hadn't seen each other in many years joined. It was a fun evening, and many great connections were made. Those who attended included (from left to right): Nick Bette ’11, Paris Naigles ’11, Alydaar Rangwala ’11, Christian Miller ’11, Ali Rutnik ’15, Nick Pappas ’11, Christina Lee ’15, Clara McNulty-Finn ’13, Madison Bizzarro ’15, William Ware ’15, Anna Picardi ’15, Haley Martin ’15, and Andrew Soldini ’15.
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Jake Miorin’12 and Natalie Squillace ’14 hosted a Young Leaders gathering at Wolff’s Biergarten on December 8. It was a great way to reconnect with classmates and other alumni and alumnae living in the Capital Region. Pictured here are: (back row on left) Scott Strohecker ‘09, Tim Carroll ‘81, Thomas Hugh Carey Cassidy ‘13; (middle row) Nour Sultan ‘11, Miranda Hart ‘13, Maddie Blackburn ‘17, Samantha Miorin ‘10, Colleen Quagllia ‘17, Olivia Allen ‘17; and (front row) Michael Paparian ‘12, M. Jacob Miorin ‘12, Natalie Squillace ’14 and Michael Vita ‘11. |
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Thank you to our Boston Young Leaders Chair Taylor West ’14 for hosting a gathering on December 8 at the Lamplighter Cambridge Crossing in Cambridge. We look forward to scheduling additional gatherings in more cities in 2023. The feedback has been very positive, and several ideas were shared on how we can continue to engage our young alumni and alumnae and connect them with our students. Thank you to everyone who helped with the outreach and coordination of these gatherings! We looked forward to working with you on future initiatives. |
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Robotics teams compete
Our middle school robotics teams competed last weekend in the first in-person robotics event since the pandemic. “The Technologists” and “The Real Cadets” have been designing and programming innovative projects and autonomous robots since the fall. During the tournament, they presented their ideas to a panel of judges and set their robots out to explore the mission table. The team earned two awards and one of our faculty members and team coaches was also recognized.
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Photographer and alumnus talks about his career with students
We were fortunate to have local photographer and alumnus Mark McCarty ’70 visit our Advanced Photography class on December 5. Mark spoke to the class about his interesting and successful career as a photographer in the Capital Region and shared stories of how he set up and achieved certain shots. Mark also presented examples of his work from throughout the years, photos of his studio, and actual set-ups for certain sessions. Thank you, Mark, for inspiring our class!
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Open Skate at the Robison Rink in January
You and your family are welcome to join us on January 8 at noon for an open skate at the Robison Rink in the Michael B. Picotte Field House. Hope to see you there!
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Frank E. O’Brien III ’84 Memorial Alumni Hockey Game just two weeks away
The Frank E. O'Brien III ’84 Memorial Alumni Hockey Game is just two weeks away! The event will take place on Friday, Dec. 30, at 4 p.m. in the Robison Rink, followed by a reception in the Buttery after the game. The annual event is named in memory of this three-sport athlete who played golf, lacrosse, and hockey at Albany Academy and was a member of the 1983 NYC Section II championship hockey team. In 2008, a year after he passed away at the age of 40, Frank was inducted posthumously into The Albany Academy Athletic Hall of Fame. Those who wish to participate in the game can register here.
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Alumnus breaks record at Boston College
Alumnus Bryce Henkel '21, a sophomore at Boston College, had a record-breaking performance for the BC men's swim team at the Terrier Open recently. Bryce set a school and pool record in the 200 Butterfly with a time of 1 minute, 46.10 seconds. Congratulations, Bryce!
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Former AAG student remembered this week
This week, many thoughts turned to Melina Hudson '90, the AAG student who was aboard Pan Am Flight 103 when it exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland in December 1988. A Libyan intelligence official accused of making the bomb that killed her and 258 others has been arrested. Outside the courthouse where proceedings were taking place, Melina’s father, Paul Hudson, shared the quote the 16-year-old had written on her notebook’s cover, which was recovered at the crash site: “No one dies unless they’re forgotten.” He said he has tried to live by that maxim and remembers his daughter every day. Our thoughts are with Melina’s family as they face this new chapter in their story. To read the Times Union article that quotes her dad, visit: https://tinyurl.com/3w36dbz7
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AAG golf team gains Capital Region recognition
The Times Union announced its local golf awards on Tuesday, and we’re thrilled to share the news that Kennedy Swedick ’24 was named Athlete of the Year and a member of the All-Star Golf Team! Three other AAG students were also named to the All-Star Team: Nicole Criscone ’23, Jillian Rawson ’24, and Samantha Von Rohn ‘25. AAG Golf Team Coach Sarah Adamowski was named Girls’ Golf Coach of the Year. The Bears have captured all three sectional team titles contested as they took this season's event by 100 strokes. All-Star teams are selected by Times Union writers with input from area coaches. Congratulations to the girls and to Coach Adamowski for a great season!
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100-year-old alumnus passes away
It is with sadness that I share the news that Dr. John L. Kimmey ‘40 passed away on December 5 at his home in Greenville, SC just two weeks after his 100th birthday. After graduating from Albany Academy, John attended Dartmouth College and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. With the help of the GI Bill, he received his Ph.D. in English at Columbia University. He taught English at the University of Virginia and Virginia Military Institute before heading to the University of South Carolina in 1958. John was a tenured professor and served as head of freshman English and established the Honors College at the University. He published many books of fiction and books on Henry James. His last book, What Amy Knew, will be published in 2023. We extend our condolences to John’s three children, 10 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.
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Holiday performance at Beverwyck in honor of a special alumna
Students in our theatre, dance, and music programs performed at the Beverwyck on December 14 for many of our alumni and alumnae who reside in the independent senior living community. The holiday performance was a tribute to Betty Aufsesser Sonneborn ’40, P’65, ’67, ’68, ’72, GP ’03, ’06, who sadly passed away in October. It would have been Betty’s 101st birthday on December 14.
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Reunion 2023 set for May 18-20
Don’t forget to reserve the dates on your calendar now and plan to attend Reunion 2023, which will be held on May 18-20. In 2023 we will celebrate class years that end in 3 and 8, and especially the class of 1973 on its 50th reunion. We appreciate those of you who have already volunteered to be a class chair or co-chair. If you are interested in serving as a co-chair for your class, please contact Joanne DelCarpine at delcarpinej@albanyacademies.org or call 518.429.2391. Reunion is a great time to share old memories and create new ones.
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Reserve the date for the 2023 golf outing
We hope you’ll mark your calendars and plan to join us for our annual golf outing on Monday, June 19, 2023, at the Colonie Country Club. All proceeds from the event support our athletic programs. It will be a great opportunity to support our scholar-athletes and have a fun day on the course! More details, including registration, will be coming soon.
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Consider year-end giving
During this season of giving, please know that your support provides every student at The Albany Academies with innumerable opportunities to thrive. If you are interested in making an end-of-year donation of stock or securities, please click here for instructions. Other donations can be made with a credit card, Venmo, Google Pay, Apple Pay, PayPal, or a bank transfer online at https://boostmyschool.com/academies-strong. Checks should be made out to The Albany Academies and mailed to 135 Academy Rd., Albany, NY 12208. Many thanks to all of you who have already participated!
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Many options for Planned Giving
If you would like information on including The Albany Academies in your will or making a gift of appreciated stock, life insurance, or a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), please let us know. There are many options for you to make a planned gift to support the School. Also, if you would like more information on how you can join our Academies Society, please contact Silvia Edmonds, Director of Development, at edmondss@albanyacademies.org or 518.429.2414.
Best wishes for a happy and peaceful holiday season and a healthy New Year! Thank you so much for your support during this past year.
Best,
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Ann Wendth
Chief Advancement Officer
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