Updates from Jo-Ann Lovejoy
Director of Alumni Advancement
October 23, 2020
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Wow…it has been a very exciting time for alumni at LA the past few weeks!
The Alumni Council launched their inaugural "Alumni for LA: A Career Panel Series" on October 8th; the devoted and growing legions of dedicated Reunion and Class Agents gathered for a spirited ZOOM annual kick off of the new fiscal year on October 6th; and the Alumni Council conducted their virtual meeting on October 1st. Energy and enthusiasm for LA is on the rise and I am extraordinarily grateful to be working with so many amazing, talented, and thoughtful members of the alumni community.
In the “LA Pride” category, The Nobel Peace Prize was recently awarded on October 9, 2020 to the World Food Programme (WFP), and we wish to acknowledge our own George Aelion '70 and Greater Good Award recipient, as a long-term, dedicated member of the leadership team at WFP and one who indeed shares this honor with the organization. Be sure to join George, other alumni, and Head of School Dan Scheibe for a thought provoking virtual conversation on Thursday November 5, 2020 noon – 1:00 EDT. You'll get to meet George, learn more about WFP, as well as ways they are impacting global food insecurity. Invitation to follow...
We are also very excited to congratulate former Lawrence Academy boys' hockey players, Sam Colangelo, Riley Duran, and Gunnarwolfe Fontaine as they join the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, and Nashville Predators, respectively. We look forward to tracking their careers with Spartan pride!
Speaking of teams, it takes one to move the school forward and I am grateful to the growing members of the Alumni Council who are bringing new ideas and enthusiasm to our alumni work each day. Read more about one of our newest Alumni Council members, Clare Noone ’14. Thanks Clare for the ways you inspire us!
Please mark your calendars for Friday, November 13th and join us from 12:00 NOON – 1:00 PM EST for our 2nd Alumni for LA: A Career Panel Series - Careers in the Arts:
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Finally, I look forward to hearing from you with your thoughts, ideas, and ways you wish to connect with Lawrence Academy. Be in touch! jlovejoy@lacademy.edu
Sincerely,
Jo-Ann Lovejoy
Director of Alumni Advancement
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Alumni Council Launches "Alumni for LA: A Career Panel Series" featuring Careers in Financial Services by Victor Howell '08
On October 8, 2020, "The Alumni for LA/A Career Panel" series was moderated by Alumni Council members, Victor Howell '08 and Patrick Donohue '06. They set out with the goal of providing an engagement where Alumni in Financial Services could share experiences or advice with other Alumni who are interested in learning about the industry. Read More...
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Three Former Spartans Drafted
Congratulations to former LA Spartans boys' hockey standouts Sam Colangelo, Riley Duran, and Gunnarwolfe Fontaine! All three were selected out of the USHL in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft on October 7. Sam was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round. Our hometown Boston Bruins selected Riley in the sixth round. Meanwhile, Gunnar, who scored the championship-winning goal for the Spartans in the 2018 NEPSAC Championship game, was drafted by the Nashville Predators. #GoLASpartans, indeed!
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George Aelion ’70 , a Greater Good Award recipient, celebrates Nobel Peace Prize with WFP World Food Programme (WFP) as a member of its leadership team
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“The work of the World Food Programme to the benefit of humankind is an endeavour that all the nations of the world should be able to endorse and support.”
Oslo, 9 October 2020
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As a member of Lawrence Academy’s International Alumni community, George Aelion '70 has dedicated his life to the service of others. As a member of its global leadership team, George's work with the World Food Programme, has been career-defining and previously earned George a place among other distinguished Greater Good Award recipients. Now, as a member of the team awarded The Nobel Peace Prize George will join all alumni on Thursday November 5th noon -1:00 EDT for a virtual conversation about his work (invitation to follow). We'll ask what this recognition means to WFP and what the recognition might inspire globally. Thank you George for the “greater good” you have inspired in the LA community. Read More...
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DEI Book Discussions Continue:
You’re Invited - Join us on December 8!
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Meet The Alumni Council: Featured Member - Clare Noone '14
Clare Noone graduated from Lawrence Academy in 2014. At LA, she was captain of the varsity field hockey team, captain of the junior varsity ice hockey team, a member of the Student-Faculty Senate, and co-president of the Relay for Life club. She received the Ferguson Prize for Leadership upon graduation. Clare also worked for six years in the summer programs at Lawrence during high school and college.
After LA, she graduated magna cum laude from Providence College with degrees in political science and French. While at Providence, she studied at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and was an intern at the French Ministry of Education in Paris, France.
Originally from Stow, Massachusetts, Clare currently lives in Boston. She previously spent two years living in Washington, D.C. where she worked at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) as a project manager in executive education. She oversaw the strategic and financial management of the department and liaised with other CSIS teams to support new programming.
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Former Faculty Joe Sheppard releases new book
Shep’s Places: A treasury of tales about Lawrence Academy and her people over the last half-century or so. Copies available via Amazon.
Robin Soloway Farmanfarmaian '91 releases her third book; a timely release!
Facilitating Virtual Events: Driving Participant Engagement & Interaction. Available on Amazon.
Have you been published recently? Make your LA English teachers proud! Please share your work so we may highlight it as part of LA’s own Author’s Corner. Contact Jo-Ann Lovejoy...
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2020-2021 Reunion and Class Agents Gather for Annual kick off meeting!
Hello Spartans,
I come to you from atop the (Virtual) Elm Tree-Shaded Hillside! I hope this greeting finds you, your families and loved ones healthy and safe as we navigate these uncharted waters together. Remember, we are in this together!
This school year is one of the most challenging and exciting in the history of Lawrence Academy. As we watch the administration, faculty, and students improvise to create a unique, challenging, and, I'm sure, rewarding school year, it is incumbent upon us as alumni/ae to elevate our game to help LA with increased alumni support and engagement. We are excited about our renewed Class Agent program, and I am honored to be serving as Chair of the Class Agent Executive Committee this year to help increase:
- Alumni Giving to the Annual Fund;
- Increase Alumni participation levels to inspire other constituencies within our community;
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and to increase Alumni engagement so that we all are better connected to our alma mater.
I want to thank all of you who are volunteering this year as Class Agents and Reunion Coordinators. Our Zoom Class Agent Annual Kick Off meeting on October 6th laid out the framework of how we hope to support all of you in your efforts this coming year. Alums, I hope that when you are contacted by your classmates, you will respond in true Spartan Spirit and give of yourself, give financially, and provide whatever you can to support the school's mission this year as we all do what we can to support LA in meeting the current challenge. Volunteer for one of the Alumni Council's alumni/ae panels. Financial support is always needed and welcome, but your time and expertise is priceless in helping other alums and current students along the way. There are many ways to "Pay it Forward!"
As we approach the holidays, I hope you and your loved ones remain healthy and safe, and I look forward to when we can all gather together in person in Groton or at one or our regional gatherings.
Best Wishes,
Kevin McDonald '70, P'10
Chair of the Class Agent Executive Committee
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LA Reunion, June 11-12, 2021
As you read above, planning for Reunion is underway and we are pleased to share that we are planning to host a Double Reunion on June 11-12, 2021. LA looks forward to bringing all of the 2020 and 2021 Reunion Classes together (due, of course, to postponement of 2020 LA Reunion Weekend this past June) in a joint celebration. Read More...
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We are already working on the spring edition of The Academy Journal, so don’t miss the chance to be included in the magazine. Please share your class notes, news, photos, books you’ve published and what inspires you most these days with Pru Glover, Program Manager for Alumni Advancement and Trustees, today. We are excited to publish your news in your class notes and celebrate your lives as LA alumni.
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#LAadmissions: Save the Dates
Please invite friends and family to check out LA!
Arts Program Open House, Thursday, Oct. 29,
College Counseling Open House, Thursday, Nov. 5,
Campus Life Open House, Thursday, Nov. 12,
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Alumni Topics
The Elm Tree Gazette | Volume VIII | October 2020
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