May 28, 2021
 
Hello, Friends,

As the spring term comes to an end, activities are still in full gear here at The Albany Academies. It’s a special time of year as we celebrate our graduating seniors and salute all of our students, our faculty, and our professional community for surviving – in fact, thriving – during this most unusual academic year. Kudos to all of them for their perseverance and fortitude!
Hall of Fame & Distinguished Alumni/ae Celebration A Success
On May 20, more than 390 individuals tuned in to our virtual Hall of Fame & Distinguished Alumni/ae Celebration. Congratulations to these outstanding honorees who we recognized during the event:
  • AA Hall of Fame inductees: Anthony Owens ’85, Ned Duffy ’70, Jim Mills ’95, Robert Beaulieu ’85, Neil Bryant ’00, Coach Scott Young P’21, ’24, and the 1999-2000 Football Team
  • AAG Hall of Fame inductees: Coach Bonnie Morse-Gillham, Andrea Lodico ’00, Emily Downie ’12, and Kirstie Phelps-Harris ’01
  • Distinguished Alumna: Elon Johnson ’94
  • Distinguished Young Alumna: Carol Crummey McCardle ’04
  • Distinguished Alumnus: Neil Murray ’62 and Anders Tomson ’85
  • Distinguished Young Alumnus: Chris Ashley ’05

Please check back next week as we will be posting the videos and the full recorded program on our website. Pictured here are AA Alumni President Nick Faso '02 and AAG Alumnae President Kelley Walsh Triscari '07 introducing the event.
Class of 2021 Hall of Fame Honorees Announced
We are very pleased to announce our Class of 2021 Hall of Fame honorees Allison Stefanelli '16, Nicole Van Slyke '03, MaryBeth Davis '88, Sarah Kandath ’11, David Martin '61, (posthumously), John Rich '61, Jay Peacock '71, Robert Helm '76, Gerald Kyo Jeong '91, Agean Robinson '01, and Oliver Tassinari '01. In addition to these individuals, we will recognize the 1961 Swimming Team and current Golf Coach Jak Bestle (see the brief below on Jak) on Saturday, October 2 at a Reunion breakfast ceremony. Watch for additional details.

Thank you to the AA and AAG Hall of Fame Selection Committee chairs Joe Fitzgerald '74 and Samantha Miorin '10.
Reception to Honor Faculty Member, Coach, and Alumnus
We hope you will join us on June 17 from 6-7:30 p.m. for a reception in the Michael B. Picotte Field House to honor longtime coach and faculty member Dave Rider '73, P'04. Dave began teaching and coaching at The Albany Academy in the fall of 1977. Since that time, he has coached all levels of football, hockey, and baseball in addition to his physical education duties.

We will miss Dave and we wish him the best in his future retirement! If you are interested in attending the farewell event, please RSVP to ostranderd@albanyacademies.org.
Student-Athletes Recognized at Signing Event
On Wednesday, May 26, we hosted a signing ceremony in the James E. Poole Athletic Facility for 12 student-athletes who have committed to attending Division I, II, and III colleges and universities and participating on athletic teams at their chosen college. We wish these students much success in their academic and athletic pursuits! They include:
  • Roberto Barron, Penn State University Harrisburg, DIII, baseball
  • Timothy Carlson, New England College, DIII, golf
  • William Comparin, St. Lawrence University, DIII, track and field
  • Jackson Foley-Stevenson, Occidental College, DIII, soccer
  • Justin Haverly, Salve Regina University, DIII, lacrosse
  • Chris Huban, Bentley, DIII, gol
  • Nicholas Lyons, Siena College, DI, golf
  • William O’Brien, Fairfield University, DI, tennis
  • Kieran O’Haire, Providence College, DI, basketball
  • Esteban Ramirez, St. Lawrence University, DIII, track and field
  • Ivan Young, Saint Norbert College, DIII, swimming
  • Julia Zacher, Amherst College, DIII, track and field

The signing event was covered by local news stations WNYT and WTEN. Click here to see the coverage.
Jak Bestle Named Coach of the Year
Academy Golf Coach and AA College Counselor Jak Bestle was named high school golf coach of the year by the Times Union earlier this week. The recognition said, “The former Section II golf coordinator put together another strong team that would have been a Section II Tournament contender had one been held this season.” Click here to view the article, or visit https://www.timesunion.com/hssports/article/Times-Union-boys-golf-all-stars-16197623.php Congratulations, Jak!
Seventh Graders Produce Newsletter
Hats off to three AAG students who created a newspaper, Lost Cities Weekly, as an independent English class project this spring. Seventh graders had already read the book assigned to the class so they chose a series, read four of the books, and created a newspaper seated within the universe of the series. The project is a wonderful example of the personalized, highly motivating classroom environment found at The Albany Academies.
Journey to Success Coming Up in June
The AAG Alumnae Council will sponsor its third annual "Journey to Success" event at Lost and Found at 942 Broadway in Albany, providing a glimpse into the career path of accomplished alumnae. This year's event, to be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, June 9, will feature McKenzie Nicholson Fruehwirth '99, who is one of our school counselors, and Academy parent Julie Morison of HPA/Livewell and will focus on health care and mental health careers. Click here or visit albanyacademies.org/thank-you-for-your-gift to register.
Alumni & Alumnae Speaker Series Continues to be Successful
Our most recent event in the Alumni & Alumnae Speaker Series was held on May 13 with a focus on technology and was another success. Thank you to guest panelists Cypriana McCray ’94 - Federal Government, Sam McHugh ’95 - Open Systems, Raymond Endres ’87 - Facebook, Neerav Patel ’96 - IBM Watson Health, and Isabelle Heukensfeldt Jansen ’10 - GE Global Research Center for sharing your expertise and experiences with our students.
Click here to watch this speaker session.
Asked & Answered Events to be Held In-Person and Remotely
Over the next two months, we have several “Asked & Answered” Admissions information sessions on the calendar. Please plan to join us – and encourage anyone you know who might be considering an Academies education for their child – to participate either in person or remotely on one of these dates:
  • Wednesday, June 16
  • Wednesday, June 30
  • Wednesday, July 14
  • Wednesday, July 28
All of the sessions will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. Register here.
Class Notes Needed Soon
If you have any news you would like to share about yourself or a friend or classmate, please be sure to send it to me for Class Notes in the upcoming edition of A2 Magazine by Thursday, June 10. I’m sure your classmates would love to learn what you’ve been up to.
Still Time to Make a Gift to the Annual Fund
Thank you to our alumni and alumnae who have made a gift to this year's Annual Fund. If you have not yet made a gift, please help The Albany Academies finish the school year strong and consider a gift by the end of our fiscal year on June 30, 2021. Despite the challenges we have faced, we certainly have a lot to be thankful for, including our outstanding teachers. They have inspired and guided our students all year and showed me the true meaning of dedication and kindness. Click here to donate.
Alumnus in the Spotlight
Congratulations to Ahmed Lachgar '17 who graduated on May 28, 2021 from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Ahmed was joined by Mary Wren, a very special donor of the Virginia O’Cain Wren Scholarship. He was the recipient of this endowed scholarship while a student at The Albany Academy and has remained in contact with Mary over the past four years. Congratulations again to Ahmed and thank you to Mary for your continued support and generosity.
There are many upcoming opportunities to reconnect with your school and your friends. I hope I will see you at some of them! Enjoy the Memorial Day Weekend!

Warm regards,
Ann Wendth
Chief Advancement Officer