March 9, 2023
Hello Friends,
This edition of Happenings is full of good news, just what we all need during these dreary last few weeks of winter. I hope wherever you are, you are warm and safe and looking forward to the official first day of spring, which is only two weeks away.
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Speed Mentoring a great success
More than 100 Upper School students had a chance to learn about a wide range of careers from our alumni and alumnae at our Speed Mentoring event held on March 6 in the Stevens Center. Local alumni and alumnae joined us to share their experiences and answer questions in brief tabletop discussions. Students learned about potential careers, internships, mentoring relationships, and possible May Project placements. Thanks to the Alumni and Alumnae Associations for sponsoring this event!
Pictured from l-r: Carol Crummey McCardle '04, Alex Brix '08, Carmen Power '04, Isabelle Jansen '10, John Scott '06, Anders Tomson '85, P'14, '19, Madeline Blackburn '17, Samantha Miorin '10, Ben Williams '99, Rachele Genhofer Feisthamel '06, Dan Quigley '95, P'26, '27, Paolo LaPietra '11 and Nicole Van Slyke '03.
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Florida gathering held in Fort Lauderdale
It was wonderful to see our alumni and alumnae at a gathering in Fort Lauderdale held on March 4. Chris Lauricella led a lively discussion about new initiatives and was happy to answer questions about current programming and events. Thank you to Cindy Caird for hosting!
Pictured from l-r front row: Debbie Meckler Freedman '69, Chief Advancement Officer Ann Wendth, Helen Goldenberg, Laraine Johnson and Katherine Allen. Back row l-r: Ellen Tomlinson '69, Head of School Chris Lauricella, Michael Picotte '65, Bettina Zeccolo-Mamone '89, P'19, Malik Nichols '97, Nakeysha Nichols, Dr. Robert Rasken '64, Kai Aichholz, Kelsey Burhans '13 and Cindy Caird.
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Commencement speakers confirmed
We’re pleased to announce that Elon D. Johnson ’94, Senior Creative Director & Head of Development at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, will be the 2023 Albany Academy for Girls commencement speaker on June 12. Called a storyteller and visionary, Elon is an influential player in the entertainment world. She discovers, fields, creates, elevates, develops, and produces TV series, TV and feature films, and over-the-top media services offered directly to viewers via the internet. As an Emmy Award-nominated producer, Elon has led the creation and execution of many critically acclaimed shows across several networks.
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Dr. Peter Kim ’87 will be the commencement speaker at The Albany Academy on June 13. Dr. Kim has worked as a surgeon at North Central Bronx Hospital and Jacobi Medical Center, two municipal hospitals in New York City. He has also taught medical students and residents as an Associate Professor of Surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Kim started the North Bronx Faculty Practice and has served as a Director of the Board for the Physician Affiliate Group of NY (PAGNY) for the last 9 years. Recently, Dr. Kim has started a video podcast series called “Between Two Scalpels” with General Surgery News exploring new topics in the fields of surgery, anesthesia, and medicine.
We are looking forward to hearing from these inspiring speakers.
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Swimming and Diving program breaks record
The boys' Swimming & Diving team competed at the NYSPHSAA Championship in Ithaca and did very well. One of our swimmers, Brayden Henkel '23, tied for 2nd in the 50-yard Freestyle. His time of 20.86 is a new School record and an All-American Consideration time. Brayden also REPEATED as State Champion in the 100-yard Breaststroke. His time of 54.33 earned him Automatic All-American status by over a second and is a new Section 2 and School record.
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Celebrating Founders' Day and Charter Day
It is always amazing to consider that The Albany Academies have more than 200 years of history in a country that is just 247 years old. On February 24 we celebrated the 209th Founders' Day at Albany Academy for Girls with cupcakes and an archival presentation in the Drawing Room. Our sincere thanks to Margaret Lamar King ‘65 for her work compiling the presentation and to the Alumnae Council for providing the delicious cupcakes. We also celebrated The Albany Academy’s 210th Charter Day, which fell on Saturday, March 4. We created two slideshows and a video to mark the occasions, which can be viewed at https://boostmyschool.com/academies-strong. Thank you to all those who made a gift in celebration of these milestones and in response to Chris Lauricella’s Head of School Challenge. We are very grateful!
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Girls Varsity Basketball Team wins Section 2 title
Congratulations to the Girls' Varsity Basketball Team for winning the Section 2 Basketball Championship! The team was featured in a recent Times Union article entitled “Times Union Girls' Basketball Rankings.” You can read it here. Way to go, Bears!
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Alumnus in the news
Alumnus Sean Austin's ’07 company, Helios Life Enterprises (HLE), was selected as a finalist in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) category for the 15th annual SXSW Pitch. Out of the 731 companies that applied to present, Helios was selected among the 40 finalists spanning eight separate categories and will present among four other companies in the AI category. You can read more at http://getheliosvoice.com/helios-selected-as-finalist-for-sxsw-2023/
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Winter musical a big hit
On February 17 and 18, our students performed "Cyrano de BurgerShack" as their annual winter musical. The show is a modern-day version of Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play “Cyrano de Bergerac.” Our students’ version told the story of the eloquent Cyrano, king of the local BurgerShack, who can’t seem to win the love of his best friend, Roxanne. Roxanne confesses her love for the attractive burger flipper, Christian, and Cyrano decides playing Cupid and helping the tongue-tied Christian win Roxanne over is better than sitting on the sidelines. What a fun show!
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Academy friends gather for a special day
It was a special event for members of the Class of 1993 to get together – Jenny Levy’s wedding to her new husband, John Regan. Congratulations to Jenny and John and thank you for sharing such a beautiful photo from your day!
Pictured l-right: David Levy (officiant), Chris Krackeler ‘93, Nick Adler ‘93, Kerry Propper ‘93, Donald Quinby ‘93, Jenny ’93 and John Regan.
Photo credit: Stephanie McCauley, iSmile Studios
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Admissions Open House next week
We’re hosting another open house on Wednesday, March 15 at 6 p.m. here at The Albany Academies. Do you know someone who might be considering The Albany Academies for their child or children? If so, please invite them to attend this open house event. As you know, The Albany Academies offer students a high-quality, well-rounded experience to prepare them for success in college and beyond. At our open house, interested families will meet with our faculty, administrators, and students; tour the campus; and learn more about our unique programs. Please share this registration link with anyone who is interested: albanyacademies.org/page/admissions/admission-events
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NYC Gathering planned for April
If you will be in New York City on Friday, April 14, please plan to join us at the home of Mila and Tom Tuttle '84 for our local alumni/ae gathering. These gathering events have become a very popular way to connect with old friends and make new ones from other classes. For more details and to register, go to
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Honorees announced for Spring Gathering
Three very special individuals will be honored at this year’s Spring Gathering:
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Nancy Carey Cassidy P’13, ’15 |
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Caroline was Headmistress of AAG from 1999 to 2003 and Head of School of both The Albany Academy and Albany Academy for Girls from 2003 to 2007. She was responsible for the merger that was effective July 1, 2007. Caroline has remained involved with the Academies since she retired; she is a member of the Board of Visitors and has an endowed scholarship named in her honor. Dave has been teaching at the Academies for more than 30 years. He served as the head of the Upper School from 1990 to 2000, as director of college counseling from 1990 to 1993, as academic dean under Caroline Mason, and as chair of the English Department. Dave has also directed our last several Independent School (NYSAIS) reaccreditation processes with great success. Nancy was appointed to The Albany Academies Board of Trustees in 2013 and has been chair since 2015. She is an avid supporter of the arts at the Academies and has served as chair of our major fine arts fundraiser. She also served as the president of the AAPA from 2010 to 2013. Nancy is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Picotte Companies.
I hope you will join us on Saturday, April 29 at Albany Country Club to help us recognize these outstanding individuals. To join the honorary committee or to register to attend please visit SpringGathering.givesmart.com
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Mark your calendars for our Golf Outing in June
Mark your calendars now to join us for our annual golf outing on Monday, June 19 at Colonie Country Club. Whether you’re spending time on the green or just joining us for dinner, you’ll get to catch up with other alumni, alumnae, and parents have an opportunity to watch others golf with the Academies’ championship golf teams. For more on how you can support our Athletics program, click here.
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Online registration to open soon for Reunion 2023
Join us May 18 - 20 for Reunion 2023! This year’s reunion will once again feature a welcome reception, Old Guard Luncheon, Alumnae Luncheon, Alumni Barbecue, Arts Hall of Fame and Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies, and more. You won’t want to miss these great events and the opportunity to take a trip down memory lane. Registration and hard copy invitations coming soon!
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Be well and keep in touch! |
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Ann Wendth
Chief Advancement Officer
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