Dear Alumnae & Alumni Community,

This past Sunday, we turned our clocks back an hour which means the start of less daylight. For many, it heralds the start of the holiday season that begins with Thanksgiving, a time spent with loved ones offering gratitude and appreciation for what matters most. In my short time at The Academies, I would be remiss not to acknowledge the overwhelming sense of commitment and dedication to the School from our alumnae and alumni community. Thank you for your support and engagement in ensuring that like you, our students continue to receive the many advantages that ensure they traverse their own road to success with care and guidance.

As Samantha Miorin `10 and Joe Fitzgerald `74 have shared in past communications, their work with fellow alumnae and alumni has focused on intentional engagement with our students. Over the past few months, your associations have recruited volunteers to serve as mentors with our Speed Mentoring program, coordination with our Community Service Day, and general support at Homecoming. Additionally, our Young Leaders Program, led by Alydaar Rangwala `11 is coordinating opportunities for current students in grades 11 and 12, college-age alumnae/I, and young alumnae/I, to engage with each other as well as more established alumnae/I, to provide resources to foster connections and continued engagement with our community. Special thanks to the many alumnae and alumni who have volunteered to coordinate or directly support our students, we are so grateful!

As we enter the Season of Giving, I wanted to share exciting opportunities to engage with us. For those interested in offering a gift of time and/or expertise, click here to view the list of opportunities for engagement with our students for the remainder of the school year. Additionally, I wanted to share that The Academies is hosting our first-ever Give Week from Wednesday, November 15 -22. Head of School, Chris Lauricella and his wife once again are offering a challenge match this year to alumni and alumnae. Chris and his wife Kristin will contribute $1,813 when we receive gifts from 211 alumni and an additional $1,814 when we receive gifts from 210 alumnae. Click here to make your gift online, gifts of all sizes make a difference and are greatly appreciated.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your gifts of time, talent, and treasure to The Academies – we could not offer our exceptional program to our students without your support and engagement.

Respectfully,

Joe Cheeseman

Chief Advancement Officer

The USS Slater on Community Service Day

Dr. Elissa Dragoni’s advisory spent Community Service Day at the USS Slater, a decommissioned WWII destroyer escort. Students were treated to a private tour of the ship and then helped to open the museum for the day. Responsibilities included buffing and shining the ship’s steering wheel, setting out artifacts within exhibits, and scrubbing the decks to ensure the ship looked great for the day’s visitors! This experience was coordinated by CMD Joe Fitzgerald '74 USN(Ret).

Dr. Cowles Campbell '71 recently sent us this update: I'm enjoying my first year of retirement immensely. The only part of my work life I miss (just a little bit) is the operating room and performing surgery. Now, every day is Sunday. My wife and I ski, hike, jog, or mountain bike every day. After all those years in classrooms, hospitals, and offices, I can finally be outside in the woods. So, if any classmates are visiting the lakes region of NH in summer or Sugarloaf, Maine in winter, I would happily be your guide.

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