Thanks to everyone who joined us for RL’s Winter Family Night on January 20! Despite the wintry weather conditions, hundreds of Roxbury Latin family, friends, and fans came to cheer on all three varsity teams competing at home, along with JV Basketball. Varsity Wrestling began the evening by taking on Lexington Christian Academy, whom they beat 66-16. Next JV Basketball topped BB&N by a score of 74-56. Varsity Hockey faced off against Austin Prep in Hennessy Rink, coming away with a 2-1 victory. The evening’s culminating event was a Varsity Basketball battle against BB&N, in which Roxbury Latin won 61-45. Enjoy a complete gallery of images from the games and festivities, taken by Adam Richins.
-
A Hall Honoring Paul Sugg Opens the Winter Term
Roxbury Latin began its winter term, and welcomed the new year, on January 3 with a celebration honoring beloved, veteran faculty member Paul Sugg, who served as RL’s Dean of Students for 23 years. The Hall marked the installation of the Paul E. Sugg Deanship, a generous gift of alumnus and trustee Jim Quagliaroli ’93 and his wife, Kim.
Mr. Sugg, who began at Roxbury Latin in 1983, has served as an inspiring teacher, a dedicated coach, and a caring advisor to RL boys for 40 years. For more than two decades he also served as Roxbury Latin’s firm but fair Dean of Students—both advocating for RL boys and holding them accountable. He is an exemplar of what we hold dear in our school: knowing and loving the boys in our care.
“While I regularly acknowledge the Board of Trustees as the force for institutional continuity, and the students of the school as our most distinctive feature, it is the faculty and staff who inexorably provide RL’s connective tissue,” began Headmaster Kerry Brennan in Hall that morning. “Faculty and staff daily, yearly, and generationally breathe life into our capacity for affecting positively the lives of hundreds of boys… We are called to this work. We are fortunate to do it here, in this hallowed place, and to recognize and esteem colleagues both long in the tooth and wet behind the ears who bring energy, commitment, talent, and panache to our collective enterprise. Schools like ours not only tolerate, but usually revere, idiosyncratic colleagues, quirky manifestations of lived experience, personality, and individual needs and goals. Today we will celebrate such a remarkable individual.”
Read Headmaster Brennan’s complete tribute to Paul Sugg.
Read Paul Sugg’s complete address.
“This day, we also celebrate the profound act of gratitude that leads to a former student remembering with fondness and possibility a teacher and coach who changed his life for the better,” continued Headmaster Brennan. “Over the years, we have been fortunate that a number of alumni, parents, and other friends of the school have seen fit to establish professorships and chairs, many honoring by name individual faculty whose impact has been acknowledged through this benefaction… In growing an endowment that helps to take care of faculty and helps to compensate them fairly, benefactors signal both appreciation for what has occurred and a hopefulness about what is to come.
“Jim Quagliaroli, Class of ’93 and trustee, acknowledges the impact Roxbury Latin had on the man he became by honoring a teacher and coach who was instrumental in his development in order that subsequent teacher-coaches, and in this case, deans of students, might have a similar impact on students yet to come. What a marvelous instrument for signaling a regard for the circle of life that is schools: One cohort paving the way for the next, teachers inspiring and shaping the next generation to be good and to do good.
“Jim stood out during his time as a student, as one of the school’s most dynamic and versatile leaders. Both faculty and Jim’s peers admired his unwavering work ethic, and his pursuit of excellence. However, while Jim challenged himself to grow and improve, he never placed his drive for personal success above what was best for the class, or the team. Today, Jim is managing partner of Silversmith Capital Partners, a Boston-based growth equity firm that he co-founded in 2015. Jim’s resume includes notable prizes and honors, but it also includes an impressive list of leadership and service commitments that have marked Jim as a person who cares deeply not simply about doing well, but—more important—about doing good.”
Roxbury Latin is so grateful to Jim and Kim Quagliaroli for their generosity and for the ability their gifts afford us in honoring our faculty in meaningful and important ways.
-
St. Louis City Treasurer Adam Layne ’07 Shares Lessons He’s Learned
On November 29, Roxbury Latin welcomed back Adam Layne, Class of 2007, who delivered a personal and inspiring Hall to students and faculty in Rousmaniere. Adam serves today as the Treasurer of the City of St. Louis. He began his talk addressing the boys as his “fellow RL brothers,” and offering insight into what he does and what he’s learned along the way.
Adam described his North Star as “always being where I am needed most.” He began his career with Teach for America, through which he taught math in a public high school in the city he now serves. In this role, he was reminded of the value of education—a value his mother had long instilled in him—and creating opportunity in places where it’s needed. From there, Adam began consulting on educational matters and ultimately entered politics by serving on the Public School Board of Education in St. Louis in 2019. (He was elected on his second run, after his first unsuccessful campaign, underscoring for RL boys the value of persistence and the need to learn from—and then move on from—failure.) Once on the board, Adam quickly learned that the role was less about education and more about politics. Regardless, he strove to develop and nurture programs of significant impact in the sometimes slow-moving government realm. It was during his time on the Board of Education that Adam was appointed to his next job, as Deputy Chief of Staff in the St. Louis Treasurer’s Office in March 2020—mere days before the pandemic shutdown. He loved the role, and he aligned himself with St. Louis’s future mayor. He was eventually appointed City Treasurer in 2021: “It’s hard work, but I love every day, because I love making people’s lives better,” Adam said.
After walking the boys through his career path—winding, and emerging as he “said yes” to unexpected opportunities that came his way—Adam shifted to reflect on his experience at Roxbury Latin. He thanked his mother, who was in attendance, for the sacrifices she made to send him to RL. He then highlighted five experiences that stood out to him during his time here:
“My First Day”
On Adam’s first day at Roxbury Latin, he showed up to school wearing a jacket and tie, quickly realizing it was overkill for the RL dress code. He also arrived with a blank check to buy his books. While waiting in line to pick up his textbooks, he worried about the cost—not only of the books, but also of an RL education. After tallying up the price of the books, an administrator told him simply, “It’s covered.” At that moment, Adam knew he was also “covered” in the care he would receive here, and that RL was likely the right place for him.“That’s Gay”
As a student, Adam remembered a Hall speaker who addressed the use of toxic language and bigoted terms. As the school day continued, teachers in every class led intentional and constructive conversations about the topic, to hear what the students thought, and to help them understand the damage language can impart—ultimately in the aim of helping the boys become good men. For Adam, this Hall and his teachers’ care demonstrated how to be an effective and thoughtful educator—knowing when to set the syllabus aside to focus on other important topics.“Dropped Kick-off vs. Belmont Hill”
Adam shared that he made many mistakes at RL. One that stood out for him happened on the football field: As a student-athlete, Adam dropped an opening kick versus the school’s rival in a big game. He was devastated, but quickly realized it was an opportunity for growth. At Roxbury Latin, his coaches, teachers, and friends helped Adam to reflect and improve after seemingly devastating mishaps.“Could’ve Been a New England Champion”
When he was cut from the basketball team, Adam pursued wrestling during his RL journey. He could have treated the sport as a secondary part of his school experience, but he learned through his time on the team to present his best self and “show up fully” in everything he did. This lesson has helped him discover and pursue a variety of unexpected opportunities throughout his career.“Simple Pat On the Cheek from Rev. Jarvis”
Throughout every school day, the adults at school and Adam’s RL brothers prepared him for the world through gestures of support and care, both large and small.The Hall concluded with several questions from the students. In his answers, Adam expressed that his proudest moment as Treasurer was navigating COVID-19 in an equitable way for the City of St. Louis. He also shared that even though he did not see himself ever going into politics as a high school student, he refused to say no to any opportunity that would allow him to serve others in need.
-
Tom Guden ’96 Kicks Off the Season With Gratitude
For nearly 20 years, Roxbury Latin has launched the school’s Thanksgiving break with the annual Thanksgiving Exercises Hall—an opportunity to reflect on our many gifts, as individuals and as a community. “As you will hear from others today, in readings and song,” Headmaster Brennan began, “each of us has a bundle of blessings for which we ought to be grateful. As you’ve heard me say before, the only thing wrong with Thanksgiving as a holiday is that it may suggest that this is the only time to give thanks, or at least the most important. Each day—virtually each hour—offers an occasion for gratitude.”
During Hall students, faculty, and staff sang out—We Gather Together, For the Splendor of Creation, America the Beautiful. Ms. Reynolds read Psalm 100, and Mr. Beam read John Critchley Prince’s poem Harvest Hymn. The Hall featured the resonant Litany of Thanksgiving—which includes a boy from each of the six classes—reminding us all of our “blessings manifold.”
Delivering the morning’s address was faculty member and alumnus Tom Guden ’96, teacher of Classics and RL’s Assistant Headmaster for Advancement. Mr. Guden’s address was personal, and powerful, and it beautifully honored several other adults in the Roxbury Latin community who have made an impact on him, and for whom he is grateful.
The thanks that he offered—by way of stories and memories, some funny and some poignant—were far-reaching, and included not only his former teachers Mo Randall, Mike Pojman, and Paul Sugg, but also the students in the seats of Rousmaniere; the staff members who commit their time and talent to various aspects of the school; the loyal and dedicated alumni and parents who support the school financially each year, in order to perpetuate its mission; members of the RL community who have gone before us, leaving lasting impressions in their wake, including faculty member Steve Ward, and Billy McDonald, Class of 1980, who passed away his senior year; and Mr. Guden’s own parents, who sacrificed for their sons to attend Roxbury Latin.
“I am grateful that my parents sacrificed by scraping and saving to give me this opportunity to attend RL,” said Mr. Guden. “Both of my parents were educators, and they saw that Roxbury Latin would reinforce the values of hard work, accountability, humility, and respect for others that they strove to instill at home. Your parents want the same for you. All of you again should thank your parents tonight for the commitment they have made to send you here.”
“It was the generosity of those folks I’ve mentioned and, in general, the parents and alumni during that era that allowed my family to be a part of this community. I am grateful for those who gave me this opportunity. Each person in the room today, whether you are a student or a member of the faculty and staff, whether your family needs financial assistance or not—each one of us is benefiting from the support and investment of the larger community of alumni, parents, and friends who care about this place, ensure its long-term welfare, and want to give you this opportunity. We are all blessed to be here, and we should not take that for granted at any time, but especially in this season of giving thanks.” -
General Enoch Woodhouse, of the Tuskegee Airmen, Delivers Veterans Day Hall Remarks
On November 10, Headmaster Brennan welcomed students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests to Roxbury Latin’s annual Veterans Day Commemoration Hall, which honors, as Mr. Brennan began, “those veterans who are with us, and also all those others who have served our country in peacetime and wartime over the past 250 years. Their commitment, loyalty, and service to our country, to the values for which it stands, and for each one of us ought never to be forgotten.”
Following a welcome by Mr. Brennan—which included a brief history of Armistice Day, and of the RL alumni who committed their lives to military service—came a reading by senior Michael Thomas of In Flanders Fields, by John McCrae, and a reading by senior Brandon Clark of High Flight, by John Gillespie Magee. Rousing renditions of the songs America, I Vow to Thee My Country, and God Bless America rounded out a celebration that culminated in personal, memorable remarks delivered by Brigadier General Enoch Woodhouse II, father of alumnus Enoch Woodhouse III, Class of 2003.
General Woodhouse was born in Roxbury, raised in Mission Hill, and attended high school in Jamaica Plain. In 1944, at the age of 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned 2nd Lt. at age 19. He was assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group known as the Tuskegee Airmen, as Paymaster. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American military aviators in the United States Armed Forces. During World War II, Black Americans in many U.S. states were still subject to Jim Crow laws, and the American military was racially segregated, as was much of the federal government. General Woodhouse and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen played a critical role in World War II and in the early integration of the American Armed Forces.
After retiring from the U.S. Army Air Force, General Woodhouse attended and graduated from Yale University. He then studied at Yale Law School and at Boston University Law School, earning his JD from the latter in 1955. He worked as a trial lawyer in Boston for more than 40 years, and in the State Department, and for the City of Boston, as well.
Among his many awards and honors, in 2007 he—along with 300 of his fellow Tuskegee Airmen—received the Congressional Gold Medal from President George W. Bush. When his active military service was over, General Woodhouse joined the reserves, where he was recently appointed Brigadier General by Governor Charlie Baker. General Woodhouse has long been a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, which was chartered in 1638. The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company is the oldest chartered military organization in America and the third largest in the world.
Last month, a mural of General Woodhouse was unveiled at Logan Airport, painted by renowned street artist Victor Quiñonez. The mural—located in Terminal C, outside of the USO facility—celebrates him and his many fellow Tuskegee Airmen, which includes not only the navigators and bombardiers, but also the mechanics, instructors, crew chiefs, nurses, cooks, and other support personnel.
During the Hall, General Woodhouse described in straightforward language—as only a nonagenarian can—what he experienced as a young, Black military man in 1940s America. He described growing up in Boston without much money, and his mother telling her two sons—after the attack on Pearl Harbor—that she wanted them to enlist in the military and fight for their country. He described the discrimination he experienced both at Yale and in the military, but he urged students to rise above the challenges in their lives; to stay true to their own values; to persevere; and not to take for granted the privileges they’ve been given.
“General Woodhouse is a stalwart patriot, and representative of a critical part of our nation’s history,” said Mr. Brennan. “We are grateful to General Woodhouse for his example, and for the service of the millions of men and women who have fought to defend the lives and freedoms that we enjoy today.”
-
Celebrating a Sunny Homecoming and Fall Family Day
On Saturday, October 29, more than 700 Roxbury Latin fans—students, alumni, faculty, families, and friends—gathered on campus for this season’s Homecoming and Fall Family Day.
The day brought athletic competitions across campus, including varsity matches in cross country, soccer, and football. Before kick-off of the football game, Headmaster Brennan—speaking from the 50-yard line of O’Keeffe Field—thanked everyone for being there to celebrate, and introduced the day’s special guests: alumni who were members of the championship football teams of 1987 (7-0, ISL Champions); 1997 (7-0, ISL Champions); and 2002 (9-0, ISL and NE Champions), along with their beloved coach of more than two decades, Mr. Frank Guerra. A special reception was held in their honor after the football game. Earlier that morning, RL soccer alumni took on Belmont Hill’s alumni in the annual Terry Iandiorio ’89 Memorial Game. (Roxbury Latin secured the win for this year’s bragging rights, 5-1.)
Following the ceremony, and just prior to the game, the Latonics performed the National Anthem from the 50-yard line. At halftime, on the football field, Sixies and Fifthies battled it out in the annual tug-of-war. (Class V emerged victorious, continuing a years-long championship.)
-
Welcome, New Faculty and Staff
Part of Roxbury Latin’s continuity is that we are always welcoming new people to our ranks—students, faculty, and staff. This year, a record eleven new members of the faculty and staff will join RL as teachers and administrators, coaches and advisors.
Alec Bleday joins the Alumni and Development Office as a Major Gifts Officer. A seasoned development professional, Mr. Bleday has served The Pantry, Xaverian Brothers High School, the Celebrity Series of Boston, as well as the Salvation Army in various fundraising roles, including directing annual giving and major gifts. He also founded ECH Outreach, which served through podcasts to share information about cancer research. Mr. Bleday graduated from Xaverian Brothers High school where he was a cross country and track standout. His coaches included faculty members Bryan Dunn and Chris Heaton. Mr. Bleday went on to the University of Pennsylvania from which he received a BA in Classical Studies and competed for the track and field team. He earned his MBA from Babson in 2016. In addition to his development work, Mr. Bleday will teach a section of Latin and assist with freshman soccer.
Jack Colavita ’17 had an outstanding career as a Roxbury Latin student. Elected president of both his junior and senior classes, Mr. Colavita also served as editor-in-chief of the Yearbook, as well as captain of the varsity soccer team. A superb student, he extended himself on behalf of the varsity lacrosse team as well, and earned both the publications prize and the Berenberg Prize at graduation. He was known for his talent, leadership, and ability to galvanize members of whatever community he was serving. Mr. Colavita went on to Georgetown from which he graduated in 2021 with a degree in Classics. He was a student assistant in the Classics Department, a writer for the student newspaper The Hoya, and co-founded a record label that featured two score student musicians. Over his college summers, Mr. Colavita worked at Fidelity Investments. During this past year, he worked as a lead tutor for SoFlo SAT Tutoring, helping to train fellow tutors, and expanded the training skills to several communities that might not otherwise afford such test preparation. Mr. Colavita is one of two new Penn Fellows this year—teaching, coaching, and advising while also earning a master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania. He will teach English 7, as well as a section of Latin 1. He will also serve as head freshman soccer coach, and assist with junior varsity lacrosse.
Kristen Gibbons began her new career this summer as Assistant to the Headmaster. Mrs. Gibbons boasts similar connections to RL as her two predecessors: Both Mrs. Joan Regan, and, most recently, Mrs. Elaine Driscoll, had boys who attended the school. So, too, have Mrs. Gibbons’s boys, Brendan ’19, and Aidan ’23 been RL students. Like Mrs. Driscoll, Mrs. Gibbons is married to an RL alumnus (Paul ’86), and with her husband served as a co-president of the Parents’ Auxiliary. She knows Roxbury Latin well, and from various angles. Mrs. Gibbons is a Milton native and earned her degree in economics at Holy Cross. She had an early career with Fidelity Investments at which she served in customer service, as well as in marketing, and investment resources. Her family spent 13 years in Chicago where she was active as a school volunteer and helped as both a fundraiser and a liaison for parents. Mrs. Gibbons has worked similarly on behalf of the Dover-Sherborn School District and the Dover Education Fund. Most recently, she has run her own successful floral business.
Matthew Golden joins the faculty after a successful stint at another boys’ school, Trinity-Pawling, in downstate New York. Mr. Golden graduated from Bates College in 2020. He was a sociology major and educational studies minor. Mr. Golden was also the quarterback and captain of the varsity football team. He was named to the NESCAC All-Academic Team and received the Harward Center Award for community volunteerism and leadership. Mr. Golden was also famous as the public address announcer for various other sports. He attended Bishop Stang High School in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, and was elected by his classmates as their class president three years running. He played three varsity sports: football, basketball, and track and field. He captained the football team which was the conference champion, as well as the basketball team which won the state championship. Mr. Golden was a three-time Eastern Athletic Conference All-Star. He has had various jobs in schools and camps, and has extensive experience connecting the Lewiston Middle School with Bates students. At RL, Mr. Golden will serve as Assistant Director of Athletics, teach in the Health and Wellness program, assist with the junior varsity basketball team, and lead the football program as the head varsity coach.
A native of Pakistan, Wasib Hayat joins RL as Director of Information Services. A graduate of Lahore American School, Mr. Hayat came to Boston to study at Northeastern, from which he received his bachelor’s in computer engineering technology. That launched a career in systems, programming, and leadership in various companies, including Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Hocoma North America, and, most recently, Atos at which he was the Information Technology Manager. Mr. Hayat has capitalized on his broad experience and talent by enrolling in the Harvard Master’s in Information Systems program; he will receive his advanced degree in 2024. At RL, Mr. Hayat will supervise all technological features of our instructional and administrative programs and serve as a worthy collaborator to colleagues who will be advancing technology to enhance and to help us realize our evolving, more modern mission.
Rachel Korotkin joins RL as a teacher of visual arts and Chair of the Arts Department. A Michigan native, Ms. Korotkin earned her BFA in photography and lighting design for theater from the University of Miami; she minored in art history. Her career began with various stints working in museums as a curator and educator. She began her teaching pursuit in earnest at Hamlin School in the Chicago area, at which she taught all types of art as well as social studies. Most recently, Ms. Korotkin has served as the art teacher at one of the area’s foremost charter schools, the Match Charter School. Ms. Korotkin attended the Tufts University/Museum of Fine Arts program and earned her MAT in art education in 2017. She has worked in various settings, including camps, and has an eclectic repertoire in ceramics, drawing, glass blowing, graphic design, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. She has also worked for various theaters as chief lighting designer. Ms. Korotkin will teach art across the grades and will also serve as the chief lighting designer for our Smith Theater. She will work closely with Mr. Nelson on all productions and train a cadre of boys to design and execute theatrical lighting. In part, her new course as part of the Arts 10 electives on theater tech will launch them.
Alex Pellegrini ’10, one of the most respected and beloved members of his Roxbury Latin class, returns to Alma Mater to take on a newly created position. (He was an RL boy after all, and, therefore, taking on responsibilities that are challenging and varied is nothing new for him.) Mr. Pellegrini will serve as Assistant Director of Admission, Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs, teach two sections of graphic design to members of Classes VI and V, coach hockey and baseball, and help as an advisor. Mr. Pellegrini comes to us most recently from a promising career as a graphic designer. He worked both in-house and as a consultant for a handful of forward-leaning companies in Boston as well as Colorado. He currently runs his own company, Grayfield LLC. Mr. Pellegrini helped us out over the past year as a teaching assistant and also coached hockey and track at Park School. A committed scholar and three sport varsity athlete (football, hockey, baseball) during his time as a student, Mr. Pellegrini also sang in the Glee Club and helped lead Tripod as its business manager. One Founder’s Day, we were serenaded into the festivities by Mr. Pellegrini playing the bagpipes—a remarkable cross-cultural achievement! He was also the inaugural member of an exchange with Scotch College in Melbourne, Australia. Mr. Pellegrini also went on school-sponsored trips to France and Peru. He graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in creative advertising and a minor in economics.
David Smith joins Roxbury Latin as Dean of Students, teacher of English, history, and health and wellness, and coach. A seasoned school person, Mr. Smith hails from Northern Virginia. He graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in religious studies; he earned high honors for his thesis. Subsequently, he earned a master’s in theological studies at the Harvard Divinity School, and has completed all the course work for a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Virginia. Mr. Smith taught for five years at Virginia’s St. Anne’s Belfield School, then headed by RL alumnus David Lourie ’89. At St. Anne’s, Mr. Smith taught all types of history courses, including American and European as well as an innovative, interdisciplinary American studies course to juniors. He was a grade level dean and served as both the assistant varsity and head jv lacrosse coach. As Dean of Students, he was responsible for designing and running various leadership programs as well as overseeing the advisor program. Over the past year, Mr. Smith taught, coached, and ran a boys’ dormitory at Virginia’s fine boys’ boarding school, Woodberry Forest School. He also helped run the outdoor program there. Building on his experience and training, Mr. Smith will serve as RL’s Dean of Students, teach English 11, offer a new semester course for seniors called Creating A Common Good, help run and teach the Health and Wellness program for younger boys, run our student leadership program, and serve as the head coach of jv lacrosse.
Geoff Theobald is a giant among Greater Boston independent school educators. For thirty years, he has held critical positions at two prominent brother schools and helped to shape the destinies of those institutions, their faculties, and their students. Mr. Theobald began his teaching career by returning to his Alma Mater, Milton Academy, where he was a “lifer,” having spent 13 years there as a student. In addition to teaching math at all levels, Mr. Theobald, at one time or other, served as Director of Admission, Dean of Students, Director of Community Service, and Academic Dean. In 2010, he became the Upper School Director at BB&N. With more than 500 students in that division, BB&N looked to Mr. Theobald to shape that program and lead the more than 100 adults who taught those students. He also taught math and was the girls’ varsity soccer coach. For six summers, he was the head of Exploration School’s senior program at Yale, serving almost 1,500 domestic and international high school students. Mr. Theobald earned his BA in history cum laude as a Morehead Scholar at the University of North Carolina, to be followed by his earning his master’s of social work, also from UNC. Mr. Theobald will teach two math courses, Math 7 and Advanced Algebra. We will look forward to his seasoned approach and valued contribution.
Eric Tran, our second Penn Fellow, will teach, coach, and advise at RL while taking courses toward a master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania. A native of Claremont, California, Mr. Tran graduated with distinction from the local public high school at which he stood out as captain of the varsity wrestling team. On Mr. Tran went to Williams College from which he graduated this spring with a BA in Classics and math. Proficient in Vietnamese, Italian, and Spanish, Mr. Tran served as a teaching assistant for the multivariable calculus course as well as a research assistant in the chemistry department. He was a member of the math colloquium and spent this past spring in Rome as part of the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies. Given this dual expertise and passion, it’s no surprise that Mr. Tran will be teaching both AP Calculus and a Latin 1 section. He will also help coach soccer and wrestling.
Monika Wilkinson has known RL for many years as the mother of John ’21, Luke ’23, and Paul ’25. She has been a faithful, effective volunteer on behalf of the school, and now she joins us as an interim teacher of English. Mrs. Wilkinson will cover Mrs. Demers’s classes while she is out on maternity leave. A seasoned educator, Mrs. Wilkinson most recently worked for the past seven years at BB&N, at which she taught English and history, provided academic support, led the Writing Center, as well as served on behalf of the admission efforts and community service. Mrs. Wilkinson’s teaching experience has included stints at Westwood’s Thurston Middle School and in Sudbury’s and Palm Bay, Florida’s middle schools. In addition to being a celebrated practitioner, Mrs. Wilkinson has consistently taught fledgling teachers about the art and craft of teaching as an adjunct professor at Stonehill College, the University of Pittsburgh, and Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. She holds a bachelor’s from Florida State University, and a master’s in learning and teaching from Harvard. Mrs. Wilkinson will teach Mrs. Demers’s English 7 and English 9 classes.
-
Thank You For Another Record-Setting Year
Thanks to the generosity and commitment of our school community, Roxbury Latin has just concluded another record-setting year in fundraising—for the 13th year in a row—raising $4,812,306 for the Annual Fund. Financially and otherwise, you gave to Roxbury Latin so that we could continue to offer a rigorously imagined program for all our students, and to support the talented, dedicated faculty and staff who give unfailingly of themselves to know and love the boys in our care. We could not be more grateful for your unflagging support.
Today we could not open the doors—or at least not to the parade of the talented, worthy students and teachers that we do—without the infusion of resources through the Annual Fund. As always, we tried to be worthy of your trust and affection. Thank you for joining us in our distinctive mission, and for affirming our good work.
Because of you, we are able to welcome and support the most talented, interesting, aspiring, eclectic cohort of students in Greater Boston. Because of you, we can attract, develop, compensate, and retain a uniquely gifted, effective, and committed faculty. Because of you, we are able to maintain the distinctive financial model that supports our mission and allows us to offer a program both challenging and inspiring. You have made a positive difference in the lives of Roxbury Latin boys, and we are grateful for and humbled by your love and support.
-
RL@Work Connects Class II Students With What’s Possible
This spring marked the sixth year of RL’s now-staple RL@Work program, which connects students at the end of their Class II year with professionals in a broad range of pursuits—each an example of excellence in their particular field. Led by Assistant Headmaster for Program Andy Chappell, the program provides boys with an off-campus experience of discovery and growth—through visits to places of work, encounters with professionals, facilitated group discussions, individual reflection, and engagement in hands-on design challenges and case studies. Consistent with the school’s mission, the program helps boys imagine how they might “lead and serve” in the years ahead. RL@Work offers boys exposure to various professions and types of leadership, challenging real-world problems, and solutions in-the-making, preparing them for citizenship, service, work, and the world. The program each year gives students a chance to pause and reflect; to imagine what the future might hold for them; to get a glimpse of some of the opportunities that exist in the world beyond RL; and to learn how their liberal arts education at RL intersects with that work.
Nearly 30 generous alumni, parents, former RL parents, and friends of the school—scientists, lawyers, doctors, engineers, judges, developers, investors, professors, business owners—shared their time and passions with 53 Class II boys during the final days of the school year. Students trekked throughout and around Boston, Cambridge, and Worcester over four days, some getting their first taste of the MBTA commuting experience.
The first of the program’s four days began with an orientation for the boys, in order to set clear the expectations and opportunities as they met, engaged with, and learned from the various individuals and organizations they would encounter over the following days. Afterward the group headed into Boston’s Longwood medical area to Harvard’s MEDscience Simulation Lab, where students sewed sutures and assessed vitals on high-tech practice “dummies” designed to blink, bleed, pulse, and cry as appropriate. There students also practiced assessing the symptoms of a test patient, working to diagnose the cause of the individual’s digestive complaints.
Day two of the program began with a focus on a variety of professions and industries, ranging from investing to construction, cutting-edge research to the legal profession. Students learned from alumni and parents leading and affiliated with Bain Capital, Consigli Construction, Harvard’s Visualization Lab, the law practice of WilmerHale, and members of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
In the afternoon, the group headed into Cambridge to MIT, where they experienced a range of activities and learning experiences coordinated by John Werner P’21’26. They met with impressive researchers, designers, academics, scientists, and artists at work on inspiring and life-altering research and creations in MIT’s world-class laboratories. Students agreed that a highlight of the afternoon was hearing from Vladimir Bulovic, Director of MIT’s Nano Lab. The morning of day three offered a window into the world of real estate, entrepreneurship, private equity, and robotics design, through visits to areas and offices in and around Boston. That afternoon students returned to campus, where they heard from seniors presenting on their various Independent Senior Project endeavors, and then finally undertook a mini-course in college essay writing from RL’s College Guidance office.
The culminating day found the boys first at MIT’s Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-Pal), led in part by Global Executive Director Iqbal Dhaliwal P’21. J-Pal works throughout the world to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. J-Pal’s leadership and staff do this through research, policy outreach, and training. Students met with individuals at work on various initiatives around the world, focused on areas of healthcare and governance, food security and education.
On the afternoon of their final day, students and faculty chaperones headed to Worcester—first for an engaging tour of College of the Holy Cross, and then to meet with and hear from Dan Rea ’05, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Worcester Red Sox, and Mike McElaney ’98, Vice President of Commercial Real Estate for The Menkiti Group, founded by alumnus Bo Menkiti ’95. Students learned a bit about the history of and recent development in the City of Worcester, and they received a special tour of Polar Park, home of the Worcester Red Sox. Afterward, the boys stayed with members of the faculty to watch the Worcester Red Sox take on the Syracuse Mets under sunny skies.
Over four successful days, our generous partners and hosts reinforced to the boys—by virtue of their own professional experiences—themes familiar in any successful pursuit, regardless of the profession or discipline: the importance of teamwork and communication; willingness to fail and learn from that failure; creating networks and developing relationships; being open to the unknown, and to exploring new ideas; working hard and being persistent; and understanding that the path to meaningful success isn’t always traditional or straightforward.
We are grateful to the nearly 30 men and women who generously shared their time, talents and spaces to provide our boys an insider’s view on so many possibilities and paths toward meaningful pursuits:
Julie Joyal and Britt Lee P’22, ’23, Harvard Medical School, MEDscience Simulation Lab
J.P Chilazi ’06, Brendan Hanrahan ’09 and Robert Shaw ’14, Bain Capital
Matt Consigli P’24, President, Consigli Construction
Rus Gant, Director of Harvard Visualization Lab
Frank Kanin ’06, Masai-Maliek King, P’28, Ramon Pascual ’07, Rob Settana ’01, Ed Zabin P’23, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office
Tim Silva ’88, P’17,’22,’24, and Arjun Jaikumar ’01, WilmerHale
Vladimir Bulovic, Director, MIT.nano
David Chang, Entrepreneur
Emilie Eldracher, MIT ’22
Ana Pantelic, Director, MIT D-LAB
Ramesh Raskar, Director of Camera Culture Group, MIT Media Lab
John Werner P’21 ’26, Link Ventures & MIT Fellow, Connection Science, MIT School Of Engineering
Dave Grossman ’97 and Jake Grossman ’00, Co-Presidents, Grossman Companies
Pete Mahoney ’98, John M Corcoran & Co
Chris Mitchell ’89, Spectrum Equity
Jay Mitchell ’96, Audax Private Equity
Nathaniel Weinstein ’10, Boston Dynamics
Iqbal Dhaliwal P’21 Global Executive Director of MIT’s Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab
Dan Rea ’05, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Worcester Red Sox
Mike McElaney ’98, Vice President of Commercial Real Estate for The Menkiti Group
-
Celebrating the Class of 2022 at Closing Exercises
On June 4, the 377th year of The Roxbury Latin School culminated with Closing Exercises and the graduation of the Class of 2022. For the first time in two years, the school was able to hold its traditional, intimate ceremony—which includes the seniors, their families, the faculty and trustees—in Rousmaniere Hall. Immediately after the ceremony, under bright and sunny skies, the 53 newest alumni of The Roxbury Latin School celebrated on the Senior Grass with classmates, family members, and members of the faculty. (View a gallery of images from the morning.)
Beginning with opening remarks from Headmaster Kerry Brennan—which acknowledged the challenges and triumphs of this particular group of boys, and also noted their many, worthy accomplishments—the ceremony included the singing of traditional songs America The Beautiful, Commemoration Hymn, and The Founder’s Song, as well as a performance of Come Fly With Me sung by The Latonics, with a solo by graduating senior, Eli Bailit. The ringing of the school bell, chiming 3-7-7, officially concluded the school year.
Class valedictorian, voted by his classmates, was Vishnu Emani who delivered a personal, poignant, powerful speech that drew a standing ovation from his classmates.
Vishnu’s address began with his recounting of a parable originally written by German author Heinrich Boll, about a fisherman enjoying his humble catch on a sunny beach. A businessman comes along, extolling the value of the fisherman starting a company, enlisting distributors, and making lots of money so that he can, one day, relax on a beach without a care in the world. The fisherman ultimately replies, “What do you think I’m doing right now?”
“The parable of the businessman and the fisherman underscores a crucial tension that we all inevitably experience,” explained Vishnu, “and that is the trade-off between ambition and contentment. The businessman exemplifies the mindset of ambition, because he sees every moment as an opportunity to accomplish more and grow in the future. But his hunger for success in the future comes at the expense of living in the present. Now, while it may not be obvious, the fisherman also makes some sacrifices. Although he is satisfied in his life, the fisherman has intentionally foregone opportunities to contribute to society and make a greater impact.
“This fundamental tradeoff is central to life’s most important decisions, for instance setting our work-life balance: do we spend our nights preparing presentations, or do we enjoy a home-cooked dinner with our family? Do we take the corporate promotion that would have us traveling every weekend, or do we settle down in a place we call home?… These are the sobering questions that high-achieving students like us, eager to make an impact in the world, are forced to confront… We have to ask ourselves: why are we making the decisions that we are, what is our intended goal, and what sacrifices are we willing to make to get there? So I say, let us dream big, let us take on life with vigor and passion, but, most importantly, let us keep our perspective, even as it’s so easy to get lured into the rat race that surrounds us.”
The commencement address was delivered by Ron Liebowitz, president of Brandeis University, and father to graduating senior Heshie Liebowitz.
“It would be tempting to join the legions of graduation and commencement speeches this year that have presented a variety of interpretations of the Jarvis Refectory maxim—from those to whom much has been given much will be expected,” Mr. Liebowitz began. “Such a speech would have me sharing words of wisdom that explains why your generation faces the toughest challenges ever, and, because you are so talented, to then exhort you to be bold and go out and fix all that is wrong with the world—from climate change to racial injustice to antisemitism to poverty to emerging diseases to growing mental health challenges. This has become a common mantra this year, most likely because we old folks are out of good ideas or haven’t the energy to do anything more. But I won’t go down that path.
“Having watched first-year students arrive at college for the past 38 years, I advise you—in fact, urge you—to dedicate the next four years to personal growth. My point is that the world’s great problems can wait—despite what we Boomers and Gen X’ers say—until you have done the hard and hopefully satisfying work that it will take to be in the position to make a difference. To be successful, you will first need to be deliberate, thoughtful, and even brave in how you navigate your way through college.”
At the conclusion of Mr. Liebowitz’s address, Headmaster Brennan and President of the Board of Trustees Bob O’Connor ’85 awarded diplomas to the newest alumni of The Roxbury Latin School.
Three major Class I prizes were also awarded during Closing Ceremonies:
The Richard A. Berenberg Prize, for generosity of spirit and concern for others, was presented to Alejandro Denis.
The Class of 1913 Award, for significant contributions to the life of the school, was presented to Mark Henshon.
The William Coe Collar Award, for achievements and contributions to the school that are deemed by the faculty as most deserving of recognition, was presented to Vishnu Emani.