• Novice Certamen Team Are National Champions!

    Novice Certamen Team Are National Champions!

    This summer, three members of Class IV—Aspen Johnson, Avish Kumar, and Tom Pogorelec—participated on the Novice Massachusetts Certamen Team at the 69th Annual National Junior Classical League (NJCL) Convention held at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, where they won first place in national competition!

    Fifteen teams competed for the championship title at the NJCL convention, representing all corners of the country—from Florida to New Hampshire, California to Louisiana, Texas to Illinois. The winning Massachusetts team that competed in the semi-final and final rounds together also included Malvika Dias, a freshman at Boston Latin School. All four students’ names will appear on the first place trophy, which will spend time at both Roxbury Latin and BLS. The final round of competition was an exciting one, requiring two tiebreaker rounds to determine the winner.

    The word certamen means “competition” in Latin. According to the NJCL website, “Certamen is a quiz-bowl style game for students of Latin, Greek, and classical civilizations. It allows students to demonstrate their knowledge of the ancient peoples, languages, and cultures, and the relationships between those topics and the modern world. The matches are fun, competitive, informative, and compelling for students.” At this year’s national convention, the three freshmen had the opportunity to meet RL alumnus Jackson Fleming ’11, who was there as a sponsor and chaperone from St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Texas.

    All three members of RL’s Novice Certamen team did not have much experience with Latin prior to arriving at Roxbury Latin in seventh grade. But they each found it to be fun, and interesting, and they learned they had a talent for it.

    “I like how it’s kind of a logic puzzle,” says Tom. “Having to make your way through a sentence—using what you know, and filling in the pieces of what you don’t—when you’re translating feels like a game to me. I’m also intrigued by Latin literature.”

    Each member of a Certamen team typically has his or her niche, an area of the competition in which they really dig into the topic to prepare, and then take the lead in that category. Those categories include language, history, classical myths, and culture. The competition also includes a section called PMAQ, an abbreviation for phrases, mottos, abbreviations, and quotations.

    With essentially 20 questions in a round—20 “tossups”—the team to first buzz in and correctly answer the question wins the point. A team member can hit the buzzer at any point once the question has begun to be read—even before the question is finished. If that individual gets the question wrong, the whole team is eliminated from answering that question. The boys agree that one of the hardest parts of competition, at least early on, is feeling confident enough to buzz, and then knowing exactly when to buzz.

    So, how does RL’s team prepare for Certamen? Without the need to practice language—since that language study is built into their Latin classes each week—they rely on quizlets in history, independent reading about myths and culture, attending Classics Club meetings, and practicing with members of RL’s skilled and accomplished Advanced Certamen team, which includes seniors Owen Butler, Will Grossman, James McCurley, and Marc Quintanar.

    “One thing that’s interesting about Certamen is that they actually provide you with everything that you need to know in advance,” says Avish. “In most other quiz-style competitions—like in math or science—they don’t provide you with learning materials, like the syllabus you receive for Certamen. Yet, in other kinds of quiz competitions, there’s more of a visual cue. In Certamen, all you can rely on is what you can hear.”

    “This is where the challenge of an ancient language really comes into play,” says Aspen. “It’s not even a regular language—which would be hard enough—but the fact that people have different pronunciations makes it even more challenging.”

    Tom enthusiastically concludes, “I’m excited for sophomore year, when we’re able to really translate—when Latin becomes almost an English class in which you’re translating—and think in depth about how Roman history would affect their beliefs, how their culture would affect what they’re writing. Being able to learn about, and understand, and encompass all of that—it’s going to be pretty exciting.”

    View the official photos from this summer’s NJCL convention.

    Erin Berg

  • The Beaver Brook Tradition Continues for RL’s Youngest Students

    The Beaver Brook Tradition Continues for RL’s Youngest Students

    On September 9, 43 new Sixies—along with intrepid Class I leaders and faculty chaperones—trekked to Beaver Brook in Hollis, New Hampshire, for a tradition that dates back nearly sixty years. Upon arriving, Class VI boys were immediately met with their first challenge: a test of their knowledge of “the oldest school in continuous existence in North America.” Charged with successfully separating Roxbury Latin fact from fiction and producing the most correct answers in the questionnaire, Sixies face an uphill battle: Those well-versed seniors and teachers may purposefully throw them off track with bogus answers, allowing for the single time all year when our watchwords “honesty is expected in all dealings” go out the window.

    The day, organized by Class VI Dean Elizabeth Carroll, continued with team building activities (including a low ropes course, communication and leadership games, and an orienteering challenge that required a crash course in terrain maps and compasses). After dinner, Sixies gathered in the barn for the annual viewing of the 1957 film Twelve Angry Men, with small group discussions to follow; these were animated but decidedly more civil than the ones depicted on screen. The evening ended around the fire, where Mr. Opdycke taught new boys The Founder’s Song before it was time for Flip Flop—the famously fun and tricky numbers game—and s’mores. The boys then retreated to their tents for a short night’s sleep after a full and exciting day.

    The following morning, after breakfast, each Sixie addressed a letter to himself, to be opened at his senior retreat five years from now. As they closed their notebooks, packed up their gear, and boarded the bus home, the Class of 2028 joined a brotherhood of RL men and boys who have sat around the campfire at Beaver Brook, singing about Roundheads and eating s’mores. It is a brotherhood that spans generations.

    View photos from this year’s Beaver Brook trip.

    Erin Berg

  • Welcome, New Faculty and Staff

    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.

    Erin Berg

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  • How to Raise—And Become—an Adult: Three Sessions With Julie Lythcott-Haims

    How to Raise—And Become—an Adult: Three Sessions With Julie Lythcott-Haims

    “A parent’s job is to put oneself out of a job,” exhorted Julie Lythcott-Haims, who visited Roxbury Latin on August 31. Presenting three sessions over the course of the day—in a workshop with faculty and staff, in Hall with students, and in an evening session with parents in the Smith Theater—Ms. Lythcott-Haims had a consistent message: Young people must develop agency, resilience, and character in order to thrive as adults, and the American trend of overparenting is preventing them from doing so. And the harm that causes is significant.

    Ms. Lythcott-Haims is the New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult, which gave rise to a popular TED Talk that has been viewed millions of times. Her second book is the critically-acclaimed and award-winning prose poetry memoir Real American, which illustrates her experience as a Black and biracial person in white spaces; and her third book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, has been called a “groundbreakingly frank” guide to adulthood.

    Ms. Lythcott-Haims served as the Dean of Freshmen and Undergraduate Advising at Stanford University for over a decade, and many of the observations, stories, and insights she writes about—and shared with the RL community—stem from that work, in addition to her experience parenting her own son and daughter.

    In sessions with the adults, Ms. Lythcott-Haims described three styles of overparenting that undermine young people’s ability to be, do, give, and feel their best: The overprotective parent—who prevents their children from having to do or deal with hard things, who curates their life experiences for them; the fierce director parent—who dictates what choices (classes, activities, careers) are acceptable and which aren’t; and the “concierge” parent—who caters to their child’s every logistical and personal need, from managing their schedules to doing their homework.

    “I saw that more and more students were arriving at Stanford’s campus fragile, brittle, and exhausted,” Mrs. Lythcott-Haims described. “They didn’t know how to do any of the things that we have traditionally expected college students to be capable of—from waking themselves up on time for class, to advocating for themselves, to choosing classes, activities and majors that excited them.” She went on to describe how conversations with some of her Stanford students woke her up to these same mistakes she was making in her own parenting, and the negative effects they were having on her children.

    In her books—and in her presentations—Ms. Lythcott-Haims offers very practical advice about how to break free from the overparenting trap, and how to support young people as they develop the agency to know that their actions have meaning and outcomes; the resilience to know that they can cope and handle hard things when hard things inevitably come their way; and the character to know that other people matter as much as they matter, and to treat others with the kindness and dignity they deserve.

    Erin Berg

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  • Opening of Roxbury Latin’s 378th Year

    Opening of Roxbury Latin’s 378th Year

    “Teachers and scholars of the oldest school in continuous existence in North America, good morning and welcome back,” said Headmaster Kerry Brennan from the Rousmaniere Hall stage on Monday, August 29. That morning, the traditional Opening of Fall Term Hall began The Roxbury Latin School’s 378th academic year, as Mr. Brennan welcomed the 310 students, along with new and returning faculty and staff, to the start of the school year.

    Prior to the Headmaster’s opening address, Class I president Tait Oberg read Dr. Maxine Greene’s “Toward Wide-Awakeness” and the entire school sang together lively renditions of America the Beautiful, For the Splendor of Creation, Commemoration Hymn, and The Founder’s Song, with senior Mathias Why accompanying on the organ. Mr. Brennan honored those in our community who are new, or long-serving, or taking on new roles in the school. He honored the members of Class I seated in the front rows, and he welcomed the sixies perched in the balcony.

    Mr. Brennan’s address focused on two memorable urgings of his favorite graduate school professor—Dr. Maxine Greene, of Columbia’s Teachers College: first, to imagine things as if they could be otherwise, and second, to be “wide awake” to the world.

    “Professor Greene reminded us that all kinds of things not only live on, but also find new life in the imaginations and the careful consideration of each of us,” Mr. Brennan began. “In the foreground we might think that was about artistic expression—pushing the boundaries, experimenting with media, juxtaposing divergent entities. But, in fact, she was talking about most of life… Maxine Greene wanted to empower each of us as a problem solver—whether in consideration of our solitary, individual life or on behalf of an organization; to be problem solvers with the license to imagine things as if they could be otherwise. How often in my business do I encounter someone who is reluctant to introduce even one variable, to challenge the status quo? And then when I might suggest that other elements are also potential variables altering the viability of the first, it blows the person’s mind. This, however, is how all of us should approach life—as a set of related but not dependent variables. This is usually the mindset when any progress occurs, whether it’s in inventing a new widget (the electric light for example) or it’s determining that one’s tried and true method of studying is just not doing the trick, and all your suppositions need to be blown up. Imagine something as if it could be otherwise.”

    “Professor Greene also urged her students to be ‘wide-awake’—alert to our world, to what others are saying or doing, to altered, dissonant data that changes our perceptions, our realities, our truths—to not sleepwalk through life.” Mr. Brennan went on to describe the many things to which we all ought to remain awake throughout our lives: to opportunity, to our gifts, to injustice, to beauty, to our authentic selves, to the possibility of doing the extraordinary thing, and, finally, to love—of others and of ourselves.

    “In thinking about how we might imagine something as if it could be otherwise, think of ourselves. Now would be the chance for you to reimagine yourself. Make new priorities. Project a different set of values. Open yourself up to new friends or a different group. Try something new. And, especially, be wide awake to the world. Take it all in. Process it robustly. Dare to change your mind. Listen to your head, but especially to your heart.”

    After the Hall’s closing prayer, and the school community “passed the peace” to those around them, the entire school moved outside under sunny skies. Students, faculty, and staff gathered around the Senior Grass for the traditional opening day all-school handshake, which serves to welcome people new to the RL community—boys and adults—and for all to wish one another a happy and strong start to the academic year.

    View a complete gallery of photos from RL’s Opening Day.

    Erin Berg

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  • Students’ Accounts of Cultural and Language Immersion in France, Spain, and Costa Rica

    Students’ Accounts of Cultural and Language Immersion in France, Spain, and Costa Rica

    This summer marks the return (after two years) of Roxbury Latin’s long-standing—and often transformative—cultural immersion programs. Shortly after final exams end and the school celebrates its newest graduates, dozens of RL students and their faculty chaperones fly to countries abroad to experience life, language, and learning in other parts of the world. This summer, students again traveled to Caen, France, and to Cádiz, Spain, for month-long visits, which involve homestays with local families and academic work in their elected modern language. This June, eleven RL boys also traveled to Costa Rica for two weeks, where they learned and enjoyed much about local people and culture, food and language, industry and natural landscape.

    Read the students’ firsthand accounts and view photos from their adventures at the following RL travel blogs:

    France

    Spain

    Costa Rica

    Erin Berg

  • Thank You For Another Record-Setting Year

    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.

    Erin Berg

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  • Spring Athletic Accolades, Including Boston Globe Scholarship Honors for Mark Henshon

    Spring Athletic Accolades, Including Boston Globe Scholarship Honors for Mark Henshon

    Mark Henshon, Class of 2022, was honored this week in a ceremony at Fenway Park, celebrating his selection as a Boston Globe Foundation / Richard J. Phelps Scholar-Athlete. In its 36th year, this selective scholarship program honors some of Massachusetts’ finest high school scholar-athletes and student leaders.

    Supported by the Globe Foundation and Mr. Richard Phelps, 18 high school seniors earned scholarships valued at $3,000, awarded based on excellence in academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities. As described by the scholarship materials, the ideal candidate plays three sports and, ideally, captains those sports. He or she has earned league honors; is well respected as a leader by both teammates and coaches; maintains strong academic standing; and is highly involved in extracurricular activities both in and out of school, committed to serving their school and outside community.

    In addition to receiving the Globe/Phelps scholarship, Mark earned league honors this spring—being named ISL All-League in baseball and earning the ISL’s Silver Slugger Award, which goes each year to the league’s top hitter. Mark also earned several Roxbury Latin school prizes, recognizing his athletic commitment and skill, his dedication to academic excellence, and his character as a classmate, teammate, student, and friend.

    During the school’s Prize Day ceremony on June 3, Mark was honored as a 15-season athlete (starting at RL in the eighth grade) and he received the school’s Best Athlete award, given to a member of the graduating class. During RL’s graduation ceremony on June 4, Mark was awarded the prestigious Class of 1913 Award—one of three awards conferred during Closing Exercises—given annually to a member of the class who has made significant contributions to the life of the school.

    Headmaster Kerry Brennan said of Mark, during the awarding of those honors:

    “A superb scholar, Mark marries sheer determination with considerable talent, earning high honors grades across his time in the school and one of the coveted spots in the Cum Laude Society. A dominant force in three seasons, he not only performs brilliantly but, thanks to his example and his leadership, he was elected a captain of each of those sports. His precocious excellence earned him distinction as a 15-season varsity performer (earning a berth on the varsity cross country team, varsity basketball team, and the varsity baseball team—all as an eighth grader). Mark was the winner of the ISL individual championship in cross country; winner of the New England individual championship; led the team to an undefeated season; and in two different seasons earned both ISL and New England team championships. Mark held a 19-point per game average in basketball, with nine rebounds and six assists per game, and a 48% field goal percentage. In baseball he had a .479 batting average (tied for the league lead); achieved the remarkable feat of 11 RBI’s even from the leadoff position; and executed impeccable defensive play, including instigating the first triple play in modern RL history. He was elected to all-ISL and New England teams in all three sports, embodying the old-fashioned athlete who offers his best efforts in season and only occasionally beyond. He loves to play, and his commitment and joy in competing prove infectious. Mark is an exceptional person—caring, kind, intense, disciplined, honest, friendly, responsible, and catalytic. He earns the respect and affection of all who know him. To me, this young man’s most sterling credentials are personal and about attitude and resolve. His teammates know that they can count on him—for grit, for consistency, for leadership. He never asks more of others than he does of himself. And does all that he does with understated class and generosity.”

    Many of Mark’s classmates and teammates—as well as several talented underclassmen—earned Independent School League (and, for Kofi Fordjour in Track and Field, All-New England) honors this spring across all sports:

    Baseball:
    James Birch – ISL All-League
    Mark Henshon – ISL All-League; ISL Silver Slugger award (league’s top hitter)
    Antonio Morales – ISL All-League
    James Henshon, Patrick Schultz, and Thomas Pender – Honorable Mention All-League 

    Lacrosse:
    Hayden Cody – ISL All-League
    David Sullivan, Chris Weitzel, Nolan Walsh, Will Anderson, and Johnny Price – Honorable Mention All-League 

    Tennis:
    John Fazli – ISL All-League
    Cole Oberg – ISL All-League

    Track and Field:
    Kofi Fordjour – All New England
    Zak Bashir, Carter Crowley, Kofi Fordjour, Jedidiah Nelson – Honorable Mention All-League

    Erin Berg

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  • RL@Work Connects Class II Students With What’s Possible

    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

    Erin Berg

    ,

  • Celebrating the Class of 2022 at Closing Exercises

    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.

    Erin Berg

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