Lincoln Academy Aerie Fall 2014

AerieLINCOLN ACADEMY

FALL 2014

REACH HIGHER!Lincoln Academy students and faculty boldly embrace change and build a bright future

LA's Commitment to Comprehensive Education

The Von Vogts: For the Love of Language

Plus: Class Notes, Sports News, and more...

F EATURES

4 Opportunity for Renewal: LA's Commitment to Comprehensive Education8 ATEC: All Hands On!12 Jekyll and Hyde, the Musical14 The Von Vogts: For the Love of Language19 Enrich . Renew . Inspire: LA Faculty Summers26 Fall Sports Wrap Up31 Annual Report of Contributions 34 LA Homecoming 201440 Senior Awards 2014

DEPARTMENTS2 LA Mission Statement3 A Letter from the Head of School18 Eagle's Eye19 Faculty Updates28 Department Updates37 Alumni Council News41 Alumni Profiles48 Class Notes

Contents

LINCOLN ACADEMY AERIE 1

THANKS!Aerie is a Development Office publication that would not be possible without the collaboration of the Lincoln Academy com-munity.

This second edition of Aerie owes a debt of gratitude to Beth Sturdevant, whose pathbreaking design and production work on the inaugural edition in May 2014 gave us a major head start. We are grateful to our writers: Cynde Ferrill, Margot Riley, and Ali Stevenson. Thanks to the faculty and alumni who wrote reports and reflections, or took time to be interviewed: Sheryl Stearns, Ken Stevenson, Matt Goetting, David Sturdevant, Maya Crosby, Ricki Waltz, Brian O’Mahoney, Carole Brinkler, Patti Sims, Robert Breckenridge, Griff Braley, Phil Page, AJ Corson, Christine Nelson, Rob Nelson, Stephanie Nelson, George Weston, Chloe Maxmin, Don Carrigan, and others.

Photographs are by Jenny Mayher, Maya Crosby, Angus Fake '15, Jim Amaral, Ellie Hunt '18, Missy Abbott, Paula Roberts, Bryan Manahan, and Jonathan Mess. Special thanks to the LA Media Production Team for the 3D printer photographs and Marti Stone Photography for permission to use the Jekyll and Hyde photographs. Thanks to Tor Glendenning of 44˚ North for the ATEC Floor Plan graphic, Maya Crosby for the ATEC wordle, and Jim Gallagher '68 for the aerial photographs.

Special thanks to designer Kate Mess, who worked long hours while her new baby Josie slept, and is responsible for the beautiful design of this publication.

Your feedback is welcome! [email protected] or 207.563.3599.

— Jenny Mayher, Editor

Cover: LA students on an Outing Club trip to Acadia National Park. Photo by Angus Fake '15. Inset: Aerial photograph of the Lincoln Academy campus and surrounding area from November 2014 by Jim Gallagher '68.

L INCOLN ACADEMY ADM IN I STRAT IONHead of School - David SturdevantAssociate Head of School - Andrew MullinAssociate Head for Finance and Strategic Planning - Margot RileyAssociate Head for Advancement - Matthew GoettingDirector of Counseling Services and Studies - Sarah Wills-ViegaDirector of Enrollment and Marketing - Sheryl StearnsDirector of Resident Life - Ken StevensonAthletic Director - KJ AnastasioDirector of Facilities - Briceson Henny

BOARD OF TRUSTEESPresident - Ann McFarland ’73Vice President - Christine Wajer ’85Treasurer - Sarah Maurer Secretary - Dennis Prior ’91Robert D. Baldwin ’62Stephen DixonLisa Masters ’83Jonathan McKaneKaren M. MoranWilliam MorgnerRobert NelsonFaustine Reny ’01Hilary Petersen, AOS 93 RepresentativeAllen J. Corson ’64, Alumni Representative

Lincoln Academy admits students of any race, reli-gion, gender, national origin, or sexual orientation in the rights, privileges, programs and activities available to students at the school. LA does not dis-criminate in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, financial aid, or any other programs administered by the school.

2 FALL 2014

Lincoln Academy, with a proud two hundred year tradition of preparing students to meet the intellectual demands of full citizenship, strives continuously to provide a learning environment in which all students can achieve their highest potential. As an accredited, independent, secondary school with deep roots in the communities of midcoast Maine, Lincoln Academy seeks to serve the public interest by affording not only a comprehensive academic curriculum, but also a diverse blend of co-curricular opportunities. Our programs undertake to build knowledge, skills, and social values, and to promote high aspirations among all of our students.

Lincoln Academy is dedicated to creating lifelong learners who understand their complex relationship to the broader world. We make every effort to recognize and to meet the needs of students as individuals, while affirming that education is a collaboration of community, family, and student.

OUR MISSION


A TALE OF TWO BUILDINGS

A Letter from the Head of School

For those of us - students, faculty, and staff - who have been studying, working, and living on campus since April, it has been impossible not to watch the progress of our two construction projects. It has been exciting to watch as the Cable-Burns Applied Technology and Engineering Center (ATEC) and the dormitory have gone from being holes in the ground to impressive structures, which are now almost totally enclosed! The weather has been mostly favorable, and both projects are on schedule. ATEC will be completed in late January, and the dormitory will be finished in mid-February.

We are planning to celebrate the opening of these buildings with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in April. While watching the buildings emerge on the construction site is great, it’s really the programs they represent that we celebrate. Many of you joined in the effort to fund ATEC and its equipment, and for that we are extremely grateful. This building will give us the opportunity to grow our applied technology and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programs as we continue to serve all of our students in a comprehensive curriculum. In this issue of Aerie, we are featuring ATEC and its programs, and I hope that you will stop in and check it out sometime after we move in!

The dormitory represents the final part of our plan to add a boarding program to Lincoln, making us a day and board-ing school. This year, we have 64 boarding students, and our goal is to have about 80 students in two dormitories as part of a target population of about 550 students. We believe that number represents an optimum size for LA, and that we can continue to grow and diversify our curriculum to meet our students’ needs. At present, we enroll students from 14 coun-tries and the US, who complement our diverse population of students from about 18 towns in and around the midcoast.

We have just completed our ten-year NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) evaluation self study and team visit, and I am happy to report that one commendation the visiting team noted related to “Lincoln Academy’s com-prehensive program which allows students of all abilities and backgrounds to find success.” As you know, this is our mis-sion, and it’s good to be validated through the accreditation process for meeting that challenge. I can’t stress enough the effort that our faculty and staff put into this on a daily basis through our classes, advisor program, and extracurriculars.

As we move forward, we face more challenges and opportuni-ties for growth. We need to improve our athletic facilities as well as our performing arts facilities. We have great programs, and we need to give our students the best fields and venues in which to perform. Our curriculum will continue to grow, and much of that will relate to ATEC and its integrated program-ming. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions or an interest in what we are doing here at Lincoln Academy.

David B. SturdevantHead of School

4 FALL 2014

During the 1800s, secondary education in the United States was primarily geared toward preparing students for col-lege. The Progressive Era that spanned the early decades of the 20th century challenged this tradition. The Progressive move-ment came to be during a period where the country was shift-ing toward industrialization. Prior to this era, there were no child labor laws, women did not have the same rights as men in government or in the workplace, and the largest sources of domestic labor came from either the “great migration” of poor African American workers from the South to northern urban centers or from the large and growing immigrant population. Progressive leaders saw education as an essential component to transform this society by promoting democratic ideals, American culture, and spoken and written English. A neces-sary part of realizing this goal was to make secondary educa-tion available to everyone (Hansan, 2011).

With the influx of students to American secondary schools from a much broader range of background and aspiration, it soon became clear that the traditional academic curriculum was too narrow. Well known education theorist John Dewey espoused an educational system that was more driven by the perceived needs and interests of the students. This led to the Comprehensive Education movement. Consistent with Progressive ideals, comprehensive education promotes “com-

mon ideals and values that sustain democratic nations” and “the concept of equality of educational opportunity” (Mirel, 2008). Comprehensive education also gave students the op-portunity to prepare for success in the workplace by studying trades and other job skills, ensuring the notion of equality of educational opportunity for all students effectively giving everyone access to the American Dream.

But something unanticipated happened. Schools began the practice of “tracking,” where students were sorted by program within the school, effectively isolating them from peers in other tracks. In my own research on the formation of mutual interracial relationships in educational settings, I collected an oral history that poignantly captures the downside of track-ing in schools. The subject of this account attended Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas about 30 years after “the Little Rock Nine” first integrated the previously all white school. An excerpt from this account is below:

… Central was completely tracked. The school was overwhelm-ingly African American, (probably 70% when I was there.) (We were) little pieces of salt in the hallway and then (we would) reconvene into almost completely white classes. We got lots of messages there.

I do remember, two things happened and just feeling ill. One

Opportunity for RenewalLincoln Academy’s Commitment to

Comprehensive Education

by Margot Riley

Lincoln Academy's main building and bell tower in 1920. Photo from Lincoln archives.


was that five black men in my gradu-ating class died my senior year from crossfire. A student came in (to my only interracial class) one day and her boy-friend had been one of the people who had been shot and murdered. I didn’t know anything about these men. I didn’t know any of their friends. It might as well have happened in another world. Can you imagine, in your high school, if five men had been shot to death, and you basically had no clue? Like it didn’t mean anything to you or your friends? It was sad. We were in the same building and they never had any intentions for us ever to meet.

Another incident … this one black woman who (was the only black person in my college prep classes) … I remember one day … we were talking and she just turned and looked at me and said, “Do you seriously think that I am the only smart black woman in this school of 2,000 people?”

Numerous studies exist which show that when tracking is practiced in schools, it is commonly purported that students are sorted by ability or interest when in practice, students are very often sorted by socio-economic level, race, cultural background, or aspiration (among others). As one can see anecdotally in the passage above, tracking can be psychologi-cally and developmentally damaging to students in all tracks.

Furthermore, the rigor and quality of the educational experi-ence is seldom consistent across tracks.

In 1983, this reality inspired William Bennett’s A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform, which in-dicted the American public system as a failure and ultimately spawned the standards based educational movement in lieu of comprehensive education models. Standards-based education is currently promoted today as a solution to our public educa-tion shortcomings.

Lincoln Academy is an independent school that references its commitment to comprehensive education in its mission. While there is evidence that tracking existed at Lincoln in the '50s, '60s, and '70s, as research about tracking became well known, the school began to move away from tracking to hetero-geneous grouping beginning with restructuring in the English Depart-ment. Lincoln Academy contin-ues to support an honors/pre-AP/AP level throughout the school’s core curriculum. Otherwise, most departments have also moved to heterogeneous grouping everywhere else. This practice helps to ensure a certain level of academic rigor across the school, thereby keeping future options of post-secondary study open for most of its students. In addition to a strong core program, Lincoln Academy has preserved comprehen-

Teacher Matt Buchwalder (far right) and his Biology students work with plant and soil samples gathered from the distinct biomes on the Lincoln Academy campus.

Students in Bryan Manahan's junior English class choose books for their American Author Project in the LA library.

6 FALL 2014

siveness through opportunities for students to pursue the study of languages, the visual and performing arts, business and economics, and technology and vocational education at high levels.

Culturally, the school has demonstrated the value it places on its comprehensiveness through the Friday Community Meet-ing. In this setting, we weekly celebrate the accomplishments of our students in the diverse breadth of our program, in and out of the classroom. The message sent and received is that students can invent themselves in many different ways and they all have a valued place in our community. This demon-strates an inclusive culture of Lincoln Academy “nation build-ing” that was part of the vision of the Progressive Era.

While the school has distinguished itself in many areas, it is at the threshold of an exciting period in its history, when it has the opportunity to renew the original promise of the comprehensive movement in education in a modern, original way. This potential renaissance is punctuated by some eerie historical similarities between the 1930s, when comprehensive education began, and today. First, in the '30s, the country was in the midst of the industrial revolution which required a more educated work force. Today, we are in the midst of the technology revolution which also requires a more educated work force. Second, in the '30s, we were living through the aftermath of the stock market crash of 1929 which brought

a certain urgency to those looking to support themselves in a challenging economic landscape. Today, we are living through the aftermath of the 2008 Financial Crisis which also brings urgency to those looking to support themselves in a challenging economic landscape. Finally, it was in the period leading up to the '30s that we experienced a significant rise in the immigrant population where we needed to build common language and understanding across many diverse cultures in order to best support our economy and our efforts at nation building. In recent years we have entered an era of globalization where we need to build common language and understanding across many diverse cultures in many diverse countries in order to best ensure our economic future and continued strength as a nation.

This coming winter, Lincoln Academy will complete two building projects reflective of exciting new programming at the school that will renew and rejuvenate our comprehensive-ness in a 21st century way. The first building is ATEC, the Cable-Burns Applied Technology and Engineering Center. The second building is the new 54 bed residential dormitory.

ATEC will allow us to build curriculum that is relevant to all of our students by offering them a wide range of experi-ences that employ principles of technology and engineering while learning collaborative skills necessary for success in the modern workplace. Students will have access to modern tech-

Students in Jonathan Mess's Ceramics class participate in a raku firing at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts.


LA students Audrey Harper '15, Vincent Havens'17, Wally Morris '15, and Greg Anderson '15 study Lincoln's new 3D printer, which will soon be in the Cable-Burns Applied Technology and Engineering Center.

professionals to brainstorm ways that ATEC programming can be diverse and inclusive of students and adults in the community with a wide variety of needs and interests. And, in the residential program, pains have been taken to help day and residential students build relationships through the Ambassador program and by opening all weekend residential activities to local day students. Several of these relationships have led to foreign travel experiences where local LA students have traveled abroad to be guests of LA residential students in their home countries. If we fully realize the potential of this comprehensive education renaissance, Lincoln Academy students will be able to function comfortably in an economy inextricably linked to technology in all of its forms and will be prepared to do this in a global environment with the skills necessary to engage with peers from many different countries and cultures. In this way, we can create a lasting legacy for Lincoln Academy students yet to come.

Margot Riley is the Associate Head for Finance and Strategic Planning and is in her 22nd year at Lincoln Academy. She holds an A.B. from Smith College and a C.A.S. in Educational Leadership from the University of Maine. Margot has a lifetime connection to the area, first as a seasonal islander, and now as a year round resident of Waldoboro.

nology and will have the opportunity to create and discover, positioning themselves for future study in technology fields or for a more immediate transition to workplaces grounded in the use of technology.

The completion of the new dorm will mark the end of our incremental transition to a fully built out residential program at Lincoln Academy. Most of our residential students are international. Currently, we have 64 students from 14 coun-tries. This diversity gives us the opportunity to create “global classrooms” where teaching and learning at Lincoln Academy is enriched by the views and experiences of students from around the world.

As we reflect on our historic mission to provide the best education possible for students in the surrounding area, the opportunities available through ATEC and the residential program are both superlative and forward looking. As we do this, we must also be careful to learn the lessons of the past by acknowledging that the Achilles Heel of comprehensive education is to sort our diverse students into discrete groups through practices like tracking. Fortunately, much energy and attention has already been given to ensure that these new programs are inclusive. For example, Lincoln Academy hosted a summit in the early summer to enlist the expertise of local

8 FALL 2014

This spring Lincoln Academy will cut the ribbon on the brand new Cable-Burns Applied Technology and Engineering Center, already known around campus as ATEC. The ribbon cutting will begin a new era of technological education at Lin-coln Academy. “ATEC will offer an incredibly versatile space,” says Head of School David Sturdevant. “The possibilities for this building will be limited only by our imaginations.”

nity to access ATEC to incorporate various projects into their curriculum.

The building will offer hands-on education at every level. “We hope every LA student will access at least one class in this building every year,” says Mr. Sturdevant.

ATEC is designed to meet the needs of a quickly changing workforce. The building includes three spacious, flexible laboratories which will accommodate automotive technology, marine technology, boat building and woodworking, and new courses as they are developed. There are also three classrooms in the building which will accommodate CAD (Computer-Aided Design) activities, engineering courses, and science and math courses. The curriculum will integrate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and hands-on studies.

“We need to make sure that we are doing our best to prepare all students for their next steps after Lincoln, whether they are headed to a four-year college, directly into the workforce, or something in-between,” says Lincoln Academy trustee and ATEC Committee Member Rob Nelson. “Experience with hands-on learning, across a broad range of technologies, will give our students the life-long skills they need to keep up with the jobs of tomorrow.”

Construction on the new ATEC building began in April 2014, and thanks to excellent weather and an ambitious

ATECALL HANDS ON !by Jenny Mayher and David Sturdevant

It is my hope that each student at Lincoln Academy will access courses offered at ATEC as we integrate hands-on and STEM-related courses. In addition, ATEC may serve as a business/technology incubator for students and members of the com-munity as we move forward. This building and its programs will benefit both our students and the greater community.”

- David Sturdevant, Head of School

“

This facility would not be possible without the generosity of donors, who gave over $2.7 million to make the dream of ATEC into a reality. The building is slated to be completed in the winter of 2015, and the school will begin to hold classes there in March.

When the building is complete, existing technology educa-tion courses will move from their current locations to the new classrooms. In addition to traditional technology education courses currently offered, Lincoln will begin to add courses including Robotics, Composite Technology, Engineering 101, Aquaculture, Boat Building, Marine Technology, Cabi-net Making, Fabrication Technology, (supported by a state-of-the-art fabrication laboratory, or Fab Lab), Architectural Concepts, Entrepreneurial Studies, and more. In addition, faculty members in other departments will have the opportu-

My vision for ATEC is to introduce and train local students in the trades. The need for experienced tradesmen and women in the State of Maine and the country is huge. It`s estimated within 5 to 10 years there will be 10 million jobs available in the trades.”

- John Reny '69, LA Honorary Trustee

“


The following generous donors made this project possible, and will have spaces in the Cable-Burns ATEC building named for them:

The Cable-Burns FoundationChristine Sherman Nelson '38The Class of 1938The Class of 1962The Class of 1964The Class of 1974The Class of 1975The First, N.A.Mid-Coast Energy SystemsPhillips Power Products

Renys Charitable Trust The Roberts Family Sarah K. de Coizart Article TENTH Perpetual Charitable TrustGifts Made in Memory of:

Edward B. Denny Jr.Alton "Bud" Hall '52Edith Curtis Masters '35 and George

Sherman Masters, Sr.John Thorpe Richards

Lincoln AcademyThe Cable-BurnsApplied Technology and Engineering Center

construction schedule undertaken by Peachey, Inc., the build-ing is slated to be finished in the winter of 2015. Newcastle architect and Lincoln Academy Alumnus Tor Glendenning designed the building, as well as the dormitory that is being built concurrently next to ATEC.

Glendenning describes the side-by-side construction this way: “The new ATEC and Dorm buildings are being constructed less than 20 yards from each other and it is going well. Con-struction is on-time and on-budget at the halfway mark.” Two construction firms, Peachey Builders, building ATEC, and Wright-Ryan Construction, building the dorm, have coordi-nated their schedules so that both structures will be complete by spring of 2015. Glendenning continues, “the time com-mitment and due diligence of the coordinated construction will pay off when both buildings are completed on time!”

Curriculum for the new building is already in the works. “We are in the process of hiring an ATEC Director to en-

gage with students and the community to gauge interest in course content and to find qualified instructors to teach in the program on a flexible basis,” says David Sturdevant. “While we will offer courses during the traditional school day, we will also offer courses in the afternoons, the evenings and on the weekends. A course may meet once a week, once a month on weekends, or every day after school for a week.” This flexibili-ty will maximize the possibilities of the new space, and ensure that ATEC serves not only LA students and faculty, but the extended community through evening, weekend, and summer programs.

“With the opening of the ATEC building, Lincoln Acad-emy will usher in a new era of technological education and community involvement,” says David Sturdevant. “We look forward to sharing this resource with not only our students and faculty, but alumni, community members, and local professionals as well.”

10 FALL 2014

I’m so excited for this space! It will open possibilities for students in all areas of STEM, and make Lincoln Academy unique among schools in our area. We are entering a new age of innovation - an age in which machines provide most of the answers. What we need are humans to ask the right questions and design new tools to solve real-world problems. ATEC will provide our students space and tools to accomplish this goal.”

- Maya Crosby, Digital Studies Teacher

“ ATEC has the potential to engage every student at LA. Not only will it serve the traditional “industrial arts” curriculum but the versatile layout and 10,000 square feet of lab and classroom space will be venues for 21st century courses. With a cool-hip-tech aesthetic, ATEC will be the new building on campus that sparks curiosity in all students. It's the facility that everyone has been waiting for!”

- Dennis Prior ‘91, Secretary, LA Board of Trustees

“

My vision for ATEC is that the courses we offer will ignite a spark in every student at LA.”

- Ann McFarland ‘73, President, LA Board of Trustees“ ATEC will allow us to expand our curriculum and allow Lincoln Academy students to learn in a state-of-the-art facility.”

- Shawn St. Cyr ‘97, Industrial Arts Teacher“

My vision for ATEC is a center where anyone can learn or participate in using emerging technology."

- Theo Seidel '17“

ATEC will give kids an opportunity to do vocational educa-tion without going all the way to Bath. The more people who learn skills like automotive repair and welding and know how to make and fix things, the better off the world will be.”

- Nate McDonald ‘15

“

This is the right building at the right moment for LA, and our society in general. LA is doing its part to prepare students for this complex world where the competition is fierce.”

-Matt Goetting, Associate Head for Advancement“

My vision for ATEC is to provide a space with the tools and teaching talent that will inspire students to use both estab-lished and emerging technologies to prepare them for the 21st century workplace.”

- Ed Seidel, President, Tenji Inc., and LA Parent

“

My vision for ATEC is a place where students can learn how the technologies of our material and digital environment inter-face and why they are mutually dependent on one another.”

- Tor Glendenning '92 and ATEC Architect“

I see ATEC as a place with high-tech, precise equipment and room to build and experiment. ATEC will provide new resources for technological innovations.”

- Alex Organ ‘16“

The new space will be a great way for people to come and explore different sections of the school. School is not just English and Math; there are lots of other ways to learn. I think ATEC will encourage kids to try new skills.”

- Brandon Salerno '15

“


Lincoln Academy Business and Technology Forum, June 2014In June, 2014 Lincoln Academy hosted a strategic planning and vision forum focused on ATEC. Over 30 people represent-ing local businesses, LA faculty and administration, higher education, economic development, community members, and LA alumni gathered to discuss the possibilities of the new building.

Goals of the ATEC Forum:• To gather a diverse group of educators, manufacturers, business leaders, technology and agriculture profes-sionals, and scientists.• To discuss courses and concepts that will best utilize ATEC to prepare students for tomorrow.• To develop relationships with local constituents and broaden the reach of the new facility.

The group discussed three major questions:• What skills are current students missing?• How might this facility prepare students for the future?• How can Lincoln Academy partner with the community to best utilize the new ATEC facility?

ATEC Forum Conclusions: • Today's high school graduates need real-world skills: communication, problem-solving, perseverance, team-work, initiative, and leadership. • These skills are better taught through hands-on, project-based learning and connections to businesses.• The key is to excite kids about learning and teach them life-long skills, whatever their path after graduation. • Hands-on, experiential learning gives a context to academic studies.• A key design feature of ATEC is flexible spaces that constantly respond to technology and workplace needs.

One of the most exciting possibilities offered by ATEC is community partnerships, including: • Inviting community members to ATEC to teach workshops or classes in their area of expertise.• Using ATEC beyond the school day for adult ed, evening courses, seminars, middle school programs, etc.• Creating mentoring and apprenticeship programs between students and local professionals.• Making ATEC facilities available to area businesses for use in prototyping and testing new technologies.

—Robert Nelson

12 FALL 2014


Images from the Heartwood Theater/Lincoln Academy production of Jekyll and Hyde, the Musical, in November 2014. Photos courtesy of Marti Stone Photography.

14 FALL 2014

The two are a common sight around Lincoln Academy’s campus, regardless of the season. In snow, falling leaves or raindrops, the couple can be seen walking side by side, up the hill and down, to and from their classrooms in Hall House. Since 1990, the duo, Lourdes Rodríguez-Von Vogt and Carl Von Vogt, have taught world languages at Lincoln Academy. Their students find it easy to learn when communication in another tongue is relevant, and the words taught are com-monly used in their day-to-day lives. As teachers, the Von Vogts believe that language acquisition is the most direct path to understanding a new culture. Their methods help students make connections with everyday situations and expressing common thoughts. Learning to communicate helps a culture come alive, and gives students the chance to access a new language more meaningfully. Students comment that the Von Vogts show “extreme passion” for teaching and that they know how to “balance work and fun.”

The Von Vogts’ lives have been entwined since they first met in the mid-seventies, while both were studying linguistics during an exchange year in Barcelona. Their shared passion for languages and cultures brought them together. They soon discovered they had similar beginnings, having both grown up feeling the spark of multi-cultural influences from the time

they were very young. Their backgrounds nurtured a passion for learning about worlds beyond their own, and whetted their appetites for knowing more about the people, the lan-guages, and the cultures that intrigued them.

Lourdes was born in Chicago to a first-generation Puerto Rican family. She spent part of her youth in Puerto Rico and is grateful for the time she spent with her family in her native country, nurturing her Hispanic roots. When she was four, her family returned to Chicago. Lourdes recalls that being Latina in her adopted culture of America could be a challenge at times, yet she is grateful for the bi-cultural life her family gave her, and for the dual influences that guided her. She ate hamburgers along with arroz con gandules and danced both the salsa and the twist. Growing up, she often translated for her mother, and it was then she realized “… how limiting not knowing a language was, and, conversely, how empowering language can be.”

From the start, Carl, too, experienced the benefits of multi-cultural immersion. He grew up one of five children in urban Chicago, in a six-family apartment building where all the neighbors were from other countries. Carl came to appreciate cultural differences in a natural way; he played with the neig-

LOURDES RODRÍGUEZ-VON VOGT & CARL VON VOGT

Inspiring a Love of Language and Culture at Lincoln Academy

by Cynde Ferrill


bors' kids, became familiar with their languages, and appreci-ated “how good the food was." This early exposure was the catalyst for his eventual linguistics study, which ultimately led to teaching languages and enlightening his students on how language embodies culture.

Carl attributes youthful experiences with establishing a tradition that he still holds dear, that of “breaking bread” with others. Sharing food is a ritual that brings people closer together. Beyond language, he believes the quintessential element of a person’s culture is its cuisine. It’s an important component in building relationships and community. This tradition is alive and well in his classroom and language-de-partment-wide, where “food days” are much anticipated and enjoyed by students, who gladly bring dishes like guacamole and Moroccan chicken prepared in their own homes, to share with classmates. “It’s a food day!” can be heard up and down the hallways when one of the world language teachers devotes a class to learning about another culture through its cuisine. It is a day when students learn easily, through the intimacy of sharing and enjoying one another’s food.

After finishing college, Lourdes and Carl wanted to pursue their masters’ degrees in Romance Linguistics research, so they continued on to graduate school at the University of Illinois.

After completing his masters degree, Carl got an unexpected call from his old high school; it was September and they were in need of a Spanish teacher. He was surprised and humbled they asked him back to teach, and he took the job at the inner city parochial school of about 1,500 students. It wasn’t long before he knew that he had found that his passion was not research but teaching. He made a one year commitment to teach Spanish at his alma mater, and stayed nine.

Meanwhile, Carl was showing Lourdes “how cool it was to teach high school,” and she took notice. While earning her masters, she accepted an assistantship teaching Spanish. The time she spent in the classroom was “exciting and enriching." and shifted her interest from research to teaching high school. Lourdes got a job in Chicago, at a Catholic school of 3000 boys, where she liked it so much she stayed for eight years. During their decade in Chicago, the Von Vogts married and continued teaching, gaining valuable experience with a diverse mix of students. During summers, sometimes they were able to get away to Maine, where they found a nice cottage in South Bristol and enjoyed the special brand of summertime that only coastal Maine can offer.

The year their identical twins, Michael and Matthew, were born in Chicago, two teaching positions opened in the World

Lourdes Rodriguez-Von Vogt and Carl Von Vogt share a passion for languages, but have very different teaching styles.

16 FALL 2014

Languages Department at Lincoln Academy. It seemed like a dream come true, that jobs germane to their interests and expertise had opened up in midcoast Maine, where Carl always considered it would “be a privilege to live.” The Von Vogts were thrilled when they were hired to teach Spanish and French. They winterized their summer cottage and moved their family east to begin a new life, raising their sons and teaching up on the hill.

When Lourdes accepted the position of World Languages chair, her first task was to align Lincoln Academy’s curri-cula with the National Proficiency Guidelines. Lourdes had worked with the standards at her former school and keenly understood their value. She led her department in raising the proficiency standards and students responded well to the new expectations. For many years, LA student scores have consis-tently placed high in both the state and the nation. Lourdes believes that the students’ success was a major factor in being chosen a finalist for Maine Teacher of the Year in 2005.

The Von Vogts and their colleagues in World Languages, Lyn Bass, Alison Welch, and formerly, Nathalie Gorey, have worked hard to make language relevant to students. LA’s language teachers are all very talented linguists who work to-wards the common goal of enabling their students to become full citizens in a global community.

The Von Vogts’ philosophical approach to teaching empha-sizes communication and culture. They believe that the most important aspect of teaching is drawing connections and motivating students by making the material meaningful and relevant. This is evident when you enter one of their class-rooms and see the colorful paper images made for a Day of the Dead project strung from the ceiling. Students choose

someone they feel connected to who has passed, create a skeleton representation, and write a poem. The thought that goes into the students’ work is obvious, and it is clear that the project's relevance helps draw the connection between what they are learning and their own lives, the very lesson their teachers work to convey.

Classes are conducted mostly in the languages that are taught, to immerse the students in the language and to mirror how they learned language as children. Both Von Vogts lament the lack of a fully articulated World Language program in our area, one that would begin as early as preschool. Brain science supports the notion that the optimum time for exposure to language is when we are very young, when we have the most number of brain synapses that enable language to be absorbed effortlessly. Science informs us that during the early formation of the brain, we have a rare opportunity to easily and perma-nently absorb language. Once we’re older, the brain cannot learn with such ease. Carl draws a cogent analogy when he compares the lack of early exposure to World Language study, to the negative effects on brain development caused by a lack of exposure to music or reading. A long-standing hope is to work with the surrounding academic community to establish a K-12 world language program, that would allow our chil-dren to fully realize the power of engaging globally.

“We are more alike than not as people,” Lourdes believes. Both Von Vogts remark on how similar we all are, despite where we’re from, and that when commonalities are discov-ered, bonds develop that allow friendships to thrive. This truth is no plainer than when they see two students from dif-ferent corners of the world, one from Shanghai, and another from South Bristol, talking about BMX bike racing or video game characters. Sharing interests, along with laughs, is an

important connection.

The Von Vogts hold that “the most effective path to learning a language is through real world experiences.” Learning in the classroom and communicating with peers from around the world is one way to enter another world, but it is a priceless experience when students can immerse themselves in the actual world and live in a family home. Carl thinks cross-cultural interaction is vital and feels that not experienc-ing another culture “through the medium of that culture’s language is a regretful loss.” Learn-ing through immersion is a holistic experience. Absorbing the local sights and smells and trying new foods and hearing the sounds of people communing with one another render the lan-guage more accessible. One student commented that as teachers they are “passionate and sup-portive, and they really work with us” to learn a language.


To help expand their students’ world, over the years the Von Vogts have made many cultural opportunities available to LA students. With support from their department, the admin-istration, and the surrounding community, they have devel-oped myriad ways for LA’s stu-dents to gain global experience, both on campus and around the world.

One of their first efforts was to start an International Club, which attracted adventurous students who travel with the Von Vogts and other teachers, participate in homestays, and study in a language institute abroad. Among other ex-cursions, the group attends performances and tries unique cuisines. Students comment that the Von Vogts are “really fun” on those trips, sharing in the excitement. The Club also raises funds for relief efforts around the world, and contributes to our school’s awareness of other cultures.

The Von Vogts have initiated programs to support students’ dreams of studying in other countries, through year-long exchanges to places like Brazil and Japan, as well as through shorter homestay visits to Spain, México, and Puerto Rico. With homestays, students have the chance to learn what it’s like to live as a member of a family in their host country. It’s a powerful experience that changes lives. Carl confides that on a personal level, few experiences have affected him so greatly as traveling with students. Lourdes, too, feels personally reward-ed when she sees her students “feel empowered linguistically to travel, study and to live in different cultures." When seeing this, she feels most satisfied that she has realized her teaching goals.

The couple facilitates various study abroad programs at LA, like AFS, programs that allow our students to study abroad for a year and gain not only important life experience, but also earn valuable life credits that are used towards graduation. They were instrumental in establishing a “sister city” program with Valencia, Spain, and students from both countries have gained a great deal through the exchange homestays. Carl and Lourdes commend our community for graciously embracing foreign students and sharing their homes with them.

With the advent of Lincoln Academy’s residential program three years ago, the term "international student" has taken on new meaning. LA is excited to welcome resident students

Teaching languages is a hands-on and personal experience, as embodied by the Von Vogts.

from all over the world into our close-knit community of the LA campus. The Von Vogts were happy about LA’s decision to offer a boarding option to students, knowing that the move was one that would "transform the school in a positive way, and greatly enhance the diversity of our learning community.” The program is proving to be everything they had hoped for and more. They are warmed by the response of our surround-ing communities, who have opened their hearts and their homes to our resident students, helping them feel at home in their new environment in midcoast Maine.

Their methods may be similar, but it could be said that the Von Vogts' styles of teaching vary a bit. Lourdes is intense and engaging with a rapid fire delivery, her hands gesticulat-ing as she works to get a point across. Carl is a patient man, mellow in manner, and prone to shy smiles when he sees one of his students making a connection. After over three decades together, the Von Vogts happy, symbiotic relationship endures as an essential co-mingling of their personal and professional lives. It’s heartening to imagine them on campus for years to come, making their way up the hill and down, to and from their classrooms in Hall House, side by side.

Cynde Ferrill has worked at Lincoln Academy as a guidance counselor for the last sixteen years. She grew up in Eastport, Maine, and has a masters degree in education. Cynde has had a passion for writing for as long as she can remember. These days, she dreams of her retirement in the Southwest, a place where she feels inspired.

18 FALL 2014

EAGLE'S EYE Glimpses of LA Life

20 FALL 2014


Returning to Irish RootsBrian O’Mahoney

Ireland is very important to me in many ways, and going there is an intense and deeply personal experience. Every few years we try to make a trip to visit with my family. It’s usually one or two of us but this year, for the first time, all four of us went. Kristin, my wife, has been there many times and my older son went with me the last time, but it was pretty special to have all of us there, especially my youngest son, Eliot. My sister Anne and her daughters came from France to join us on the trip. We packed plenty into 16 days, spending time in three parts of the country: Cork City, Kerry, and the Burren region of County Clare.

For me, going home is as much about place as it is about people. While I always visit with my brother and sisters and aunt and cousins and friends, I enjoy just taking in the views and the experiences of the city of Cork where I grew up. It’s fun for me to take a walk into my own past. Cork is actually a very cosmopolitan city with many languages heard on the streets. When I’m there my old accent actually comes back. I think it’s an unconscious attempt to reconnect. I’m also reminded of the huge roles that music, poetry, and language play in the life of the nation.

We traveled to Kerry and we rented a house in the middle of the mountains for a week. While there, I made a point of do-ing as much hiking and climbing as I could. This, too, was a journey through the past, since I used to do a lot of climbing while I lived there. There are many publicly maintained trails, and landowners are well used to hikers crossing their lands; they allow them to do so freely as long as you close the gates and don’t trouble the animals. I enjoyed bumping into people from many nations on these trails and it was especially fun to climb a mountain with my son, Eoin.

While in Kerry we visited Skellig Michael, a former monas-tery perched on a wild and rocky island about two hours out from the mainland. This was probably the highlight of the whole trip. Kristin and I had been there before, about twenty years ago, and I felt really fortunate to be able to return. It’s a very special place and the difficulty of the terrain and distance keeps the number of annual visitors low. The govern-ment maintains it and welcomes visitors with strict guidelines

around access. For a history teacher, it’s heaven and a great opportunity to appreciate the monastic idea. It made a huge impression on me the first time I went there and that was echoed on this trip.

We finished our trip in Clare in a region known as the Bur-ren, an amazing landscape dominated by limestone and filled with interesting geology. We stayed in a youth hostel and visited the local caves, cliffs and beaches and relaxed.

Lincoln Academy Hosts Professional Actors for Summer Theater Production

Griff Braley

During the summer of 2014, Lincoln Academy’s Hall House residence, recently renovated for boarding students, became home sweet home for a group of actors participating in Heart-wood Regional Theater Company’s summer musical, The Legend of Jim Cullen. This was a maiden voyage for the resi-dence hall in terms of summer living. The actors arrived from Chicago, Louisiana, New York, Iowa, Maryland, Florida, and other locations for a seven week stay at Hall House, where they would live and dine together, while they helped to create the new musical at Heartwood. Lincoln’s boarding students were barely out the door, and an exceptional effort by the cus-

History teacher Brian O'Mahoney and his son Eoin in Ireland.

Enrich.Renew.InspireLincoln Academy Faculty Summers

22 FALL 2014

History teacher Robert Breckenridge in Germany.

todial crew prepped the rooms in one day, allowing the actors access just a few days following the end of school.

Summer theater on the Lincoln campus includes the main stage production, but also opportunities for visiting actors to share and participate as teachers for the theater summer camp and to befriend families in the local area. In addition, one Lincoln Academy student and two local middle school students performed with a talented array of older performers, working with Lincoln Academy staff, including myself.

The rental of the Hall House was a great arrangement, one that allowed our visitors to bond outside the artistic process. They loved getting to know the neighbors, the downtown merchants, and many of the surrounding sites. They swam at the Mills, shopped at Yellowfront, attended local churches, visited our restaurants, and even invited some of the crew working on new campus construction to attend the show. Their presence was cross cutting in many ways. I am apprecia-tive of Mr. Sturdevant’s positive and open attitude in this new programming development.

By the first week of August, actors departed for new roles in

cities across the country. Each of them expressed their ap-preciation for the residence opportunity and for the time to spend in this amazing part of the world, on a summer-long Maine adventure.

Summer Fellowship in GermanyRobert Breckenridge

Since 2002 the Goethe Institute of Washington, DC, has sponsored summer study tours of Germany for North Ameri-can teachers through the Transatlantic Outreach Program (TOP), generously funded by the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, Deutsche Bank, Robert Bosch Stiftung and Siemens. The program promotes education about Germany with a view toward encouraging intercultural dialogue and invites educators from the United States and Canada whose curricula relate to German history, language and culture to apply to experience Germany in person via two-week all-expenses paid study tours.

Teachers who have an interest in German history and culture (need not speak German, though “it helps”) apply, and 30-50 candidates are accepted. Tours of Germany are organized and tailored in part on the specific interests of the applicants selected. Certain sites and elements are included in all tours (usually a focus on the Jewish Holocaust, Germany’s post-World War II experience, the Berlin Cold War experience and Germany’s reunification after the collapse of the Soviet bloc) but I was selected for a tour that included sites pertinent to the curricula followed in Lincoln Academy’s World History classes, including Trier (northernmost Roman city and home of Karl Marx) and Aachen (Charlemagne’s capital).

With airfare paid by TOP, I flew to Washington for a day of orientation on June 20, 2014, and then, on Lufthansa Air-lines, of course, to Germany on June 21. My group consisted of educators from public and private schools and included two professors of education from universities in Arizona and

Actors from the cast of The Legend of Jim Cullen on Monhegan Island (L) and on stage at the Poe Theater (R).


Michigan. During the next two weeks we visited the Moselle River valley, Bernkastel-Kues, the Ordensburg Vogelsang in Eifel, Aachen, Eupen (Belgium), Cologne, Geisa, Fulda, Potsdam and Berlin. Some teachers elected to use free time to slip away to Luxemburg one evening, others to Poland after getting installed in Berlin for our last few days. I used my free weekend time to steal off to Beethoven’s home in Bonn.

The TOP tour was unquestionably the richest professional development experience of my teaching career, and I re-turned home late in July after extending my stay for ten days in Spain, feeling highly energized for teaching about all the exciting places I had visited. I can enthusiastically recommend the Transatlantic Outreach Program to any educator with an interest in German history, language, education, or culture.

Celebrating the Maine OutdoorsRicki Waltz

Being the school nurse at Lincoln Academy is extremely busy and at times, stressful. When summer vacation comes, I look forward to spending my time outside. My summer this year was filled with adventures. I did a lot of hiking. My hiking/climbing adventures took me to Mt. Battie in Camden, Bax-ter State Park, climbing Katahdin with my family and hiking the Bigelow Preserve with friends.

My Dad has attempted climbing Mt. Katahdin three times, his first time seven years ago when he and my youngest son, Alex, made the trip and didn’t quite make it to the top due to the weather. This was followed by an attempt in July 2013, taking the Hunt trail, which is part of the Appalachian Trail, and proved too difficult. So we struck out again this year, July 26. We took the Saddle Trail which is a 3.3 mile hike into Chimney Pond. Sitting at Chimney Pond gave us an oppor-tunity to view the vastness of Mt. Katahdin. We continued up the Saddle trail another 2.4 mile hike. The boulders are large and as we peeked up over the edge of what they call the saddle we had approximately one mile to the summit. Katahdin has several false peaks and we were often left feeling that we might never make it. Getting to the summit proved to be a very memorable and emotional high.

Mt. Battie was an opportunity for mountains and ocean to meet. Maine has so many unique experiences and this is truly one of them. On the day of our hike, the schooners were out in full force, and we could see for miles.

Bigelow Range proved to be a rigorous 13 mile loop. Much of the climb up was in a staircase fashion; it is truly amazing the work that people have done over the years to create the trail. It tested my endurance, had the most beautiful views, the forest was a very lush green, we saw many varieties of mush-rooms, and the company was fabulous.

Lobstering on the Damariscotta River was a great stress reducer and a wonderful way to spend time with my father. I am always fascinated with the contents of each trap. I think my favorite is seeing all the stages of lobster growth. I some-times think that the bottom must be covered with lobsters of all shapes and sizes. I also like to identify other creatures in the trap, feed the seagulls old bait, watch for seals, and enjoy the river community.

All of these summer activities help me to re-fuel so that I am ready to return to school refreshed and looking forward to seeing students.

Touring the Yucatan Peninsula in MexicoPatti Sims

This summer I visited several Mayan sites in the Yucatan Pen-insula of Mexico. It is a country rich in Mayan history, sundry archaeological sites, and a poor Mayan culture that still exists, much dependent on tourists’ money. It was uplifting to go to another country again. It has been several years since I have been beyond US borders.

We started in Cozumel, an island off the cost of Playa del Carmen, about an hour south of Cancun. We then traveled to Mayan religious temples in Cobá and Chichen Itza. Both

School Nurse Ricki Waltz with her family on Mt. Katahdin.

24 FALL 2014

have ball courts where the most popular and famous game called Pok-a-Tok was played. When the game was played for religious purposes, the captain of the winner was sacrificed; when the game was played for agricultural reasons, the cap-tain of the loser was sacrificed. Our guide made sure that we understood that the culture wanted to give the best to their gods, nothing inferior. Who, then, is the best of the games but the captain who leads them? They willingly went to their death and were sacrificed on the altar. Coba civilization was in conflict with Chitzen Itza to become the most prominent in their land and lost its power to them around 1000 AD.

The Chitzen Itza culture was even more ruthless about their sacrifices to the gods.

We also visited Tulum, another Mayan site. As it is nearer the coast, the salt water was partly responsible for the lack of fertile land, which eventually caused the demise of that civili-zation. Buildings with remnants of blue paint were purport-edly those belonging to high officials; blue paint was only for noble, royal, or upper class.

We were struck by the poverty of the Mayan communities in the Yucatan. At one point, a little Mayan girl came running to our car to beg for money; her situation is typical of the living conditions in the current Mayan village. It was heart-wrench-ing to see the poverty juxtaposed to the luxurious hotels and tourist attractions, which obviously do not share their wealth with the rest of the impoverished nation. Visiting and learn-ing about the culture, however, was nourishment to my soul.

Technology Educators Convene in AtlantaMaya Crosby

I traveled to Atlanta, GA for the International Society for Technology in Education conference, with over 13,000 other attendees from around the world. Teachers, administrators, software developers, technology educators of all kinds partici-pated in workshops and sessions focused on trends in educa-tional technology. One of my take-home messages from the event was that we here at Lincoln Academy are ahead of the curve in terms of using cloud based software and supporting student-centered learning that is platform agnostic-meaning that we focus on using the technology that works to support learning rather than teaching students to use a particular piece of software or device.

Probably the most significant statement for Lincoln Academy for the future was that we need to invest in infrastructure fully and completely-future communication and learning will be entirely dependent on it in the coming years. This message was repeated in a variety of ways in all strands of the conference. Second, the maker movement has taken off and we are poised to be able to take advantage of a new focus on discovery and invention with our new ATEC building if we can ensure that the facility is flexible, allowing many different types of innovation along cross-curricular lines.

A Mayan altar at the temple of Coba.

Observations from Maya Crosby's Twitter feed at the ISTE Conference in Atlanta.


Visiting A Hosted Son in his Home CountryCarole Brinkler, written with Cynde Ferrill

My son, Liam Brinkler ‘16, and I took the trip of a lifetime last summer to Shenzhen China, to visit Bowen ‘Willy’ Wang ‘14, a young man who, in three short years, grew to be like a brother to Liam and Alexis ‘09, and another son to Michael ‘84 and me. Willy came to the United States to follow his dream of studying at an American high school, and we feel lucky he chose LA and lived with our family. Last June he graduated with Honors with the LA Class of 2014. This year he is studying engineering at Denver University in Colorado.

We traveled to China to visit Willy and experience his world for the first time. We were impressed with the unique archi-tecture and the deep roots of traditional Chinese culture. It was enlightening to learn about China’s early history, dating back as far as the 21st century BC.

Spending time in a foreign country gave us greater apprecia-tion for what the resident students at LA experience. Like they do, we took our cues from gestures and facial expres-sions. There was a lot of nodding, bowing, and giggling amongst us, and it wasn’t long before we felt like friends. Despite our language differences, we found ways to commu-nicate and socialize. We also got to meet LA students past and present, including PQ Pu ‘16, Barry Yan ‘15, Adams Zhong ‘13, and Sean Li.

We visited in the hottest time of the year, and it was often over 100 degrees. Even the added humidity couldn’t dampen the excitement of reconnecting with Willy or interfere with our grand adventure. The food was incredible, the sites ex-traordinary, and the people friendly and helpful. We had inevitable mishaps that, fortunately, all ended well, but kept the trip exciting. Just before boarding a flight over the polar ice cap, we learned our plane had mechanical difficulties. There were frequent reports of international airspace matters, typhoon warnings, and at one point we found ourselves liter-ally in the middle of a five-car pile up! You name it, and we experienced it in a foreign language.

We toured many ancient attractions including Xian (Terracotta Warriors, Temples, Street Fairs), Beijing (Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square, Temple of Heaven), and Shanghai (Oriental Pearl Tower, City Scape, River Walk and an M&M Factory store). Willy took us

on a tour of his beautiful hometown of Shenzhen. Everywhere we went, the cuisine was exquisitely presented, delicious, and varied.

We experienced most modes of transportation there, and were impressed with the ultra-modern, super fast trains and sleek airplanes, equipped with automatic misters to keep us cool. The airlines use children as demonstrators in their safety videos, which made the important (but dry) topic fun to watch. The more we traveled, the more we realized that there is nothing in the States that can rival China’s transportation systems. The parks and public areas are pristine and beauti-fully landscaped.

It was surreal to be in China. Each time we walked outside, we remembered that we were half a world away from home, surrounded by things similar, but so different too. At times, we felt apprehensive, lone Americans in a sea of (mostly) unfamiliar faces. Young children found blonde-haired Liam fascinating, and it was comical to see them turn to catch a second look when they passed.

Willy, Liam, and I, as “the three amigos,” laughed, ate, and hiked our way across China. It was a fabulous, whirlwind trip that has had a profound impact on the way we view the world. Invitations to return to China were frequent, and we resolved to return someday. Willy and all his family and friends were welcoming and gracious hosts. We made lasting friendships and memories we will cherish forever.

Carole and Liam Brinkler '16 in China.

26 FALL 2014

New Staff Profiles

ALEXA ABBOTTAlexa Abbott has returned as an administrative assistant in the guidance office where she worked from 2001-2005. Her recent work included serving as vice-president and treasurer for Abbott Incorporated and substituting for teachers and office staff in the Wiscasset schools. Alexa is a Wis-casset HS grad, and attended Regis College and St. Joseph’s College in Windham.

KELLEY DUFFYKelley Duffy is teaching social studies. She has worked in Wiscasset High School’s social studies department since 2002. Prior to moving to Maine, she taught high school and middle school in Switzerland, Venezuela, and New Mexico. A native of Vermont, Kelley graduated from Northfield Mount Hermon in Massachusetts and earned a BA in political science from Swarthmore College and a Masters of Public Policy from the Muskie School of Public Service in Portland.

DAR IN F LANAGANDarin Flanagan joins Lincoln Academy in the special education department. He served as an ed-tech and as a long-term substitute for Rebecca Farrell in the LA math department last year. He has taught math at Bourne HS and at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional HS on Cape Cod. Darin graduated from Wiscasset HS and holds a BS in Secondary Mathematics Education from UM Farmington.

L EX I GOLESTAN ILexi Golestani joins the Lincoln staff as a dorm parent and assistant soccer coach. Lexi is taking a semester off from Penn State where she is studying geosciences. She has led students on wilderness camping trips through the Penn State Aurora Orientation program, and guided horseback trips in the Rocky Mountain National Park.

J ENNY MAYHERJenny Mayher is the new Manager of Communications and Community Engagement. Jenny spent the last eight years as the Children’s Librarian at Skidompha Library. She has also worked in the professional development center and the admission office at Eagle Rock School in Colo-rado. She earned a BA from Harvard and an MA in Anthropology and Education from Columbia Teachers College.


ANNA MYERSAnna Myers is teaching in the science department. She previously taught at the Breakwater School in Portland, the Gifft Hill School in St. John, US Virgin Islands, the Brookwood School in Manchester, MA, and the Boston Public Schools. She earned a BS from Bowdoin, an MS from Northeastern, and an Ed.M. from Harvard.

SHELLY R I CHARDSONShelly Richardson is teaching in the math department and serving as a dorm parent. She has taught math in South Carolina, at Deer Isle Stonington HS, at Catherine Mcauley HS, and most recently in her hometown of Caribou. She holds a BS in Secondary Education - Mathematics from UM Presque Isle and an MS in School Counseling from Husson University.

CHR I S ROB INSChris Robins joins the LA world languages department to teach Mandarin and Japanese. He has taught at several colleges and universities including Vassar, St. Lawrence, and Bates. He also works as a translator and has translated Japanese books to English. He holds a BA from University of Vermont, and an MA and a PhD from Indiana University.

BRENDA SAWYERBrenda Sawyer is teaching in the English department. She taught English at Richmond HS (ME) and Mount Blue HS and at Wiscasset HS, her alma mater. She earned a BS in Secondary Edu-cation - English at UM Farmington and is currently finishing her MS in Literacy Education at USM.

BEN WALDROPBen Waldrop is working as a residential life intern, a dorm parent, and coach. He also teaches an ESL Biology course and a PE class. He earned a BS in Environmental Science from St Mary’s Col-lege of California with a concentration in environmental chemistry. He has been substituting in the schools on Martha’s Vineyard.

28 FALL 2014

G O L FLA Golf qualified for KVAC playoffs with a team record of 6-4. Bailey Plourde shot a 79 at the KVAC Qualifier to qualify for the State Individuals. At the State Individuals Bailey shot a 75 to tie for second place with Jenna Hallett of Presque Isle. Bailey and Jenna tied for the State Championship in 2013. Con-gratulations to Bailey for representing Lincoln Academy so well.

G I R L S S O C C E RThe girls soccer team had a great season, coming in second in KVACs and mak-ing it to the Western Maine Class B Semi Finals! The team had key early wins over Morse and Oceanside, a home victory over Camden Hills, and a big road win over Erskine Academy. These successes solidified a top spot in the Western B Playoffs and put the Lady Eagles into the KVAC Championship game against an undefeated Waterville.

F A L L S P O R T S W R A P U Pby Phil Page

Photographs by Jenny Mayher, Paula Roberts, and Jim Amaral.


F I E L D H O C K E YThe field hockey team had its finest season in years, beginning with an opening season victory over Morse. The team played competitively throughout the season supported by loyal fans and parents. Special thanks to retiring coaches Amanda Armstrong and Mary Martha Collins whose hard work and positive spirit reinvigorated the field hockey program at LA.

B O Y S S O C C E RThe boys soccer team had a success-ful season finishing with a regular season record of 7-4-3, fifth in the Western B. A hard fought 0-0 tie with top ranked Camden Hills and an exciting Homecoming victory over a good Medomak Valley team were key games in the first half of the season. The boys finished 5th in Western B and traveled to Gray-New Gloucester for their quarter-final game losing 2-1 in a well-matched game.

C R O S S C O U N T R YBoth the boys and girls cross country teams fielded competitive teams this fall. At the KVAC meet both teams finished a respectable 6th out of thir-teen Class B schools. Special thanks to Coach BJ Russell who is retiring after ten successful years coaching the LA Cross Country teams, and Lori Crook, who assisted BJ for seven years.

30 FALL 2014

Maya Angelou declared, “It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” This is not only a task for parents but also for educators and one which I take especially seriously. My goal from the beginning has been to recruit students from across the state, country, and globe. Lincoln Academy has always been socioeconomically diverse and as of this year, we have added students from thirteen different countries and another state to our wonderful community. Our recruitment strategy is a work in progress as we develop relationships with domestic and international partners and find ways to more effectively attract students in our local towns.

Our students find us through a variety of channels, and one of the most effective of those is a face-to-face meeting. To that end, I have spent much of the fall traveling in Kazakhstan, Mexico, Germany, Czech Republic, China, Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand – speaking with consultants, school counselors, parents, and students. In early October, we hosted thirteen consultants from twelve countries on our campus. Consul-tants recommend schools to prospective students and help

them with the application process. Naturally, once they see the campus and meet the people of Lincoln Academy, they are much more likely to send students. We also continue our work to attract domestic students. Our Head of School, David Sturdevant, attended a local fair in Portland as well as a domestic fair in Orlando, Florida. Additionally, we are explor-ing ways to provide some Maine students with the opportu-nity to live on campus.

Students come to us because they have connected with the school in some way. Relationships are what compel them to stay. As I walk into the Alumni Dining Commons and see students from Vietnam, China, Turkey, Spain, Rwanda, and the US sitting together, I glimpse the beauty and strength of our budding diversity.

— Sheryl StearnsDirector of Enrollment and Marketing

Enrollmentand Marketing

Left: Director of Enrollment and Marketing Sheryl Stearns at an International Admissions Conference in Kazakhstan.

Below: Boarding Students enjoying campus life at Lincoln Academy.


Greetings from the Lincoln Academy residential commu-nity. The 2014-2015 school year is off to a great start with a total of 64 resident students from around the world, includ-ing the Czech Republic, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, Rwanda, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, China, Ukraine and Vietnam as well as California. Many of the resident students are planning on getting their diploma from Lincoln Academy while some will return to their home country after a year here. Resident students are taking classes that run the gamut from English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) all the way to AP English. While the resident student population has grown, so too, has the ranks of resident faculty, which now includes eight faculty and staff.

Right from the very start we’ve involved the resident students in the life of the broader community of midcoast Maine. Our very first weekend together, we all spent the day on the waters of Muscongus Bay. Working with our friends from Camp Kieve, we spent the day kayaking and riding on a lobster boat modified specifically to be used for marine education. The next weekend we took the entire resident community to Monhegan, which recently celebrated 400 years of settlement. On Monhegan we split into three groups and performed trail maintenance, removed invasive species, and worked on a farm.

One of the challenges of a residential program is providing our students with interesting things to do in the “down time” between the end of the academic day and dinner, which is followed by study hall in the evening. Here at Lincoln, we provide a variety of activities and opportunities for students to branch out from their run of the mill habits and begin to experience some of the culture of Maine. While the resident students are important contributors to Lincoln’s various sports teams, they are also heavily involved in the math and debate teams. Performing music and singing are also rewarding paths that our resident students pursue. One of the great strengths of Lincoln Academy is the wonderful clubs sponsored by faculty and the resident students are very involved in things as

varied as the volleyball club, the marine science club, and the yoga club, which was actually founded by a resident student this fall.

Another important initiative within the residential communi-ty is an after-school “Culture of the Month Club.” Created by resident students, this club will meet after school and spend a month at a time focused on a particular culture, learning some of the language, creating arts and crafts projects, prepar-ing, cooking and enjoying a meal, and selecting, viewing and discussing a film that provides insight into the chosen culture. We are collaborating with Skidompha library as partners in this initiative; a very exciting opportunity to involve our students in the life of the broader community. We will spend November learning about Turkey, and December about the Czech Republic.

On weekends, just as on weekdays, we have a wide variety of activities offered to both resident and day students. We cover the range from perennial favorites like bowling, mov-ies, and trips to the Maine Mall to more unusual experiences like a hike on the trails of La Verna Nature Preserve in Bristol offered by the Lincoln Academy library’s Brunch and Books program, in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of “The Maine Woods” by Henry David Thoreau. We strive to offer something for everyone.

— Ken StevensonDirector of Resident Life

Resident Life

Director of Resident Life and Boys Varsity Soccer Coach Ken Stevenson talks to a student.

32 FALL 2014

I really like my job.

Most people might find that hard to believe. Not because they think working at an amazing school with a rich history on the beautiful midcoast of Maine wouldn’t be enjoyable.

I reckon it has everything to do with the fact that my job description includes the following two words, in consecutive order: Fund Raising.

Take this example, from an introduction for an NAIS (Na-tional Association of Independent Schools) published book about a trustee’s role in fundraising:

“Right up there with death, taxes, and public speaking — most folks hate to ask for money. Which is why a new book by NAIS for independent school trustees cuts to the chase: it acknowledges ‘dread,’ and offers ‘pain-free’ help.”

I’ll let you in on a little secret. For me, asking, or encourag-ing, people to support a worthwhile mission neither induces pain nor generates dread. In fact, I am proud to do it.

I am proud to do it because LA students compete every day, in the classroom, on the stage, on the fields, in the commu-nity and especially during Friday morning Community Meet-ing. (For those of you who are skeptical about today’s youth, I encourage you to come to one of these assemblies. I’ll even buy you breakfast afterwards.)

I am proud to do it because I have colleagues who not only give it their all each day during the school year but also find ways to grow during the summer.

I am proud to do it because Lincoln alumni are doing their part to have a productive and positive impact on their com-munities.

I am proud to do it for a school that has embraced the power of philanthropy. There’s evidence of what belief and invest-ment can do all over Lincoln’s campus.

Have you …

º Been to the Alumni Dining Commons?

º Observed one of our student scientists using our state-of-the-art labs?

º Been the recipient of one of our named scholarship awards?

º Let yourself get excited about the incredible potential of the Cable Burns Applied Technology and Engineering Center?

These are all testaments to the power of what a community can accomplish when a group of people come together to turn a dream into a reality.

Financial support by way of gifts large and small, and com-ing from Lincoln Academy alumni, parents, and friends, has a direct and significant impact on the day-to-day experience for our students and faculty. Simply put, philanthropy helps make our school a stronger place.

On behalf of those of us here at LA, I want to extend sincere thanks and appreciation to all those who make supporting Lincoln students, faculty, programs, and facilities a priority. I am proud to work for, and on behalf of, such a spirited insti-tution.

On second thought, I don’t like my job. I love it.

— Matt GoettingAssociate Head for Advancement

PS: Who is ready for our next effort?!

Advancement

LA's Associate Head for Advancement Matt Goetting.


Robert R. Brown ‘56Allen J. ‘64 and Alina CorsonCarol and Jack DexterLawrence ’77 and Judith

DumontFirst Federal Savings and LoanGeoffrey E. Gordon ‘82Sung Han and Amy LalimeAnne W. Knott

In memory of Barry (Gus) Knott ‘51

Jeremy D. MarksGarrett Martin and Jenny

MayherLisa ’83 and Steve ’79 MastersRoland J. McFarland ‘68Robert W. Packard ‘54Todd ’97 and Monika PageGlenn and Linda SandefurDavid and Beth SturdevantEllen and Stan Wells

$250 and aboveAnonymousJohn and Barbara (Stockmann)

’74 AllanGary and Rosie Bensen

In honor of Kathe CheskaLewis Burleigh ‘58Stephen P. DixonMarcy Plummer Duggan ‘81Ken ’61 and Carol FraserDan Friedland and Heather

Wolfe

Susan and Peter GlueckMary HartStacey E. Hong ’84John and Edna KennedyDavid and Rosalee LandryRussell and Kathleen MackMarianne Masters ‘81Sarah Prime MaurerAnni Pat McKenney ’93 and

Chris McKenney ’89Rob and Stephanie NelsonPhil ’70 and Gail PageRobert E. Palmer, Jr. ’71The Perry Family

In memory of Donald Perry '64Lee and Sandra RamstromBrian ’76 and Rosa ’76

RedonnettShawn St. CyrNed Steinberger and Denise

SoucyJillian Testa ’95The Class of 1962Dick Valentine ‘49Kathryn VanZand ‘64Chrissy ’85 and C.J. WajerSteven and Lisa Wallace

$100 and aboveAnonymous (3)Dr. and Mrs. Thomas AbbottCharles F. Adams ‘64Eleanor P. AdamsCally ’66 and Tom Aldrich

Annual Report OF CONTRIBUTIONSfor the fiscal year July 1, 2013 - June 30, 2014

Lincoln Academy gratefully acknowledges the generous support of alumni, parents, friends and businesses throughout the year.

$1,000,000 and aboveAnonymous

$50,000 and aboveThe Reny Charitable

FoundationSarah K. de Coizart Article

TENTH Perpetual Charitable Trust

$15,000 and aboveAnonymous

$10,000 and above Colby & Gale, Inc. and Phillips

Power ProductsThe Class of 1974 and 1975

$5,000 and aboveJim ’54 and Sarah BirkettJ. Edward Knight Insurance Co.Masters Machine Co.Dru ’64 and Carl SanfordThe Class of 1964 $2,500 and aboveFlory Fund of the Maine

Community Foundation

$1,000 and aboveAnonymousMargaret Rigg AtwoodBob ’62 and Margie ’65 BaldwinJean W. Burrage

Damariscotta Bank & Trust, Co.Carole Fraser Fowler ’64 and

Northrup Fowler ‘62Martha Frink

In honor of Kathe Cheska and in memory of Michael Frink

Hart Fund of the Maine Community Foundation

Lincoln Academy Alumni Association

Lincoln Academy All SportsBoosters

Ann '73 Alden '65 McFarlandMid-Coast Energy Systems, Inc.Karen and Sean MoranChristine S. Nelson '38Christopher J. Olson ’83Victor ’71 and Ruth PerreaultMary Jane Perry and Peter A.

JumarsCharles L. RichardsJanice O. Sprague ‘54The Class of 1973The First, N.A. William and Gertrude Jones

TrustYereance and Son Plumbing and Heating

$500 and aboveGary ’73 and Pamela AlleySeth and Mary AndersonJean Baldwin Beaulieu ’56Verna Wyman Boyd ‘43

Unrestricted gifts to the Annual Fund, Capital Campaign and gifts designated to support specific programs and endowment funds.

34 FALL 2014

David R. Alexander ‘51Cynthia Allen ‘54Tom and Debra Arter

In memory of Michael FrinkRae and Ted Bachelder Nelson W. Bailey ‘54Willard R. Bailey ‘50William Balch and Patricia

MatraiHenry and Alice Barstow

In memory of Christopher Benner ‘98

Louise and David ’54 BelknapDot BlanchardClifford W. Bosworth ’50Laurie ’73 and Jeff BouchardBarbara P. Briggs ‘58Linda D. Brunner ‘60

In memory of Donald Perry '64 & Bill Clark '60

Arthur S. Cameron ‘54

David CampbellIn memory of Donald Perry '64

Sheri and Allen ChambersJodie A. Clark ‘81Eugenie ’55 (Woodward) Cole

and Wayne ColeIn memory of Donald Perry '64

Scott and Debbie ConantTom CromwellDick and Jenelle CummingsJennifer Conley Davis ‘82Arthur and Joyce DexterEllen and John DickensChuck and Meg DinsmoreBrian ’71 and Ruth DodgeDana L. DowJean Eaton ’54Rosemary L. Emerson ’55Patricia Parsons Fales ‘50Margo Gilbert ‘85 Dr. Timothy Goltz and Karen

Kleinkopf

Henry M. Goodyear, Jr.Michael J. Hanley ‘71Paula (Chamberlain) Hanson

‘57John and Mary HarrisMaia Hart ‘64Clayton Hatch ’54Alan and Pamela HenriksonRalph ’40 and Jean ’43 HiltonDaniel A. Hodgkins ’41Barbara (Smith) Hope ’63Natalie House ‘54Marcus and Andrea HutchinsJoan (Fish) JacksonJoanne V. JohnstonMark Johnston ’71Carol Baker Joyal ‘60Jan and Barbara KiviniemiElizabeth Koch '05Anton and Alison LahnstonPorter D. Leighton ’50

Ed Lincoln ’70Jack and Martha LynchBryan ManahanGeorge L. Martin ’75L. and C. MayerJonathan McKane and Susan

DaleNelson A. McLean ‘50Peter and Amy ‘88

McNaughton Jennifer Meakin ‘91William MorgnerJames and Margaret NewellSara Schick Nordhoff ’89Becky Raser Nunn ‘64Lurie ’79 and Paul ’67 PalinoJanice PalmerAlan C. Pease ’48James H. PhillipsDoris L. Pierce ’46Kathy PinkertonJohnna Sproul Porter ’63

Carol PrestonF. Parker and Sue ReneltGrace Packard Reynolds ‘64Richard B. RileySam and Abbie RobertsPaul C. Robinson ’58Deborah L. Russell

In memory of Donald Perry '64Dan and Linda SchickLaura Schroeder ‘80John M. SchumacherAlice Palmer Scott ‘45Richard and Gail ShandSusan Taylor The Class of 1963Heather Williamson Thomas ‘79Cathy Fish Walker ‘62William and Eliza WaltonRicki ’82 and Randall Waltz ’81 Elizabeth B. WellesDavid F. West

In memory of Donald Perry '64Michael and Dawn WestcottKelcey and Brian ’89 WesthaverKen and Barb WilliamsSandra Sproul Woodbury ‘56Chester ’54 and Betty Jean ’54

Wright, In honor of Kathe Cheska

JB and Loren ’79 Bachelder Wright

Norman ’81 and Lori WrightRobert C. York ’44

$50 and aboveAnonymous (2)Mr. & Mrs. KJ AnastasioLorraine Bearce

In memory of Donald Perry '64Susan and Bruce BeaudetteSusan Billings ‘73Anni J. Black ‘62

In memory of Brian Kingston ‘62

Seth and Cindy Blodgett ‘83Anne C. Booth ‘40Bob Breckenridge

In honor of Bonnie Kanavich, Judith Stafford, & Art Garey

Katherine BrewerIn memory of Charley Brewer ‘50

Barbara H. Briggs ‘67Jim Briggs ‘70Amy Brunner Brooks ‘90Jean BrooksDan Brown ’87Steven P. Chaney ‘61 Ned ’62 & Mary Martha Collins

‘64

Maya CrosbyBernie and Penny ’66 DavalaAllan and Ellen FisherJanet Fowle, M.D.Judith Gerlinger

In memory of Donald Perry '64Faye Tibbetts Graham ‘62John GrantAnn A. GuildMarcia M. Hall ‘64

In memory of Donald Perry '64David M. Hanna ‘85William Hart ’67Judith Fraser Hope ‘59Caroline Davis JanoverShirleyThompson Johnson ‘63Joyce P. Johnston

In memory of Donald Perry '64Wayne Johnston

In memory of Donald Perry '64Donna Spencer Jolicoeur ‘64Patricia L. Kempton Joan and John KierstedMary Watson Lemieux ‘56Walter A. Lewis

In memory of Donald Perry '64Phyllis C. Lichtenwalner

In memory of Donald Perry '64The Lugosch FamilyFrazier and Susan MeadeKaren and Bill MookMr. and Mrs. Andrew MullinBetty Jean Oliver O’Dell ‘43Eleanor O’Donnell ‘47Brian O’MahoneyThe Page Family

In memory of Maynard Howell '43

Karen Leavitt Paz ‘78Mike and Sally Emerson ’61

PelilloMadelyn V. Pierce ‘43Jane Hall Planty ‘64Charles Rand ‘71 and Belinda

Osier ‘76Martha Belknap Reed ‘38Judith P. RibeiroCheryl Rice Roney ‘64Diane Russell

In memory of Donald Perry '64Rufus Short ‘44Patricia M. Stout

In memory of Ellen Schroeder '42

Nina SylviaClaire Grady Thompson ‘43

T h a n k y o u f o r y o u r s u p p o r t !


Rob Tukey ‘64Carl and Lourdes Von VogtMary Sue Weeks ‘62Shirley Batteese Welton ’65Robert Wesson ‘69Daria and Ed WhiteMark E. Whitney ‘86Bridget O’Brien ’86 and Kurt

WidmaierIn memory of Stephen George Hanna ‘02

Louise ’51 and Andrew ’51 Williamson

John Williamson ‘86Sarah Wills-ViegaEdward Wiseman

In memory of Donald Perry '64Mary H. York ’66

$25 and aboveAnonymous (3)Jacob AbbottAmanda ArmstrongNick Azzaretti and Kate

PenningtonLyn BassAlice A. Berry ‘54Hilda K. Berry

In memory of William J. Berry '46

Robert and Suzanne BradleyLori Leavitt Budd ‘77Joanne Bailey Anderson

Campbell ‘51Eleanor Catir ‘40Ted ClappFrank CreamerAlison Welch DaveeElizabeth J. DuckettMillie Edwards

In memory of Donald Perry '64Tracey Geroux Gervais ‘86 Jessie Briggs Gunther ’65Marie H. Hall ’65William C. Hammer and Nan

JusticeKim Reilly Hodgdon ‘76Janet Benner Holloway ’48Jane Small Holmstrom ’60Priscilla House ’69Brian D. Huntley ‘76

In memory of Donald Perry '64Carol JacksonNicholas ’93 and Emily Allan

KutchJennifer Milliken

Marion MundyJulia MyersKaren and Steve O’BryanRichard PerkinsHilary and Daryn PetersenHelen Spear Pietila ‘40Marianne H. Pinkham ’70

In memory of Fred H. Pinkham ’16

Lucille House Putnam ‘48Joleen M. Rice ‘68Wanda Rice ‘82Nancy A. Slocum ’62Sally E. Smith

In memory of Donald Perry '64Ethel M. Stolte

In memory of Donald Perry '64Steven SullivanGail C. Thomson ‘62Arthur Tordoff


Sonya S. Verney ’81Amy and Rosario VitanzaOlevia WatsonMarty and Betty Welt

Additional DonationsJohn ’58 and Allison ChapmanKristen Jones Cowing’87Samuel A. Hartford


Ellen KyderCharlie ScimonePatti SimsMike Walsh

Gifts of Goods and ServicesAnonymousFalcon Charitable FoundationEllen KyderLincoln County PublishingMetcalf’sJanice PalmerBeth Preston Chris ’74 and Paula ‘75 Roberts StarsSupplies Unlimited

Matching GiftsShell Oil Company FoundationWells Fargo Foundation

Lewis C. Alley Scholarship FundTimothy J. Alley '77

David Archer Memorial ScholarshipLucilla Archer

Carol Lessard Bickford FundAmy Bickford Landry ‘99Eleanor Ricker O’Donnell ’47

Matthew S. Budrow Scholarship FundL.A. All-Sports BoostersMatt Budrow Tournament

Frances W. Dixon Memorial Scholarship Fund

Andrew L. Chase ’93 Richard and Mary ChaseStephen P. DixonJack and Martha LynchHenry J. Sandlass

Kay E. Dopp Scholarship FundMaine Community Foundation

Mary Gallagher FundPriscilla ChapmanJohn Gallagher

Michael T. Hadik Technology FundAnn Gold and Steve Hadik

Muriel Havenstein Scholarship FundThe Havenstein Family

Cleveland Page ’42

Scholarship FundElizabeth PagePhil Page ’70Julie Burnheimer ’73

Daniel A. Pinkham Sports Scholarship FundAnn Pinkham

Gary Pinkham Scholarship FundLanelle G. Duke ’88Patsy PinkhamMalcolm ’59 and Carol ‘59 Ray

Leanne Pulsifer Scholarship FundPriscilla PulsiferMegan J. Redmond

Stephanie J. Vincentsen ‘94In memory of Sonny Pulsifer

Richard ChadwickRichard L. GilbertCatherine GreggMichael McElroyEleanor Schiavi

The Reny Charitable Foundation Scholarship FundThe Reny Charitable

Foundation

Anne Scofield Scholarship FundHiram Sibley ’85Yvette (Fish) Sullivan ’85 South Bristol Historical Society ScholarshipSouth Bristol Historical Society

Contributions received after July 1, 2014 will be reported in the next Annual Report of Contributions.

Contributions to Scholarship and Memorial FundsT h a n k y o u f o r y o u r s u p p o r t !

36 FALL 2014

L A H O M E C O M I N G 2014Homecoming 2014 photographs by Jenny Mayher, Angus Fake '15, and Jim Amaral.


L A H O M E C O M I N G 2014

38 FALL 2014

LINCOLN ACADEMY BOOSTER CLUB

The Booster Club is off to another good start this year, thanks to the loyal support of area businesses on the Booster Cal-endar, the fall concessions at soccer games, and a successful Homecoming Weekend.

Homecoming festivities this year included the dedication of the new snack shack in memory of Gary Brackett. It has provided not only an improved building, but also a great place to view LA soccer games. Thanks to all those who made it possible.

Aside from the usual funding requests for individual athletic programs, the Booster Club in recent years has identified ma-jor needs within the Athletic Department to provide financial assistance. In the last two years major purchases included a new portable scoreboard for field hockey and girls lacrosse, and a high jump pit for the track program.

The LA Boosters have targeted the baseball and softball programs this year by raising funds to replace both pitching machines. Both machines are well over thirty years old, and the softball pitching machine is inoperable as of last spring. A special pledge is made each year at the Booster Auction to be spent on these areas of need.

With winter sports around the corner, the Booster Club is always looking for help taking admission at basketball games and staffing the concession stands.

—Phil Page '70, Assistant Athletic Director and Alumni Relations Coordinator

Members of the Brackett family present a plaque dedicating the new Snack Shack to the memory of Gary Brackett. Receiving the plaque are Athletic Director KJ Anastasio, Head of School David Sturdevant, LA Students, and members of the LA All Sports Boosters. The dedication took place at Home-coming on September 27, 2014. Photo by Paula Roberts.


Letter from the Council PresidentAlumni Council News: A President’s Perspective

At our September Council meeting we focused on the need to replace recently retired, long standing Council members: Catherine Walker ‘62, Cynthia Allen ‘54, Margie Baldwin ‘65, Jed Weaver ‘88, Carole ‘64 and Nort ‘62 Fowler. We thank them for the many, many years of substantive service, regularly attending periodic Council meetings and participat-ing with excellent ideas and helpful suggestions. We miss you all!

With these veterans retired, the Alumni Council is SEEK-ING NEW MEMBERS, willing to attend and participate in 5-6 meetings a year, and lend a hand with the three annual fundraisers: Homecoming, Alumni Games, and the annual Alumni Banquet. Please contact me (AJ Corson) at: [email protected] or call the Phil Page at 563-3596 ext. 123.

The three-day Homecoming weekend was a resounding suc-cess for Lincoln Academy and the Alumni Council. With big crowds and the weather cooperating with clear skies and warm temperatures, Homecoming 2014 was a very enjoyable event. Credit goes out to Bob ‘89 and Lynne ‘92 Plourde who handled admission and the 50/50 raffle at the soccer games on Saturday. The grill team of long-term “Grill Master” Chris Roberts ‘74 with Bob Plourde and myself ran out of ham-burgers and hot dogs. Bob and Lynne also manned the grills and sold 50/50 tickets for the Golf Scramble on Sunday.

The Council is embarking on expanding fundraising oppor-tunities to create an event similar to the Boosters Auction as a way of increasing contributions to the Lincoln Fund and giving Alums an opportunity to give the gift of time and resources to LA.

The annual induction of new members of the Lincoln Acad-emy Sports Hall of Fame will again be held during the 2014 Alumni Games on Friday, November 28, 2014:Arlene Cole ’47-AthleteRob Tukey ’64-AthleteKenneth Dodge ’63-AthleteDr. Stephen Reed ’65-AthleteLowell Simmons ’35-Athlete(posthumous)Jeff Bradbury- Coach

— AJ Corson ‘64

CURRENT ALUMN I COUNC I L MEMBERS :

President: Allen AJ Corson ‘64

Vice President: Heather Lewis ‘82

Secretary: Yvette Sullivan ‘85

Treasurer: Shirley Welton ‘65

Britt Hatch ‘84

Bob Plourde ‘89

Chris Roberts ‘74

Jodie Clark ’81*

Phil Page ‘70

* Special Thanks to Jodie Clark, who served as our faithful Secretary for many years. Due to family and work com-mitments, she has retired as the Council secretary, but will remain a productive Council member.

LINCOLN ACADEMY ALUMNI COUNCIL

1949 Girls Basketball game

40 FALL 2014

NAME: LACLASSOF: CURRENTJOB:Amy Lessner 1970 PE and Health teacherPhil Page 1970 “Mr. LA!” Assistant Athletic DirectorJohn Schumacher 1981 Special Education TeacherMelody Faux 1982 Nurse Practitioner, School-Based Health CenterRicki Waltz 1982 Director, School-Based Health Center and School NurseCindy (Poland) Blodgett 1983 Guidance AssistantCathy Alexander 1984 CustodianNina Sylvia 1984 Visual Arts TeacherBriceson Henny 1990 Director of FacilitiesBill Teele 1991 FacilitiesRobyn (Genthner) Henny 1996 School-Based Health Center AssistantShawn St. Cyr 1997 Technology Education/Industrial Arts TeacherChrista Thorpe 2005 ESOL Department Head

“When I remember my time in high school, I think of how quickly the four years at Lincoln went by!”

“There is no way I can choose just one favorite teacher. So many faculty, staff, and coaches helped me along the way at LA to make it a memorable and enjoyable experience as they guided me to my future goals. I was truly blessed and also fortunate to have worked with some of them when I was later hired at LA.”

“I never expected to work at LA, it was just a fluke! I didn’t expect to teach until about 11 years after I got my un-

dergrad degree. It’s been such a pleasure to “come home” to Lincoln. I’ve taught

in two other Maine high schools and this is the best hands down!”

LA Alumni on Staff

Cathy Alexander

Did you know?THESE STAFF MEMBERS GRADUATED FROM LA !

Cindy Blodgett

Shawn St. Cyr

Amy Lessner

Nina Sylvia


NAME: LACLASSOF: CURRENTJOB:Amy Lessner 1970 PE and Health teacherPhil Page 1970 “Mr. LA!” Assistant Athletic DirectorJohn Schumacher 1981 Special Education TeacherMelody Faux 1982 Nurse Practitioner, School-Based Health CenterRicki Waltz 1982 Director, School-Based Health Center and School NurseCindy (Poland) Blodgett 1983 Guidance AssistantCathy Alexander 1984 CustodianNina Sylvia 1984 Visual Arts TeacherBriceson Henny 1990 Director of FacilitiesBill Teele 1991 FacilitiesRobyn (Genthner) Henny 1996 School-Based Health Center AssistantShawn St. Cyr 1997 Technology Education/Industrial Arts TeacherChrista Thorpe 2005 ESOL Department Head

“Getting a teaching job is never a given, as the opportunity must arise. I was inspired to work at Lincoln (in 1983) by the opportunity to coach basketball, having

acquired a significant background from several mentors.”

“I never planned to work here. Patti Sims asked me to teach one section of English and the rest just followed naturally.”

“I never would have expected to be teaching at LA, and it’s still fun to see surprised reactions of former classmates. I returned to Maine for what I thought

would be a temporary visit after having been gone 9 years studying and teaching in Chicago and Bangla-

desh. I was thrilled to get a job in the English depart-ment because I realized this incredible coastal commu-

nity is one I had taken for granted. Every day I wake up glad to be home in midcoast Maine.”

“I would never have expected to return to work at LA, not in a million years! As both a small business owner and a pastor, I was burned out. I was looking for a chance to de-stress and focus on my family. Though at times the job can get a bit stressful, it is very rewarding.”

John Schumacher

Christa Thorpe

Bill Teele

Phil Page

Ricki Waltz

42 FALL 2014

B O O K A W A R D SBowdoin College Award: Miranda MeserveChatham University Award: Abigail FarrinCollege of the Atlantic Award: Cassandra LeemanDartmouth College Award: Andrea CallMount Holyoke Award: Tess FieldsPhi Beta Kappa Association Award: Alexandra WelchRuth Ives Humanitarian Award: Abbie HealeySmith College Award: Rowan Carroll-ChristopherSociety of Women Engineers Award: Andrea CallSt. Thomas University Award: Angus FakeWellesley College Award: Nancy BillingsWilliams College Award: Thomas RushtonYale University Award: Abbie Healey

F A C U L T Y A W A R D SGary Bensen History and Social Studies Distinguished Scholar Award: Julian FrinkLowell F. Simmons Award: Seward MatelBabe Ruth Good Sportsmanship Award: Michael McCor-mick, Heidi ZiegraL Club Award for Athletic Achievement: Lily Davis, Julian Frink, Sally Gardiner-Smith, Jen Genthner, Nate Geoffrion, Zach Hagar, Rachel Hughes, Camille Lazzari, Teiga Martin,

Seward Matel, Michael McCormick, Hannah Nevens, AJ Oli-ver, Katie Riley, Nick Smelcer, Holly Stegna, Alex Tomasello, Sammy Zaidi, Heidi ZiegraTheater Awards: Nick Maney, Abbey Hutchins, Elias Daiute, Micky McAtee, Mary Catherine Eddyblouin, Devin Domeyer, Jonah Vesery, Thomas Williams, Claire DumontWilliam Cunningham Mathematics Prize: Heidi ZiegraLanguage Awards: Lily Davis, Elias Daiute, Claire Dumont, Holly Stegna, Heidi Ziegra, Sam Genthner, Cayleigh Hearth, Abbie HealeyThe Lion and Unicorn English Awards: Julian Frink, Thomas Williams, Elias DaiuteNational Forensics Society Award: Claire Dumont (Special Distinction), Elias Daiute (Distinction), Thomas Williams (Distinction), Sammy Zaidi (Distinction), Devin Domeyer (Honor), Nicholas Maney (Honor), Tyler Abbotoni (Merit)Maine Principal’s Award: Seward MatelUniversity of Maine-Orono Academic Performance Award: Heidi Ziegra, Michael McCormick, Teiga Martin, Samuel Gen-thner, Jason Berry, Ethan BartholomaeUniversity of Maine-Farmington Academic Performance Award: Alexis Bailey, Caitlyn WaltzLinda Jean Metcalf Award: Elias DaiuteAchievement Cup Award: Julian Frink

Senior Awards 2014Senior Class Night and Graduation Awards

2014 Eagle Award Winners graduate with a Cumulative Average of 90 or above: Jiayao (Cecilia) Chen, Elias Daiute, Devin Domeyer, Claire Dumont, Julian Frink, Mara Gastaldo, Samuel Genthner, Maranda Hatch, Charlotte Harris, Camille Lazzari, Teiga Martin, J. Seward Matel, Michael McCormick, Emma Moorehead, Olivia Pennington, Morgan Riley, Kendal Steele, Holly Stegna, Huiquing Tong, Thomas Williams, Heidi Ziegra


Chloe Maxmin, ‘10 founded Lincoln Academy’s Climate Action Club when she was a Lincoln Acad-emy Freshman in 2006. Now a student at Harvard College, Chloe is the Coordinator of Divest Harvard. Her environmental activism has gained her na-tional and international recognition. She recently appeared on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher. She answered Aerie’s questions by email.

Can you briefly describe the work you are doing with Divest Harvard?

Divest Harvard is a student-run campaign calling on Harvard University to divest its $36.4 billion endowment from fossil companies. We join over 400 campuses' divestment cam-paigns across the country in a massive divestment movement. The purpose of the divestment is two-fold: first the move-ment aims to stigmatize the fossil fuel industry and weaken their political influence, thereby creating space for political action on climate change. Second, the movement is building a broad-based climate movement. Everyone in the US is part of an institution that has something to divest, so the founda-tion is set for a powerful movement that can take back our democracy. Divest Harvard, on a more micro level, argues that higher education institutions should not be investing in

companies that are threatening students’ futures. Our invest-ments should be aligned with the values of our education and the science that we teach.

Why has this movement grown so quickly? Why do you think it has attracted so many supporters and captured the attention of the media?

Fossil fuel divestment has resonated with thousands of people around the world because it bypasses a broken political system that most people don’t trust or respect. It directly targets the root of our climate woes—the fossil fuel industry—and thereby shifts the focus from the inherently diffuse concept of climate change to a concrete target. This is an empowering framework and signals a tangible way forward for political action. It gives agency back to voters, youth, citizens of the world to do something about climate change instead of wait-ing for politicians and leaders to take action. Since everyone is part of something that has something to divest, the move-ment has the potential to build more power than any other campaign thus far in the climate movement.

What makes you so passionate?

The core reasons why I do this work is because I love Maine. I love my home. Maine is particularly vulnerable to climate change. The idea that what I love the most is threatened by climate change gives me the energy to do this work everyday. Even if—on the surface—the climate movement seems to be

I N T E R V I E W W I T H C H L O E M A X M I N , C L A S S O F 2 0 1 0

44 FALL 2014

but—with Divest Harvard—I saw what was happening and could appreciate the process more.

How do you reflect on your LA Education now? Did it prepare you take on Harvard and now, the world?

I look back on my time at LA with such fondness. I had the most amazing teachers. I learned so much and had a unique empowering educational experience. Of course, there was a steep learning curve going to a school in a city with a differ-ent academic environment. But LA taught me down-to-earth values that enabled me to find communities, friends, and a way of living that I truly love.

What does it mean to you to be an LA graduate?

It means being grounded in place and in my home. It means authenticity and creativity. It also means small-town Maine, which is a core part of my identity.

What advice do you have for current LA students?

First Here, Then Everywhere! Even though LA is in a small town in Maine, there is no limit to what you can do-in terms of academics, activism, or college. I never expected to get into Harvard or to be where I am today. But here I am. It’s impor-tant to be open to a process of evolution and also believe that you can achieve goals that, at the moment, you may think are beyond you.

about hating the fossil fuel industry and raging over politi-cal gridlock, the motivation is love for home, family, places, people, landscapes, creatures, ideas and the possibility of a better future. And so I think that we all have the capacity to build this movement from a place of love.

And in addition to being passionate, what makes you so effec-tive?

I truly believe that coming at this work from a place of love is crucial. A movement can’t be built on anger and hate-it takes a toll on your soul and wears you down. But love is infinite and can build, empower, and inspire. On a more tactical level, I think that it’s important to provide opportunities for anyone and everyone to engage with the climate movement. Not ev-eryone wants to be (or should be) a climate activist. Therefore, it’s important for those in the climate movement to create effective and meaningful opportunities for engagement. This allows for the growth of an inclusive and effective movement.

You got your start in the LA Climate Action Club. Can you talk about how that club started you on this trajectory to becoming a national figure in the campaign to slow Climate Change?

The CAC is where I learned how be a leader and group mem-ber. It’s where I learned about the youth climate movement, formulating strategy, working with coalitions. I learned that I love being an activist. Most importantly, I learned the idea of First Here, Then Everywhere, the idea that—no matter who you are, where you’re from, or who you’re with—you can cre-ate a movement and inspire others to do the same. The lessons of FHTE played out with Divest Harvard as well as the CAC,

Chloe Maxmin '10 on the set of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher on October 27, 2014. Chloe was a guest along with James Risen, Dr. Cornel West, Mary Matalin, and John Avlon.

QR link to Chloe Maxmin on Real Time with Bill Maher.

QR link to Chloe's Real Time with Bill Maher backstage interview.


To listen to Don Carrigan’s resonant, audiogenic voice, one would assume that his career in radio and television was a destiny foretold. Indeed, the many iterations of that career are testament to his talent and perseverance. But his story is one of serendipity and stamina, and that story has its roots in his time at Lincoln Academy, class of 1969.

He credits a number of faculty and administrators at Lincoln with motivating him, and making his time there meaningful. “Lev Davis, who recently passed away, was just a great guy. He was the guidance counselor and I think I was a great frustra-tion to him because I was one of those underachieving kids.” He is certain he frustrated his wonderful math teacher, Andy Williamson, as well; he appreciates the passion and encour-agement of Mrs. Sherman, the “tough as nails” Latin teacher; English teacher Mrs. Duckett; and Vaughn Fuller, who taught general science. He reserves his highest praise for Arthur

Long time news reporter Don Carrigan '69 on camera with Portland Station WCSH6.

Dexter, the incoming headmaster Don’s sophomore year; “here’s probably all you need to know about what I see as the success of Arthur Dexter. One, he was there for many years as headmaster; and, just about every year that my class has a reunion, Arthur Dexter is invited, and comes. He’s main-tained a rapport with the kids, and kids at all levels. I was in the college track then, others weren’t, but it didn’t matter. He could be tough, he could discipline you when you needed it, but he was a great guy.”

One thing that Don remembers about his graduating class is that the class of 1969 had 69 graduates: “So many people who’ve gone on to do really, really impressive things.” Those fellow alums, he recalls, include John Reny, president of Reny’s; George Briggs, a botany professor in New York state; Rick Johnston, who is a high-level web consultant in Vir-ginia; Wayne Plummer, who helped the local YMCA get

D O N C A R R I G A N ' 6 9N E W S M A N F R O M T H E S T A R T

by Ali Stevenson

46 FALL 2014

off the ground; Rick Newells, the county treasurer; builder Mark Hatch; and “two guys who’ve really contributed heav-ily to their communities” through their work at BIW, Ralph Norwood and Mickey McFarland. As Don notes, “it’s surpris-ing the number who stayed or came back; there is something about this part of Maine that inspires that loyalty. It’s not that easy a place to make a living-you have to want to be here.” And in contrast, perhaps, to his generation, he feels that this is a “tougher and tougher place for young people to be. There are limited job opportunities here in Lincoln County, a lim-ited number of people that age, but there is still a lot to offer.”

“Lincoln has continued to send out some great people and kids out into the world” [he includes his niece and nephew in that contingent!] and he says he’s been “very impressed with the way that Lincoln has evolved. They stress quality,” he says, but not at the expense of diversity of opportunity. “Friends of mine whose kids went through there 12, 15 years ago, told me they thought the school was focusing on send-ing kids to four-year college and not really supporting enough alternatives; obviously four-year college isn’t what every kid needs, and I think the school now believes that. My wife has a business, she’s a kitchen and bath designer, and she works in conjunction with the building industry and you see the need for skilled people, which Bates, Bowdoin and Colby don’t produce. It doesn’t mean they couldn’t also do that for their students, but that’s not what they’re there for.

“The true fact that most high school kids ought to be re-minded of is that a 25-year old plumber is probably going to be doing a heck of a lot better financially than those who get out with a Bachelor of Arts degree. And if they know what they’re doing, they’ll always be employed.” Don relayed a quote, paraphrased from John Gardner: “A society needs good plumbers as much as philosophers, because otherwise neither its pipes nor its ideas will hold water.”

If he were to give advice to a current Lincoln student, he would tell them, “Don’t be reluctant to go out and explore the world. I say that as someone who would have been terrified to do that themselves at the age of 18, but don’t be reluctant to go out and explore, learn things, read extensively, learn about the world around you in all its parts, and whether you’re going to be a plumber or a philosopher, learn about as many different things as you can. Travel if you can. But also, don’t overlook the incredible aspects of life in this area, particu-larly this mid-coast Maine area. As beautiful as this state is, I think this area, essentially from the Kennebec River to the St. George River to Penobscot Bay, is the best part of Maine, and one of the most beautiful places in the United States. We’re

incredibly lucky with what’s here.”

Don’s own professional journey is a great example of being in the right place at the right time, while remaining aware that the path to the right place takes frequent twists and turns. After graduating from Lincoln, Don went to the University of Maine in Orono, along with a number of his fellow Lincoln alums. “Through an odd sequence of events, involving my good friend Rick Johnston, who was in my class at Lincoln, we both got into the campus radio station.” Don had done theater at Lincoln, so he was no stranger to performing. “We went to volunteer at the campus radio station, and a week or two later, I’m sitting behind a microphone, broadcasting a football game. Didn’t know much about football, but there I was. It was instantly cool. I mean, they probably couldn’t pick up the signal more than a hundred yards away from campus, so maybe eight people heard it, but there I was. After that, I really got into it and did everything there.”

Perhaps his enthusiasm was a bit too all-consuming, as the University suggested Don take a year off to consider his com-mitment to his studies. He worked a construction job and by year’s end was ready to get back to the University, complete with a shift in focus from marine biology to business. When the business track didn’t feel like the right fit, Don realized that what he enjoyed most was the “radio stuff, and the only way to study that at the time was (because the journalism program was focused on print) to be a speech major. So I got a BA in speech, minored in Political Science, and went on from there.”

What happened his senior year in college is best appreciated in Don’s own telling.

“I worked in radio my last year, my last summer on campus, helped keep the campus radio station on the air, and I worked part time at a commercial radio station in Bangor, and did some work for free at Maine Public Broadcasting, which at that time had a daily news program. In my one journalism class, which was a laboratory, they brought me in and said ‘what do you want to do for your lab?’ and I said, I think the folks over at public broadcasting need someone to write their news for their TV program, so every night I would go and write a five-minute newscast for someone else to do.

“And then that summer, one of their regular people there was a professor who took the summer off, so they said, ‘will you stay and do this for the summer, and read the newscast too?’ So that got me started, and they’d have me do some of the interviews. It was all unpaid but what great experience it was.

“That fall, at the commercial radio station, their news director got sick and they asked if I’d fill in for him in the afternoon. And at that time they also owned a station in Bangor and they called up and said, ‘Our 11:00 anchorman is going on vaca-tion for two weeks. Want to fill in?’”

“You know, I’m like Forrest Gump, just lucky to have the chance to do things at a time that worked out well.”


When asked about this fortuitous sequence of events, Don said, “You know, I’m like Forrest Gump, just lucky to have the chance to do things at a time that worked out well.”

“So they asked me to fill in, I went in on a Friday. They showed me where the newsroom was, where the studio was, and where the bathroom was, and Monday night at 9:15, after I finished at the campus radio station, I went in there and at 11:00, I did the 11:00 news! I’m sure it was one of the worst things anyone had ever seen, but you just did it, and you came back the next night. So I did that for two weeks and then maybe a month later, they called up and said ‘Hey, we just fired the guy, do you want the job?’”

So as a college senior, Don was already the 11:00 anchor at a broadcast network and, enviably, had the coveted post-grad-uation gig all locked up. The unique nature of his situation is perfectly captured by the fact that Don was unable to partici-pate in his own Commencement because he was covering the ceremony for the TV station!

Don is very appreciative of the work environment in which he was able to cut his news teeth; both the Bangor station, WLBZ, and the Portland NBC station, WCSH, were owned by the Thompson family, who created “a really nurturing, sup-portive environment. You made almost no money but people were friendly, they were encouraging, they helped you.”

For a 22 year old, it proved a uniquely forgiving place to be. “You just kind of gradually learned, and you learned, prob-ably, by just doing awful on the air. You tried very hard not to make a mistake. It was not a flashy TV world, at least not in Bangor, which was ‘meat-and-potatoes,' but probably a good way to learn, to learn by doing, by making mistakes and saying ok, that probably didn’t work out so well. And if you continue to make that mistake, people won’t talk to you, they won’t return your calls, so you’ve got to learn pretty quickly to be accurate, to be honest, to be fair, and that’s kind of how I’ve tried to guide myself. I’ve always gone after that, rather than the flashy. I’ve been very lucky to work for a company that was willing to let you make mistakes, and was willing to stand up for you.”

After the Bangor stint, Don worked a year at the Portland sta-tion before returning to Bangor, where he eventually became the 6:00 anchor through most of the 80’s, for a total of nearly 19 years with the company.

In 1990, Don received a call from the camp of then-US Sena-tor William Cohen. They’d taken a run at Don in the early 80’s but he’d been happy to stay on the news broadcast beat. This time, his curiosity won out. “I went to work for three years for Bill Cohen, who eventually became US Secretary of Defense under Bill Clinton. Bill had been my business law instructor when I was at the university before he went to Congress, and I had covered him extensively during the

Watergate years, an extremely instructive time for me. I did it for three years, managing his field office in Bangor, did some work for them in Washington, learned a lot, never worked on a campaign-which I’m glad about-and learned a lot about how things worked...and also learned that I didn’t want to work in government. Mostly, I learned that I really missed broadcasting and journalism.”

Nine years working as the executive producer of public affairs for Maine Public Television followed, with Don moderating political debates, doing documentaries and even a weekly in-terview show for a while. And then, once again, the fates and good fortune intervened. Don and his wife had moved to the midcoast by then, and were committed to staying put. “The news director at channel 6 in Portland, Mike Curry, called up and said, ‘Would you come back?’ and I jokingly said, ‘When you’re ready to open a news bureau in the midcoast, let me know,’ and a few months later he called me back, reminded me of that conversation and said ‘we want to do that.’

“In hindsight, I think what they really wanted was me, and they’d also seen through their research that this was a boom-ing area, but also a very underserved area in terms of daily news coverage. The newspaper bureaus in Rockland had left and it was a long trip from Portland, so there was this big area that didn’t get covered very much with a lot happening. So I was hired to be their midcoast bureau guy and State capitol guy, which I have continued to do.”

Reflecting on the remarkable path his career has taken, Don says, “I feel blessed. I’m 63 years old, my employer still wants me in a young person’s business, and despite the fact that I’m legally blind and require transportation assistance, they’ve been very accommodating. I used to be a news anchor; I can’t do that anymore, because I can’t read the teleprompter screen so that means they’ve got someone there who can’t do every-thing they need them to do but they’ve been willing to toler-ate that. I’m very conscious of every day, needing to outwork the young people and always have something to bring to the game.

I still get a kick out of doing what I do, so I’ll keep doing it as long as I can. You always wonder what you would do if you got out of it, but I would miss it terribly. I still love it.”

Ali Stevenson loves to write and talk to people, so doing a profile for Aerie is her dream gig. Thanks to her husband Ken's job as Director of Resident Life at Lincoln, she looks forward to moving into the new dorm next spring.

“I’m 63 years old, my employer still wants me in a young person’s business, and despite the fact that I’m legally blind and require transportation assistance, they’ve been very accommodating.”

48 FALL 2014

To sit with George Weston ‘38 and page through his Navy squad-ron’s yearbook is to be transported back to 1940, when then-21 year old Lincoln Academy grad George folded himself into the bomb bay of a B-24 most days, to fly mis-sions over the South Pacific follow-ing the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Describing his responsibilities as first using manual instrumenta-tion to site the location of the bomb drop, then positioning it for release—oh, and sometimes flying the plane during this process—before dropping it on the target, he makes the modern day definition of multi-tasking seem pretty tame. While stationed on Peleliu, George also had the distinction of being chosen to escort two VIP visitors to the South Pacific base: Mary Ryan, the head of the Red Cross; and Eleanor Roosevelt. He says, “Those two came out to raise the morale of the troops, and we were assigned to ferry them around the South Pacific. We made them pillow seats in the bomb bay to sit in, and I was assigned to bring them coffee or whatever they needed.”

George retired from the service after a distinguished career which included many citations and medals; as a bonus, he met his beloved wife, Helen, while stationed at Chase Field

in her native Texas and some-how convinced her to leave that temperate climate for Nobleboro, Maine. True love is indeed a pow-erful force.

After the Navy, George attended the University of Maine at Orono and received his degree in Mathe-matics, as well as a teaching certifi-cate as a fall back, he says, and one he never used. Instead, he applied

for a government job in Washington DC in the navigational science division, where he was part of the team that developed the Loran navigational system.

He retired to Damariscotta Mills in 1975, and has been a loyal and generous supporter of Lincoln Academy.

George is an active local Alumnus and a regular visitor to the Lincoln Campus. He has established The George and Helen Weston Fund for Mathematics, in acknowledgement of the strong math education he received at Lincoln, and to ensure that current and future teachers and students are able to keep pace with advances in the field of mathematics.

— Ali Stevenson

Alumni Profile: George Weston ‘38

“Build honestly, build beautifully, build upward.”

CLASS OF 1938 MOTTO

Two of Lincoln's most loyal living alumni both graduated in the class of 1938. We are honored to profile them in this edition of Aerie.

Black and white photos are from the 1938 Lincoln Academy yearbook.


Kyle, 20. Rob lives in Newcastle with his wife Stephanie, and their two sons Channing, a sophomore at Lincoln, and Adlai, a seventh grader at Great Salt Bay Community School. Rob serves as a Lincoln Academy trustee.

Christine did not go to college until nearly 40 years after graduating from Lincoln Academy. “I feel that my solid back-ground at Lincoln served me well, and I did get a lot more out of college by going later in life than had I gone right out of high school. I received an Associate Degree from the local community college in 1980, the same year my younger son, Robert, graduated from Cranford High School.”

After her husband died Christine’s adventurous spirit led her to travel the world, visiting every continent, including Ant-arctica, twice. She has been on a cruise above the Arctic circle, safaris in India and Africa, treks in Nepal, as well as tours of cities and museums in Europe.

Throughout her adventurous life Christine never forgot her Maine roots. She regularly traveled to Maine to visit family in Newcastle, spending several weeks each summer. In 2010, Christine returned to live in Damariscotta full time.

Christine, who has made generous gifts to both the Alumni Dining Commons and the Cable-Burns Applied Technol-ogy and Engineering Center says, “It is with pleasure that I contribute to strengthening Lincoln Academy and hope that it will inspire others to do the same.”

— Jenny Mayher with Robert and Stephanie Nelson

Christine Sherman Nelson ’38 has been loyal to Lincoln Academy since she graduated 76 years ago. “Lincoln Academy gave me a firm foundation on which to build as I advanced through the years,” she reflects. Christine grew up in South Newcastle with her parents and her two older brothers, Paul and Roger. When her brothers attended Lincoln, they drove a horse-drawn cart each day, but when it was time for Christine to start high school, her family moved to River Road to be closer to school.

Christine’s father, Fred Sherman, served many roles in Newcastle, including station master at the South Newcastle train station and town selectman. It was during his time as a Newcastle selectman that Fred Sherman convinced the state to dam the Marsh River and create a lake for fishing and recreation. Sherman Lake was named for him.

After graduating from LA in 1938, Christine spent three years living with her parents on River Road and working as a night operator at the Nash Telephone Company in Damariscotta. “I think I got weary of that routine,” she says, “and felt that the Greyhound bus passing by my parents’ door was beckoning me to hop on board. Which I finally did one April day, in 1942.”

Christine moved to Hartford, Connecticut and spent five years with Pratt and Whitney before following her boss to Linden, NJ, to work at Pacific Airmotive for another four years. Christine then spent four years running the steno pool at Standard Oil Development. It was there that she met her husband, Channing C. Nelson. They married in 1959 and spent 28 years together before Channing died in 1987.

They have two sons, Peter and Robert. Peter lives on Long Island with his wife Denise and their two sons, Eric, 23 and

Alumni Profile: Christine Nelson ‘38

50 FALL 2014

CLASS NOTES

1967Tommy Brooke and wife Beth of Cincinnati, OH spent some vacation time on Damariscotta Lake this sum-mer. Tom is a Lead Specialist for NRG Energy and Beth is an actuarial consul-tant. They have three children. Tom and Beth spent an afternoon with basketball teammate Link Page '68 fishing on Pemaquid Pond.

1968Andrew Hubbard had a book of poetry published last year. The book is titled Things that Get You, and is available through online booksellers. Andrew currently lives in Indiana.

1938 George Weston lives in Damariscotta Mills. See Alumni Profile page 46.

Christine (Sherman) Nelson lives in Damariscotta. See Alumni Profile page 47.

1954 Jim Birkett, David Belknap, and Robert Packard graduated together from LA, and went on to graduate from Bowdoin in 1958. During their college years, Lincoln was presented with the Abraxis Award for having three stu-dents from the same high school attend Bowdoin College. They all attended the 2014 Alumni Banquet for their 60th LA Reunion, where Bob Packard was presented with the LA Alumnus of the Year Award.

1964 Mary Martha Collins announced her retirement from the the LA Field Hockey program. Thanks to Mary Mar-tha for the infectious, positive spirit she brought to the program.

The LA class of 1964 gathered for their 50th reunion in September 2014. Their final reunion event was held at Muscon-gus Bay Lobster on Saturday, September 13. Nineteen members of the Class of ‘64 enjoyed camaraderie, good memo-ries, and delicious food. Spouses and friends of the group joined in for a total of twenty-eight.

1969 Don Carrigan has been working as a TV news reporter for almost 40 years. He lives in Round Pond with his wife, Donna. See Alumni Profile page 43.

1970 Amy (Duckett) Lessner is in her 41st year of teaching PE and Health at LA. She is LA’s longest tenured teacher. She resides in Jefferson with husband Alan who works for the US Postal Service. They have three children Kate, Nick and Hillary and several grandchildren.

Bob Caswell retired in May after 34 years as Executive Director of Public Affairs for the University of Southern Maine. Bob had spent five years prior to that working for the Courier Gazette in Rockland. Bob’s wife Diane also just retired after 40 years of teaching in SAD #6. Bob and Diane have two daughters, Aimee and Jenna.

1976 BJ Russell and Lori Crook announced their retirement from coaching Cross Country at LA. BJ coached for ten years, and Lori was his assistant for seven. Thanks to both of them for their dedication to LA Cross Country. BJ and Lori live in Round Pond.

1982 Elizabeth “Biz” Williamson lives in Ver-mont. This summer she had a visit from Tiziana Fronzaroli (known in her LA days as Tizi Faustinelli), whom her fam-ily hosted as an AFS exchange student from Switzerland in 1980. The two of them stopped by for a tour of Lincoln Academy in September.

Back row, L to R: Bill McElman, Barbara Lakin, Peggy (Woodman) Young, June (Lessner) Hus-siere, Diantha (Carrigan) Robinson, Maia Hart, Dan Day, Mary Martha (Wilson) Collins. Front row, L to R: Marcia (Campbell) Hall, Carole (Fraser) Fowler, Drusilla (French) Sanford, Becky (Raser) Nunn, Jane (Hall) Planty, Rob Tukey, Donna (Spencer) Jolicoeur, Allen Corson, Cheryl (Rice) Roney, Henrietta (Bailey) Rankin. (Attend-ed, but not pictured: Bob Boynton)

BJ Russell and Lori Crook


CLASS NOTES

Court on July 7, 2014. After graduating from Lincoln Academy in 1985, Judge Walker attended Norwich University, The Military School of Vermont, and the New England School of Law in Boston. Judge Walker spent 20 years in the midcoast area serving as an Assistant District Attorney and Deputy District Attorney. He hopes to see many of his classmates at their 30th reunion in June 2015.

1989 Chris and Anni Pat (Hervochon) McKenney '93 have recently purchased Hervochon Construction. Chris and Anni Pat have been tremendous sup-porters of the fundraising efforts of the LA Booster Club. Chris recently retired from the varsity boys basketball posi-tion in March after rebuilding the feeder program and a successful stint as varsity coach. Chris is still spending countless hours developing young athletes. Chris and Anni Pat reside in Newcastle with son Patrick and daughter Katherine.

1992 Peter Drum lives in Damariscotta with his wife Becky and their three daugh-ters. Peter has his own law firm, and often sees old friends Tom Boothby and Mary (Herndon) Boothby, Dusty Hancock, and occasionally Barn-dog Olson. Peter says, "Look out for Ryan Gaul on seasons 3 and 4 of House of Lies on Showtime!"

1984 Stefanie Rocknak, a sculptor and phi-losophy professor at Hatwick College in Oneonta, NY, was featured in an article in the New York Times in October related to the unveiling of a statue of Edgar Allen Poe near Boston Common. Rocknak was the sculptor of the bronze statue. In the article, she says of Poe: “He’s home. He’s back, in triumphant gesture, respected as a literary figure."

1985 Eric Walker was recently appointed to the Maine District Court by Gover-nor Paul LePage. Eric was sworn in by Governor LePage on May 2, 2014 at the Kennebec County Superior Courtroom in Augusta. Eric was assisted by his wife Susan and his daughters Alison and Kristina in donning his robe for the first time. Judge Walker began sitting on a full time basis in the Augusta District

Tor Glendenning is the lead architect for both the new dormitory and ATEC buildings on the LA Campus. After attending the Wentworth Institute of Technology and working in Portland, Tor moved back to the midcoast in 1997. In 2003, he founded his own architectural firm, 44˚ North, in New-castle, where he has worked ever since, designing both residential and commer-cial buildings.

1997Ryan Mara and Erin Roth were married on September 13, 2014 in Lake Tahoe, CA. They reside in San Francisco and Ryan is working as a Product Manager for IBM Tealeaf.

Theodore Lincoln Page was born to Todd and Monika Page of Plainville, MA. Teddy has two brothers, Oliver Edward and Harrison Charles. Todd is the Business Development Manager for TEK Systems in Boston, and Monika is a pediatrician in private practice.

1999Sean Page and Kristy Heidt have recently purchased a home in New Ha-ven, CT. Sean works for NBC Sports in Stamford, CT. He is the Studio Director for the Barclay’s Premier Soccer League. Kristi works as a Front End Web Devel-oper.

2000 Effective December 1st, Rebecca (Morin) Emmons will be the Executive Director of Mobius, Inc. in Damariscot-ta. Becca lives in Newcastle with her husband Lee who works as an Ed. Tech at Bristol Consolidated School. Thanks go out to Becca, as she has taken on the role of Class Agent.

Elizabeth "Biz" Williamson and Tiziana Fronzaroli

QR link to the Boston Globe article on Stefanie Rocknak's Edgar Allen Poe sculpture.

QR link to the Ryan Gaul article in the Boston Globe.

Governor LePage swore in Maine District Court Judge Eric Walker on May 2, 2014.

Stefanie Rocknak's Edgar Allen Poe sculpture

52 FALL 2014

CLASS NOTES

activism through Divest Harvard. See Alumni Profile page 41.

Katie Williams is spending the year in Haiti, assisting in community develop-ment and microfinancing for women. She graduated from St. Anselm’s College in May 2014.

Patrick Williams is finishing a stint as a harvest chemist in Napa Valley after graduating from Haverford College in May. In January, Patrick will be-gin working for Northwest National Laboratory researching fuel energy from algae and cold water clean up of oil spills.

2012

Malcolm Oliver became the first golfer in Bentley University history to earn medalist honors at the New England Intercollegiate Golf Association Cham-pionships. He shot a one under par 143 during the two day tournament. Malcolm’s effort helped Bentley repeat as NEIGA Division II Champions. The Championship was the second of the

2001 Benjamin Gwozdz was born to Chris and Holly (Page) Gwozdz of Byfield, MA on March 14th. Benjamin has a brother, Henry Philip. Chris works for Fidelity in Boston and both are gradu-ates of Bates College, Chris '04, Holly '05.

Mason Storer was born to Ronnie and Liz (Giberson) Storer of Damariscotta. Mason has a brother Forrest and sister Marley. Liz is the Vice-President of R. J. Enterprises and Ronnie is the Opera-tions Manager.

2007 Carly Williams spent the last two years working for Strive for College in New York City. It provides mentors to high school juniors to promote their advancement to higher education. In August, Carly began working for the non-profit Girl Sportworks.com in Cuzco, Peru, 11,000 feet above sea level. Carly is working with young girls from five schools teaching them life skills through athletics.

2008Luke Alley is living in Amesbury, MA, teaching at the Amesbury Middle School. He is coaching freshmen soccer, JV basketball and freshmen baseball at Amesbury High School. Luke is pursu-ing a Masters Degree in Athletic Ad-ministration, taking courses at Endicott College.

2010 Chloe Maxmin is a senior at Harvard College and has gained international recognition for her environmental

year for Malcolm, who opened the year winning the Joe Plante Invitational. Malcolm finished the year with an out-standing 73.6 average.

2014 Thomas Williams is a Freshman at La-fayette College majoring in Engineering.

Sally Gardiner-Smith of Woolwich set sail from Portland on a solo trip to the Bahamas with her dog Ellie. She is sail-ing the 29 foot Ericson named Athena. Her route will take her to the east coast of Florida, west to the Bahamas, on to the Gulf of Mexico, then to Florida’s west coast. If all goes as planned, Sally will end her trip in Florida in time for freshmen orientation at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg in September 2015.

Jonah Vesery is also spending his first year after graduating from LA on a sailboat headed to the Bahamas. He is sailing with Andrew Arter (Class of 2014, Maine School of Science and Mathematics), Tom Arter (father of Andrew and Jennifer Arter ‘17) and another friend from MSSN. Jonah writes: “We’ve taken our vessel, Merlin, down the east coast to Connecticut, off the Long Island Sound. We can see the New York lights and skyline from where we’re docked. Due to high seas and foul weather we haven’t gotten as far as we’d hoped to by now, but we remain excited to truck on and get further south! I’ve had several great experiences, and we even met up with Sally Gardiner Smith who’s also sailing to the Bahamas.”

Julian Frink is studying at the Univer-sity of St. Andrews in Scotland, where he will major in history and the classics.

Chloe Maxmin protests for fossil fuel divestment at Harvard University.

QR link to the Portland Press Herald article on Sally Gardiner.-Smith.

Malcolm Oliver takes a swing. Photo courtesy of Bentley College.

Here are 6 Ways to Give to Lincoln:

• Use the envelope in this magazine to write a check

• Go to the LA website and give online: www.lincolnacademy.org under SUPPORT.

• Make a pledge, or set up an installment plan.

• Make a bequest to LA in your will or living trust.

• Give a gift of stock.

• Make a leadership gift towards a capital campaign.

Thanks for supporting Lincoln Academy!

INSPIRED TO GIVE NOW?

Non-ProfitOrganization

US Postage PaidNewcastle, ME

04553Permit No. 10Aerie

LINCOLN ACADEMY

FALL 2014

LA students decorated this Lincoln Academy Eagle pumpkin for the annual Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta in October 2014.

Lincoln Academy Aerie Fall 2014

Documents

Transcript of Lincoln Academy Aerie Fall 2014