Alumni Mentors Share Insights, Experiences, and Advice

“Get educated. Learn the skills you’ll need to make a real difference in the lives of others. The best thing you can do right now is to develop to your fullest potential at Andover.” That was an alumnus’s advice at the Broadening Horizons alumni-student gathering held March 31 on the Abbot Academy campus.

Now in its sixth year, Broadening Horizons brings PA uppers and seniors together with alumni speakers and mentors who have made interesting decisions in their lives, have taken unusual career paths, or have fascinating stories to tell. Alumni guests for 2007 included:

• Lincoln D. Chafee ’71, a former Republican senator from Rhode Island and current visiting fellow at Brown University;
• Richard W. Clapp ’63, a professor of environmental health at Boston and Harvard universities and author of numerous books and articles on community health and the environment;
• Sarah Heard ’85, a former teacher in Africa and the Netherlands and, currently, a history teacher in New York City working toward a PhD degree with an interest in global citizenship;
• Seth W. Moulton ’97, a former Marine Corps captain and Iraq War veteran and, currently, a graduate student working on a national service project and writing a book about his Iraq War experiences;
• Anthony C.E. Quainton ’51, a distinguished diplomat in residence at the School of International Service, Washington, D.C., and former diplomat and counter-terrorism advisor for the Ford through Clinton administrations;
• Amina Tirana ’85, a senior policy specialist with the Millennium Development Goals Unit of the U.N. Development Programme and a member of the executive committee of FilmAid International, a humanitarian aid organization; and
• Andrew M. Wexler ’70, a pediatric plastic surgeon and surgical director of the Regional Craniofacial Service at Kaiser Permanente in California, and 15-year medical team leader of Operation Smile missions to fix children’s cleft lips and cleft palates in developing countries.

Following opening remarks by Head of School Barbara Landis Chase and Michael Ebner ’70, director of alumni affairs and Broadening Horizons program founder, alumni guests and approximately 50 students separated into three smaller groups to address the topics of  “Education and the Public Good,” “Turning Points,” and “Motivation and Identity.”

One group began with a spirited conversation about community service at PA. “Is it really a non sibi pursuit,” asked Phillipian editor James Sawabini ’08, “or do we do it simply to help us get into college?”

The majority of students staunchly defended their long-term commitment to community service. One student noted that community service was “a great way to let go of academic stress and to focus on others—whose problems are often far greater than our own.”

The groups also discussed the sometimes seemingly minor events and encounters that had encouraged
them, helped raise self-esteem, or sent them in a new life direction.

Alumni guests agreed that what is most important is learning from your mistakes and failures. “How did you recover? How did you grow?” they asked the students.

—Jill Clerkin

Alumni Hockey Players Face Off

On Saturday, January 13, an enthusiastic group of alumni representing four decades of hockey—as far back as the early 1970s—returned to Harrison Arena to “lace ’em up” and relive their PA glory days. In what was a hard-skating tilt filled with plenty of great hockey camaraderie, young legs once again spelled the difference in what has become a popular action-packed day for alumni skaters and their families. The game was followed by a catered lunch in the rink’s Horner Room. Attendees included, pictured from left, Dan Janis ’79, Steve Moreland ’82, Chuck Richardson ’82, Randy Wood ’82, Garth Klimchuk ’80, and John Pelletier ’82.

Mentoring Module Brings PA Alumni Together

When the husband of Michelle Kalas Langford ’97 was looking for a bit of job-hunting guidance, Langford directed him to a fellow PA alum.

“He received excellent advice that helped him land his dream job with a leading geophysical firm in Raleigh, N.C.,” says Langford. “Benjamin Brooks, a geology professor at the University of Hawaii, helped my husband edit his résumé and cover letter and also gave him advice about the field of geology. It was wonderful to have an Andover connection provide so much help!”

Being able to identify, locate, and contact a resource such as Benjamin Brooks ’86 was not just a lucky coincidence. The Office of Alumni Affairs had a guiding hand in the matter.

As part of its continuing mission to keep alumni connected with the Academy, as well as with one another, the Office of Alumni Affairs launched a Mentoring module in 2006 through its online BlueLink directory. This relatively new feature enables alumni to communicate with one another regarding educational and occupational matters. Suggested topics of discussion range from choosing a college major or graduate school to changing career paths.

The module also can be of use to those relocating. Eric Robertson ’90 aided Juris Vitols-Gonzalez ’94 as the latter became settled in London. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to say that I have actually been that helpful to him…yet,” says Robertson. “Though I do hope just having someone to bounce ideas off of has been of some benefit.”

To date, more than 800 alumni have signed on to serve as advisors, and about 15 percent of those people have been contacted for advice. Though pleased the module has been helpful to some, the Office of Alumni Affairs wants to see user numbers increase. Alumni are encouraged to sign on as mentors, to access the site for some helpful advice, or simply to take a look at who is offering what kind of expertise.

To access the Mentoring module, select Alumni BlueLink at www.andover.edu, then select Mentoring. The requested username and password are the same alumni would use to access the BlueLink directory. Those who have misplaced their password are asked to e-mail Joanne Smith at jsmith1@andover.edu.

Let’s Get The Old Band Back Together…

OK, technically the Rising Storm never broke up, but it is worth noting that this collection of Class of 1967 alumni constitute what the Washington Post once deemed “the most famous utterly obscure rock band in America.”

That mix of fame and obscurity is especially potent in Europe. There, the band’s first album, Calm Before…, is highly collectible. A mint copy of the 1967 release, cut before the band members scattered for their post-PA plans, fetches as much as $4,000.

“We don’t take it quite as seriously as they do,” says keyboardist Charlie Rockwell, of the devotion of fans, especially those overseas. But the band members are more than willing to feed the fire: in June, they embark on a three-city European tour. All of the original players (save bassist Todd Cohen) will make the trip, performing in London on June 20, at a festival in Rotterdam on June 22, and at a Paris club on the 23rd. The band’s manager, Mount Hermon grad Erik Lindgren, will fill in on bass, alongside Rockwell, Rich Weinberg, Tony Thompson, Tom Scheft, and Bob Cohan, all PA Class of ’67.

Rockwell would love to see the band return to Andover for another concert, joining a lineup that would include many of the other garage bands that sprouted up at PA. “Back in the ’60s, there was band after band after band that was pretty good,” says Rockwell, who dreams of getting them all together for a festival dubbed Prepstock. “The logistics may be a bit much, but the fantasy is interesting to me.”

For more on the Rising Storm, got to www.rising-storm.com.

Andover-Abbot Alumni Association to Meet

The Andover-Abbot Alumni Association will hold its annual meeting beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 9, 2007, in Cochran Chapel, 2 Chapel Avenue, Andover, Mass. All alumni/ae and honorary members of the association are invited to attend.