Students gathering in front of Cochran Chapel
May 21, 2024

The Lead

Student voices, Abbot Walks, a commitment to health and wellness, and more

PA students will take a trip down memory lane this spring with Abbot Walks & Power Walking, a L.I.F.E. sport that aims to incorporate a bit of fun Abbot Academy history. The class, created by Abbot faculty in the early 1900s, was reintroduced in 2020 to provide students with a unique, low-impact exercise opportunity. During each outing, amblers tackle one of the course’s 26 original routes, passing Pomps Pond, Sunset Rock, and more, following in the very footsteps of generations of Abbot students who paved the way.

Discover more at andover.edu/AbbotWalks.


Members of the Thomas Cochran Society recently gathered for this year’s recognition celebration, held at the New-York Historical Society. The event’s keynote speaker was Pulitzer Prize–winning author and essayist Stacy Schiff ’78, who is also a charter trustee and Cochran Society member. The society—which currently comprises more than 700 alumni, families, and friends from across the globe—salutes dedicated leadership donors who have made generous lifetime gifts of $250,000 or more to the Academy, elevating all facets of student life and learning.

To explore the society, visit andover.edu/Cochran.


As part of a proactive commitment to health and wellness, Andover will now team with The Jed Foundation, a national leader in protecting the emotional health of teens and young adults. During the three-year assessment, Sykes Wellness Center leadership and the foundation will evaluate a wide range of campus services to better safeguard the mental health of today’s students—with the goal to enhance the robust structure already in place. This resource is made possible through a partnership between JED and the Ortus Foundation, established by a current PA parent and mental health advocate. The campus initiative reflects growing investments in this area. Last year, the school joined the Uwill platform to provide every student with easy access to virtual counseling sessions.

You have funding, you have agency over what questions you want to ask. You might not have this opportunity again until you get a PhD.

Amina ’23

Categories: Philanthropy

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