CAMPAIGN NEWS

Llewellyn “Llew” Smith ’72 returned to campus in April as part of the 2024 DEIJ Speaker Series. “I’m always interested in stories that are connected to people, looking at social conditions, and that explore certain kinds of consequences. If the story doesn’t have consequences, I’m not interested. If the story doesn’t have a possibility of a real impact now, I’m not so interested,” Smith shared at an assembly moderated by student leaders in the Upper and Middle schools. Read more.

Head of School Alixe Callen ’88 and Chief Advancement Officer Lisa Winick recently returned from an action-packed trip to Asia. While overseas, they connected with alumni and parents in Shanghai, Seoul, Beijing, and Hong Kong. The sense of Milton pride and community is strong all over the world! Pictured is one of the events in Hong Kong. Click here to view the full album.

The recent 40th-anniversary celebration of Milton’s Transitions Program was a memorable occasion, marked by an emotional keynote speech from Alex Alex ’19. During the event, both alumni and current students shared inspiring anecdotes reflecting on their experiences and the program’s enduring impact. The gathering honored the program’s commitment to fostering inclusivity and underscored its significance in shaping a diverse community at Milton.

The Class of 2024 Senior Gift Campaign was a great success! The class met their ambitious 55% participation goal, earning a $10,000 challenge gift to the Milton Fund’s financial aid priority from two anonymous young alumni siblings. The class fundraising effort was led by a committee of dedicated volunteers, including Senior Gift Committee Co-Chairs Maddy ’24 and Melvin ’24. Learn more about this year’s Senior Gift Campaign.

Mik Aoki ’86 has spent a lifetime on the baseball diamond, as a player and as a coach. Yet he rarely spoke about the game with his mother. “For my mother, studies always came first,” says Aoki, who recently took over as head baseball coach at the University of Richmond. “She never discouraged me. But I think she would have been just as happy if I had taken up the tuba.” Read more.

At the end of this school year, four Milton faculty members—Bob Sinicrope, Rod Skinner ’72, Sarah Storer Goodwin Teaching Chair Sarah Wehle, and Laurence M. Lombard 1913 Teaching Chair Vivian WuWong—will retire, and we invite you to join us in celebrating their incredible impact on our community through dedicated virtual memory boards. You can share memories, messages of appreciation, photos, and videos that reflect the joy, learning, and camaraderie they brought to Milton. Please visit www.milton.edu/retirees to post your well wishes!

On April 18 and 19, Milton Academy welcomed musicians Molly Joyce and Gaelyn Lea thanks to the generosity of donors to the Melissa Dilworth Gold ’61 Fund Visiting Artists Fund. The two musicians met with Milton Academy’s orchestra students to discuss the intersection of music and disability. They shared their life stories and how they embraced and leveraged their disabilities to express themselves and advocate for others with disabilities. Ms. Lea and Ms. Joyce also spoke with local students with disabilities in Dorchester on April 17 as part of the public school partnership component of the fund. They delivered a message of hope and encouragement for the students to share their unique stories. Read more.

Get ready for summer adventures with Milton! Plan to immerse yourself in the excitement of our summer event series, featuring events all over New England, including Maine, Western Massachusetts (Tanglewood!), Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and more. To make sure you get all the details, update your contact information at www.milton.edu/update. See you this summer!

On April 2, Farah Pandith ’86 spent the day with our K–12 community as part of the 2024 DEIJ Speaker Series. Pandith is an author, foreign policy strategist, and former diplomat. As a world-leading expert and pioneer in countering violent extremism, she is a frequent media commentator, and we were thrilled to welcome her back to Centre Street to share her insight and expertise with students. Classes she took as a Milton student sparked her interest in world issues and ultimately led to her career in foreign policy, she shared during a “Fireside Chat” moderated by student leaders in the Upper and Middle schools. “Seeds that are planted when you are very young help you to think about the world in a different way,” said Pandith as she reflected on learning about ancient Egyptian history as a fourth-grader at Milton. Read more.

Milton Academy was a big part of the plan Jake Thibeault ’22 made for his own future. The plan: Work hard, get into Milton, play hockey at Milton, work hard at Milton, get into college, play hockey in college, and so forth. Thibeault learned about the school when his older brother attended; he saw how driven Milton students were about their passions and, he said, “I knew it was going to take a lot to get there, but I knew I wanted to be part of this community. I put my mind to it and decided that this was the journey I was going to take.” Read more.

When you hear Robb Chavis ’94 talk about writing for television, you can tell straight off that this is a guy who loves his job. Like most people, he’d like to advance in his career. But he’s also intent on preserving the profession as a whole. And that is pretty much what he has fought for as a member of the Writers Guild of America West board of directors, as well as a member of the negotiating committee that prevailed over studio heads during the 2023 writers’ strike. Serving in that capacity, Chavis fought to establish conditions that will enable people like him to make a decent living in their business, while creating quality programs that people might actually want to watch. Read more.

Current and former Milton Academy musicians (and some special guests) gathered on April 6 to celebrate 50 years of the jazz program at Milton. The event featured performances by Milton students from the Classes of 1978 through 2030 and a panel of alumni—Baron Tymas ’78, Aaron Goldberg ’91, Robbie Lee ’99, Jason Yeager ’05, and Henry Taylor ’20 with special guest artist Horace Alexander Young. Also on hand for the celebration was noted jazz bassist, educator, and composer Rufus Reid, a surprise visitor to honor Milton’s jazz director Bob Sinicrope, who will retire at the end of this academic year. Thank you to all who attended and made this a spectacular celebration! Click here to view photos from the event.

Following a highly competitive national search, Head of School Alixe Callen ’88 announced on April 10 that Milton Academy has chosen Rachel Stone as the next Upper School principal. Currently Head of School at Canterbury School in Connecticut, Stone is an extremely talented, experienced educator with 30 years of experience working in independent schools in both faculty and leadership roles. She will join the Milton community in July 2024. Read more.

In honor of National Volunteer Month, we want to thank all of our dedicated volunteers for your commitment to Milton. Alumni and parent volunteers keep our community strong and growing while helping to ensure the Milton experience remains exceptional. Whether you are volunteering in support of your class, connecting with a current student, speaking on campus, engaging peers about their philanthropic support of Milton, leading an affinity space, or networking with fellow grads, you are an essential part of this community. Thank you!

Classes ending in 4 and 9: Make your next Milton memory by joining us on Friday, June 14, and Saturday, June 15, as we celebrate class years ending in 4 and 9. Visit www.milton.edu/reunion to register, view program highlights, or learn more!

Looking to connect with fellow alums? Have an exciting professional development to share? Join our Milton Academy Alumni group on LinkedIn to connect with classmates and grow your professional network. We also encourage you to proudly showcase your affiliation with Milton Academy by adding the school to your LinkedIn profile under the “Education” section. It’s the best way to highlight your alma mater and stay connected with fellow members of the Milton community.

On March 6, the Milton community came together like never before to support the people, programs, and opportunities that cultivate Milton Connections for students inside and outside the classroom. United around a common goal, alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends responded with record participation; 1,207 donors gave more than $1.3 million to fuel Milton Academy’s transformative educational experiences. Visit www.milton.edu/givingdayimpact for a message from Head of School Alixe Callen ’88 and to see the full impact of your collective generosity.

One of the most exciting things about a Milton education is the opportunity to learn not only from our fantastic faculty, but also visiting experts. On February 22, Dr. Robert S. Ross, the 2024 Hong Kong Distinguished Speaker, spoke to Class I and II students about China’s emergence as a global power and the response from the United States. Read More.

Last month, as part of our Black History Month programming, the Department of Equity, Inclusion, and Justice collaborated with Milton’s Public Issues Board to present “Common Ground: Perspectives on the Black Student Experience at Milton.” This event included a panel discussion moderated by Assistant Director of Admission and Onyx advisor Chris Lewis ’15. Alumni panelists included Trustee Lamont Gordon ’87, Heather Ferguson ’93, and Kasia Ifill ’13. Our gratitude extends to our alumni who continue to “Dare to be true.” For those interested in getting involved or volunteering with Milton, we invite you to complete this form.

📭 Check your mailbox: The new Spring/Summer 2024 issue of Milton Magazine is on its way. This issue’s alumni features highlight the work and lives of Robb Chavis ’94, Alexandra Rodman ’06, and Mik Aoki ’86. Plus, enjoy other insightful and engaging content from Centre Street. And of course, there’s a robust collection of news from your classmates in the Class Notes section. Speaking of Class Notes, we are now accepting submissions for the Fall/Winter 2024 issue, so share your news using this submission form.

On March 6, our community will come together for 24 hours of giving to celebrate and support the people, opportunities, and events that cultivate connections for students inside and outside the classroom. Thanks to our generous challenger, Claire Hughes Johnson ’90 P ’24 ’27, when 1,000 people donate on Giving Day this year, we’ll unlock $100K for the Milton Fund! Save the date and learn more at https://give.milton.edu/giving-day-2024.

Earlier this month, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Milton’s Girl’s Ice Hockey program. The weekend kicked off with a Friday night match vs. BB&N, and many alumnae and family members were there to cheer on the Mustangs. Then, on Saturday, our alumnae laced up their skates to participate in an alumnae and current players scrimmage. The weekend also included a family skate and alumnae reception. Thank you to all of our Girls’ Ice Hockey alumnae who joined us to celebrate this wonderful program and milestone. To view and share photos, videos, and memories from the weekend, click here.

Tony Dior Gaenslen ’59 entered Milton Academy as a self-described “shy” and “nerdy” kid, the Texas-born son of a politically conservative family. He was so enamored of Robert E. Lee that he wrote his senior history paper describing him as the greatest general of the Civil War and a man of unimpeachable character… But after a profound transformation during his senior year at Milton, Gaenslen has spent his life as a passionate advocate for civil rights. Read more.

Head of School Dr. Alixe Callen announced that Upper School principal Dr. Monica Benton Palmer has accepted a new role for the coming 2024-25 Academic Year. Effective July 1, Dr. Palmer will join the Office of Development and Alumni Relations in her new role as Director of Special Philanthropic and Strategic Gifts. This transition leverages Dr. Palmer’s expertise in independent school leadership, her experience as a fundraiser, and her deep pride in Milton and its community. Dr. Palmer will remain as the US principal through June 30 and the school is already moving quickly to launch a national search to identify Dr. Palmer’s successor with the goal of having the new Upper School principal in place by July 1, 2024, well before the start of the 2024-2025 academic year. Read more.

On February 2, the Milton Academy Music Department hosted the Margaret (Peggy) Filoon Robertson ’56 Concert in the Apthorp Chapel. This year’s concert featured a repertoire ranging from baroque to contemporary and showcased student-led instrumental groups, soloists, and a chorus of Milton Academy students, faculty, staff, and friends. It was an evening of beautiful and inspiring performances. Read more and watch the recording

This year’s Graduation speaker is actor and educator Jason Bowen, Milton Academy Class of 2000. Born and raised in Boston, Bowen has performed on Broadway, television, and film. Bowen’s notable and previous credits include The Play That Goes Wrong (Broadway), Law & Order: SVU (NBC), Blue Bloods (CBS), The Upside (STX/Amazon), and Mother/Android (Miramax/Hulu). In 2012, Boston Magazine awarded Bowen “Best Actor” honors in its annual “Best of Boston” issue. Read more.

Looking to connect with fellow alumni? Have an exciting professional development to share? Join our Milton Academy Alumni group on LinkedIn to network with classmates and grow your professional connections.

In 2014, Claire Hughes Johnson ’90 P ’24 ’27 left Google to become chief operating officer at a much smaller company, Stripe, which at the time had 160 employees and tens of millions of dollars in revenue. Now the company, which focuses on online commerce infrastructure, has more than 7,000 employees and billions in revenue. In her new book, which has appeared on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list, she provides insights “for company builders who value creating a long-term legacy and share a people-oriented viewpoint on the work they’re doing.” Read more.

The best way to stay connected to Milton and be sure you receive news and invitations to our featured events is to keep your contact information current. Update your contact information today at www.milton.edu/update.

A gift to the Milton Fund, our school’s unrestricted current-use fund, is the simplest and most direct way to support Milton’s students and faculty. As the calendar year draws to a close, please make your Milton Fund gift to ensure the school can continue delivering engaging experiential and interdisciplinary learning opportunities, dynamic studio and performing arts programs, and formative extracurricular activities. Please do your part to support our Milton community during this season of giving, and make your Milton Fund gift today at www.milton.edu/donate.

Laurén Carter, a noted author and college admissions expert, became Milton’s new dean of college counseling in July. Carter, who comes to Milton from the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., has decades’ worth of experience in independent school college guidance and university admissions. Her book, Mindful Admissions: An Insider’s Guide to Staying Sane, Applying Well, and Getting Accepted to College, provides students and families with practical advice for navigating the complicated admissions process. Carter joined Milton Magazine for a conversation this summer. Read more.

This holiday season, support fellow Milton Academy community members by browsing our Grads Gift Guide! We’re pleased to share gift ideas offered by Milton entrepreneurs, ranging from food and beverages to apparel and services. View the full gift guide at https://www.milton.edu/graduates/grads-gift-guide.

This spring will feature several virtual and in-person events, including Milton in California, Florida, and Asia; the DEIJ Speaker Series featuring Farah Pandith ’86 and Llew Smith ’72; a Transitions Program Reunion: Celebrating 40 Years; Milton Night Out: Bowery Bar and Patio; and more. Stay tuned and visit our Upcoming Events calendar at www.milton.edu/graduates/events-calendar for more.

By the mid-19th century, iron had become an integral part of the American economy, used in ships, railroads, factory machinery, and tall buildings. A major supplier of that material at the time was Robert Poole, a self-taught machinist-engineer whose company in Maryland provided iron for private industry and the U.S. government, most notably for the columns that surround the dome of the U.S. Capitol Building. Poole was also the great-great-grandfather of Steven Swett ’52, who tells the story of his relative and his enterprise, including the workers and the mechanisms they mastered. Read more.

Sign up today to find connection, support, and inspiration in one of Milton Academy’s alumni affinity spaces: Alums of Color, APIDA Alums, Black Alums, Jewish Alums, LatinX Alums, LGBTQ+ Alums, Muslim Alums, and White-Identifying Alums. Please note that this list is not comprehensive. Join a Milton alumni affinity space today! And if you would like to volunteer to co-facilitate an alumni affinity space, please indicate your interest here.

We were thrilled to host Milton-Nobles Day back on Centre Street this fall! Celebrations kicked off with an exciting pep rally on Thursday, November 9, with the entire K–12 Milton community. Then, on Saturday, November 11, we welcomed alumni, families, and friends to campus to cheer on the Mustangs! Game highlights included 1st Boys’ Soccer and 1st Volleyball finishing the regular season as Independent School League champs! A special shout-out to all of our alumni who participated in the men’s alumni soccer games (both were Milton wins!). For all of the games’ scores, click here. To view photos from the day, click here.

Alixe Callen ’88 can’t remember a time when she didn’t want to be a teacher. “Literally back to kindergarten, I knew that I would spend my life as an educator,” Callen said in an interview shortly after becoming Milton Academy’s 13th head of school. “As my life unfolded, I always knew deep inside that is what I would do.” Read more.

Getting together with Milton friends over Thanksgiving week? We love to see Milton meetups! Reunion-year alum Jeff Marr ’04 returned to campus in October during Mustangs Care Month to speak to students about the importance of giving back. Class of 2004 classmates Josh Krieger, Elizabeth “Liz” (Berylson) Katz, and Ilana (Sclar) Krieger (LtR in photo) all came to the assembly to show their support for Jeff. Share your reunions and get-togethers with us by submitting a class note at https://forms.gle/woy3jPTNBngLQ3cRA. The deadline to be included in the spring 2024 edition of Milton Magazine is Friday, December 1.

“It’s funny to say that a hashtag changed my life. But it’s true. A hashtag really did change my life,” says the Los Angeles-based screenwriter William Yu ’09. Yu made some waves in the Twitter world in 2016 when he launched an awareness campaign using the hashtag #StarringJohnCho. “It was a time when a lot of fraught conversations were taking place about Asian representation [or the lack thereof] in the entertainment industry,” he says. Read more.

Step forward and lead with us! Milton Academy alumni affinity spaces represent a mosaic of identities, including gender, ability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, and race, and we’re seeking alumni volunteers to serve as co-facilitators to guide their conversations. As a co-facilitator, you will serve as the liaison between Milton Academy and space participants. Milton provides co-facilitators with training and support, as well as administrative assistance. For more information or to express interest, please complete this form.

Group work. Its mere mention is enough to prompt dread in even the most dedicated students and anxiety dreams for those long out of school. Entire Buzzfeed posts are devoted to bemoaning group assignments, and memes regularly circulate about group members who take on all the work or ride others’ coattails to improve grades. Adults compare collective job tasks to the nightmarish group projects of their academic pasts. The consensus about group projects is that, well, they stink. Read more.

On the evening of October 12, we welcomed generous donors, alumni, and parents into the newly renovated Wigglesworth Hall, home of the William C. Cox Library. Trustee Yeng Butler ’92 P ’25 ’33 captured the essence of the night, remarking that it was not just a milestone for unveiling the new Cox Library, but also a heartfelt gathering where Milton’s extended family came together to warmly welcome our new Head of School Dr. Alixe Callen ’88. This unforgettable celebration was filled with genuine connections across generations and shared excitement for Milton’s future. To view photos from the event, click here.

Dr. Alixe Callen ’88 has begun her tenure as Milton’s 13th head of school! In a message to the community, Board of Trustees President Claire Hughes Johnson ’90 P ’24  ’27 shared that “the Board of Trustees seeks to align with the head of school on her priorities and also to perform our primary role—which is to partner with her as the leader of the institution—by offering guidance and support as we ultimately hold her accountable for achieving the school’s goals.” Read more.

In 1971, Rod Skinner ’72 was among the Milton students who carried the school’s book collection from Straus Library across Centre Street to the brand-new William Coburn Cox Library. Recently, Skinner helped move the final few books back across the street as Cox Library moved to Wigglesworth Hall. The new library takes up two light-filled levels and includes many comfortable spots to study. Come see it for yourself at the Boston Alumni and Parents Reception on October 12! Register here.

Calling all class years ending in 4 and 9! Mark your calendar. Connect with friends. Make your next Milton memory by joining us Friday, June 14–Saturday, June 15! Details and registration information to follow. In the meantime, check out your class page to connect with fellow alumni, join your class committee, and make a gift in honor of your reunion year. Learn more at www.milton.edu/reunion.

We are currently seeking alumni volunteers to serve as co-facilitators in our alumni affinity spaces. As a co-facilitator, you will serve as a liaison between Milton Academy and space participants. You and your co-facilitator(s) schedule, plan, and execute affinity space meetings, set the goals for your space, and plan one community program annually. For more information or to express interest, please complete this form.  

The ninety-third Gratwick concert took place on Thursday, September 14. The Gratwick Concert Fund was established by Dr. Mitchell Gratwick in memory of his wife, Katharine Perkins Gratwick. She was a cellist and graduate of the Class of 1924.Through Dr. Gratwick’s generosity, and the lasting generosity of his family, thousands of Milton students have benefited from world-class performances. This year, we were thrilled to welcome pianist Clayton Stephenson. In addition to being the first Black finalist at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2022, he was named the 2022 Gilmore Young Artist and the 2017 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Clayton gave a beautiful performance and stayed well after the concert to engage with students and members of the Milton community. Click here to watch the recording of the concert.

Exciting news! We’re streamlining our communications to keep you updated without overwhelming your inbox. Look out for our new biweekly email, Engage@Milton, where you’ll find upcoming event details and more. Stay connected with us at https://www.milton.edu/graduates/events-calendar.

For 225 years, Milton Academy has fostered critical thinkers and changemakers, all under the guidance of world-class faculty and staff. Thanks to donors investing in Milton, we will continue to do so for years to come. We are excited to share with you some of the many stories that illustrate the tangible difference made by those who give back to Milton. Please visit www.milton.edu/impact today to learn more.