News

The Vermont Academy Alumni Association’s (VAAA) Alumni Council is thrilled to announce the election of Vice President Sean Bersell ’77 and Secretary Eddie Miller ’15. Current VAAA Vice President Kate (Marshuetz) Double ’91 will become president and, along with Sean and Eddie, will serve on the VAAA executive committee. 

On May 14, at 9:30 am, members of the Vermont Academy community who had a free morning headed to the Nita Choukas Theater in Horowitz Performing Arts Hall to attend a matinee put on by a Vermont Academy Performing Arts class, Act 3.

On Wednesday, April 3 and Thursday, April 4, Vermont Academy alumni joined fellow northern New England independent school alumni from eight additional schools for keynote presentations and breakout discussions in Boston and New York City. These events were attended by approximately 75 alumni in both cities.

From Saturday, May 4 to Tuesday, May 7, Vermont Academy hosted four days of VA artistic expression in the form of performances and art exhibitions. The art pieces of several talented members of the Class of 2024 were among the works presented to the greater community, stretching across mediums such as paintings, drawings, pottery, live performances, and more. This culminating show was especially indicative of the creativity they have channeled into an entire high school career.

The Vermont Academy Alumni Association hosted a virtual mini-reunion with Vermont Academy rowers on April 30. Major topics discussed included the origins of the program, a brief overview of the current program, and an opportunity for attendees to share life updates.

If it seems to you as though the topic of college admissions has been all over the news this year, you’re not wrong. The 2024-25 college admissions cycle will go down as one of, if not the most, tumultuous in history. Between the Supreme Court’s decision on ending Affirmative Action, the newly redesigned Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) rollout debacle, flipflopping requirements in standardized testing, and the continued rise in selectivity at the country’s most prestigious institutions, it’s a challenging time to be a high school senior. Just read The New York Times article “This is Peak College Admissions Insanity” by Daniel Currell and you’ll understand.

On Wednesday, May 8, legendary equestrian Edward “Denny” Emerson ’59 paid a visit to Vermont Academy’s home barn, Southmowing Stables in Guilford, VT to offer his expertise to the equestrian team. Denny has been influential in the equestrian community for over 60 years, as an activist, author, leader, trainer, eventer, and coach.

Congratulations to two exceptional soccer players, Cooper Biederbeck ’24, and Javier Perez De Vargas Martin ’24, for signing their National Letters of Intent. Cooper will attend Southern New Hampshire University (NH) to play Division II Men’s Soccer and Javier will head to Keene State College (NH) to play Division III Men’s Soccer. Both have made significant impacts on the VA community as examples of successful student-athletes.

Perennially, as it also is at many other schools across the country, the springtime at VA is a whirlwind. The school year revs up before it winds down as students anticipate parting ways for the summer, working to finish up their studies, playing hard at final games and matches, and putting their creative energies towards plays, performances, artwork, and more. Spring Arts Weekend serves as a moment for our community to pause, breathe, and look around at all of the beautiful work the community has generated this past trimester. The culminating artistic event of the year ran from Saturday, May 4 through Tuesday, May 7.

Friday, April 26 through Sunday, April 28, Vermont Academy Performing Arts hosted a weekend of musical performances in the Nita Choukas Theater in Horowitz Performing Arts Hall, putting on three shows each night. They were: “Not Improv” a VA original improvisational performance, “Book Lovers” by Talaura Harms and Jonathan Bauerfeld, and “What’s Your Wish?” by Thicket & Thistle.

Vermont Academy’s “PawPrint” is a student-run publication that features the writing, art, photography, and the creativity of our Wildcat community. Several editions are released each school year during the fall, winter, and spring, including special editions that usually spotlight a specific student contributor. Each year, a member of the graduating class oversees the sourcing, producing, and publishing of PawPrint, with the help of Humanities faculty member and Yearbook Advisor Whitney Barrett. This year, Khiêm Nguyen ’24 has been at the helm as Editor-in-Chief. The spring edition of PawPrint, entitled “Bloom,” releases on Friday, April 26.

While this year’s Earth Day had rain in the forecast, the Vermont Academy community didn’t let the weather dampen the day. The spirit of sunny Earth Day celebrations in years past was infused by moving several outdoor activities indoors, and all of the fun was still maintained. Director of Place-Based Learning and Environmental Studies Christine Armiger led our community in several activities across campus for the day. The kickoff to the celebration began Wednesday evening with a bonfire, s'mores, volleyball, and music at the Nick Grout '03 Memorial Fire Pit in lieu of study hall.

On Tuesday, April 23, Vermont Academy held its Cum Laude Society Induction Ceremony at the Warren Chivers Ski and Outdoor Education Center where nine new members were honored and inducted.

Congratulations to powerhouse Vermont Academy hockey player Abigail “Abby” Mellen ’24, for signing her National Letter of Intent to play Division III Women’s Hockey at Manhattanville University (NY) next fall. Abby has been a proven asset to the team, and a valued member of the VA community in a multitude of ways.

Vermont Academy is excited to announce the hiring of Ben Gardner as our next Director of Vermont Academy at Mount Snow.

Five Vermont Academy students went on an incredible spring break trip to Tanzania, led by VA science teacher Christine Armiger and Gogi Abroad founder Liz Jackson. Christine’s son, and future Wildcat, Elliot Carr, also joined. Sydney Shaw ’25, Elena Hernandez-Merkle ’26, Cody Marconi-Quinones ’24, Case Seigel ’25, and Lola Rothschild ’25, began their journey in the Maasai community of Longido where VA alumnus, Leyeyo Kipamba ’16 was born. Honoring Leyeyo’s passing in 2022, the tripgoers paid respects to his gravesite and met his family and friends, who were incredibly welcoming, sharing their culture, food, and songs, making the students feel at home.

For over a century, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have recognized and celebrated young creatives nationwide. The awards are presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “identify students with exceptional artistic and literary talent and present their remarkable work to the world through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards”. This past year, students in grades 7-12 across the United States and Canada entered more than 300,000 original works in 28 different categories of art and writing.

Congratulations to talented Vermont Academy hockey player Kiersten “Pinky” Rasmussen ’24, for signing her National Letter of Intent to play Division III Women’s Hockey at Salve Regina University (RI) next fall. Pinky has made major athletic and academic impacts throughout her time at VA.

The Vermont Academy Robotics team, the Wired Cats, had an exciting triumph in early February, claiming the second-place finish in the Vermont State FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Tech Challenge. Their success landed them a spot in an upcoming tournament.

On Tuesday, March 26, the multi-hyphenate Inspirational Speaker, Author, Entrepreneur, and Former Pro Athlete Chris Singleton spoke to the Vermont Academy community in the Nita Choukas Theater in Horowitz Performing Arts Hall.

Dr. Jennifer L. Zaccara, Vermont Academy’s Head of School, was recently honored by being inducted into the Heads and Principals Association (HAPA). The association was founded in 1893, on the principle that it was to be a “unique amalgam” of the secondary schools that are serving the nation.

Vermont Academy is excited to announce the hiring of our next CFO/COO, someone who is no stranger to VA.

As the winter trimester comes to a close, and Vermont Academy looks ahead to the spring, the snow begins to melt, and all of the hard work during the trimester flowers into colorful displays of Wildcat talent. These talents came together for one evening to present VA’s annual Winter Performing Arts Night.

On Monday, February 26, Vermont Academy held its annual Winter Athletics and Afternoon Activities Awards during Community Meeting in the Nita Choukas Theater in Horowitz Performing Arts Hall. It was a time to gather and celebrate the hard work of the coaches and athletes on a successful end of the 2023-24 winter season. Each coach had a moment to step up to the podium and honor their teams. The following are the award recipients.

Congratulations to talented Vermont Academy basketball player Cecilia “MC” Coldwell ’24, for signing her National Letter of Intent to play Division III Women’s Basketball at Lesley University (MA) next fall. During her time at VA, MC has left an impact as a valued athlete and student.

On February 10, 2024, The Vermont Academy Robotics team, “The Wired Cats”, attended the Vermont State FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Championships at Lamoille Union High School, Hyde Park, VT.

On Thursday, February 8 through Sunday, February 11, twenty-two Vermont Academy student-athletes headed to Montreal, QC for a soccer showcase put on by FMS (Football Matching Services) Pro Sports Management, a soccer agency that helps guide athletes through networking with training camps, combines (skills assessments) and showcases, and other sports networking events.

On February 8, 2024, Vermont Academy held its annual National Honor Society (NHS) induction ceremony at the Warren Chivers Ski and Outdoor Education Center. NHS is the nation's premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. VA has been inducting members since 2005. More than an academic honor roll, NHS serves to honor and recognize those students who have demonstrated exceptionalism in its four pillars: scholarship, service, leadership, and character.

Four of Vermont Academy’s gifted musicians, Sofia Bianconi ’24, Suki Lambert ’25, Caitlin Masure ’25, and Oliver Norkun ’26 were accepted into and performed at the Vermont Music Educators District VI Music Festival (VMEA DVI) on Saturday, January 27 at Green Mountain Union High School. Sofia, Caitlin, and Suki, participated in the District VI High School Choir, with Oliver participating in the District VI High School Jazz Ensemble.

The tour guide program at Vermont Academy is an integral and critical part of our admissions process. Currently, 40 of VA’s 216 students are tour guides. Their backgrounds and interests vary, but all share one thing in common: their love for VA.

A Forest Management Plan (FMP) develops and implements long-term efforts to care for and improve forestland. The near-universal, but elusive goal is "leaving the land better than we found it." According to Vermont.org, “Your forest management plan is the written story of your woodlands. It contains the hopes and dreams you have for your land and chronicles change to your woods over time. Forest management plans are important because they list goals and outcomes, whether you are building a trail or cutting enough firewood to heat your home every year.”

One of Vermont Academy’s strengths is in the quality of its curriculum, and the institution’s ability to tailor a highly specialized academic experience for each student. VA’s approach to teaching Humanities, for instance, exemplifies this strength. At VA, Humanities represents reading, writing, and research, with an emphasis on critical thinking, analysis, written expression, and presentation. Both literally and figuratively, students are encouraged to “speak up” in Humanities courses, says department chair Dr. Greg Martin. “We strive to give students the framework to understand their world by teaching them how to ask questions, evaluate sources of information, and make connections to other people and communities.”

As part of this year’s programming made possible by the Bob ‘37 and Beth Campbell Endowment for the Arts and Lecture Series, on January 15, 2024, spoken word poet Rajnii Eddins visited our campus, bringing with him powerful messages that will surely have lasting resonance with the VA community. The day of special programming began when Rajnii led students in a creative writing workshop in our Class of 2011 Great Room. Twenty-two students participated, along with four faculty members, creating personalized written pieces under Rajnii’s guidance. They received two writing prompts, one in which they wrote to America as if it were a child, and the other which challenged the writers to start pieces with the phrase, “I will not be silent.” Some brave students shared what they wrote after receiving eight minutes to write each piece.

On January 7, 2024, Vermont Academy Performing Arts presented the 11th Annual 24 Hour Play Festival, a VA tradition in which students assemble small teams to write, direct, compose, create props for, and perform an original play, all within 24 hours. This year, 14 students participated, several of whom made their VA stage debut. Theater Arts Director Jonathan Barron ’96 says this was the most special part of this year’s festival. “For some of those students, English is their second language. It's always great to see people step out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves in that way.”

Congratulations to talented Vermont Academy lacrosse player Maxwell Biondi ’24, for signing his National Letter of Intent to play Division III Men’s Lacrosse at Clark University (MA) next fall. During his time at VA, Max has made a significant impression as a valued athlete and student.