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IN THIS ISSUE…

News&Views

12 Alumni Notes

A publication for Alumni, Family, and Friends of

BURKE MOUNTAIN ACADEMY

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passion for skiing. learning for life.Desig

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OLYMPIC EDITION Spring 2014

olympic edition!

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i t was an exciting winter here at BMA! We have a great deal of positive momentum with the success of Funding the BMA Way: A Campaign for Excellence, the continued strength of our college placement and race results and, to top it all, five

alumni competing at the Olympics with Mikaela winning gold!

One outcome of our success is significantly higher admissions demand. Recently I was asked a question by Dr. Jim Taylor ’76 (who has remained actively involved through his sports counseling practice, which has enabled him to attend camps and visit BMA annually) regarding how, given this steadily increasing admissions demand, we balance athletic ability with community and academic strength and whether this weighting has changed in recent years. The short answer is no, although admissions has become increasingly more competitive and thus more selective.

We continue to use a rolling admissions calendar, meaning that a qualified candidate will be accepted whenever one applies. As a result, our admission acceptances have progressively been completed earlier each year, and we are fortunate to experience considerably more interest than we can accommodate. Each year we are forced to turn away prospective students who would likely have been good community members, but we are committed to maintaining our small size, which distinguishes us from competitors and allows us to deliver an exceptional program. This year virtually all decisions were finalized by President’s Week in February with only a number of waitlisted applicants still in process. Increased demand is only in part due to our outstanding skiing results and program. It also reflects the continual emphasis on strengthening our academics, our consistently outstanding college placement, and the singular focus on character/values embodied in BMA’s Honor Code. Maintaining a smaller student body combined with our Sizing to Quality strategic focus has differentiated us from other ski academies.

When considering an admissions candidate we look closely at the “three legs of the stool” : a blend of academics, community, and skiing. Generally everyone accepted is a strong skier and

message from the headmaster

Kirk Dwyer and the BMA community welcomed four of our five Olympians back

to campus in April. Trace Smith ’10, Ida Sargent ’06, Kirk Dwyer, Liz Stephen ’05

and Nolan Kasper ’07

most are outstanding students. Equally important is the degree to which an applicant is perceived to help strengthen the trust-based community supported by the Honor Code. In most cases (50% of the incoming students for 2014-15) prospective students attend multiple camps alongside our own students in advance of applying to Burke. This means that before they’ve ever filled out the application, we – coaches and athletes – have spent a considerable amount of time getting to know each applicant outside of a formalized interview setting: as an individual, a potential community member, and as a student. Our sport is individual in nature but supported by the strength of one’s peer group and team. We need to make sure that all the students we accept are not only good Burkies who are willing to work hard, but are supportive and enthusiastic teammates and competitors. I personally feel this is the most important attribute we seek and our greatest differentiation.

It is impractical for all admissions candidates to attend camps with us in advance of their applications, and so we require all applicants to visit our campus and spend a full day skiing with us, having lengthy interviews and sitting in on a class. We consider the Burke community to be central to our strength, and it is impossible to explain without feeling it firsthand. By requiring all applicants to visit campus, we not only get to meet the student and parents, we also get to demonstrate the vitality and cohesiveness of our trust based school. Lunch in the dining hall and listening to students and staff interact and share daily announcements is generally the moment that prospective families find most illuminating within the admissions process.

We approach admissions decisions with the understanding that many of our applicants have long dreamed of attending BMA. Our reason for being is to provide the opportunity for young people to pursue their passion. I hope sharing this detail will be interesting to many of you and especially helpful if providing counsel to friends and families who might consider attendance.

Kirk Dwyer, Headmaster

change. J3’s are now U16’s, which means they don’t start FIS racing until they’re 16. When the FIS age was 15, most of our students got their FIS licenses as Sophomores. Now, most of them get their FIS licenses as Juniors, and some as Seniors. That’s led us to some new territory, now that most kids have only two years at BMA to develop a point profile worthy of a collegiate or National team, and some have just one. We weren’t sure what to expect when we showed up at our first race. How would the ’96s, now on their third year of FIS racing, hold up against the young bucks? Would the ’97s be able to handle the pressure of having to perform at a high level in their first year? Luckily, the answers to those questions are “Well,” and “Yes,” respectively. The ’96s won most of the battles, and the order of the universe was maintained. And with that extra year of “hidden” experience under their belts,

w inter has finally left the Kingdom. The mountain had good coverage well into the month of May, and though

the spring was slow to start we’ve had some classic bluebird East Burke days lately. The mountain bike trails are open, the flowers are out, and we’re winding down the final stages of the year before we start again!

There were a lot of “firsts” this year, which is exciting but also stressful. As Rolf Gidlow told me at one point, “You spend your whole first year at Burke waiting for your second year so you’ll actually feel like you know what’s going on.” I’ve enjoyed many of the moments of my first year, but I think Rolf is right; I’m really looking forward to my second year.

On the FIS side of things, it was our first year dealing with the new, older first-year FIS athletes following the age

Sven von Appen ’16 in the start on Dippers at Eastern Cups in March.

it was great fun to watch the ’97s come by from the back of the pack while the college coaches puzzled over start lists and looked at us asking, “Who was that?”

Another project we have going on is working with USSA to become one of the first teams in the country to go through their new Club Certification process. It’s an extensive process that brings together representation from the board, BMA parents, athletic leadership, and evaluators from USSA to analyze all aspects of our program. We’ve had two program visits from USSA, and worked through hundreds of survey questions about best practices on everything from governance to philosophy to athletic programming. It has been an enlightening process, but I have to say the most gratifying thing was how many of the best practice boxes we were able to tick. As we went through some of the questions with the USSA evaluators, it was clear

alpine Update By sam damon, head FIs Coach

AthleticsBurke mountain academy 3

that they were anticipating some sticky spots on some of the finer points of things like governance or philosophy. It is a tribute to those who have come before me that we didn’t have to bat an eye for those “tough” questions. The level of detail that has gone into planning and running this place is truly stunning, and the depth of that foresight is what allows us to work with so much intention and with so much success. Examining the structure and function of our program made me feel honored to be part of it. We are a community driven organization, and we should all be proud to be part of the BMA family.

The actual racing this year was a whirlwind as always. We had kids racing Nor-Ams, USSA races, and everything in between. Regional FIS, development FIS, National Championships, U18 Nationals, in Europe, Quebec, Ontario, and, of course, right here at Burke. We hosted Eastern Cup Finals SG for men and women, and GS for men, in late March. In the first SG, the Burke girls went 1-2-3-4-5 (with 6 of our girls racing), and the boys had 6 out of the top-10, and 9 of the top-15 plus the top step of the podium. In the second SG, the Burke girls were dominant once again taking 1-2-3-4, and the boys were 6 of the top-15 in a deeper field with lots of US Ski Team athletes. It was a great way to cap off the season, which was filled with many more successes big and small. On the women’s side, Dani Brownell-Patty ’14 overcame a two-year drought and won 6 FIS races, with seventeen top-10 finishes, while Moriah Wilson ’14 was 7th in the US National Championship DH race, and had nine top-10 finishes over the course of the year. On the men’s side, Fredrik Maurstad ’14 won back-to-back Eastern Cup GS races and the Burke SG, while tallying 8 top-10 finishes, and Patrick Kenney ’15 won a FIS GS early in the year and finished as the 2nd ranked ’97 boy for SG in the USA (ranked 6th in the world, right behind Sven von Appen ’15 of Chile/Woods House).

We also had great success at the U16 level. Among the top results were qualifying five athletes to the U16 Nationals (Anna Bruce ’17, Olivia Gerrard ’16, Sophie Sherman ’16, Liam McKim ’17, and Fredi Schneider ’17). Based on their results at the Nationals, Olivia and Fredi were nominated to the National Training Group for 2014-15. At the Am-Can races in March featuring competition with all the top Ontario and Quebec athletes Liam McKim won the men’s slalom and Lizzy Williams ’17 had the top US women’s result in the giant slalom starting 64th and finishing fourth overall. Kai Horwitz had very strong results in international races at both Topolino and Whistler Cup competing for Chile. There are many more – honestly, too many to mention here – but rest assured that BMA athletes are still on top of the leader board and working hard to stay there.

Speaking of working hard, it’s time to get back to it. The girls are headed to a weights session in the Glover Training Center, and the boys have outdoor strength (is there any other kind?) Lots to do between now and December, see you out there! n

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a nother winter has come and gone in the Kingdom and there are big smiles from the BMA Nordic team. We welcomed two new faces to the Nordic racing scene and enjoyed every moment of challenge and growth as a

team. Strong effort was rewarded with an upward progression in results and, more importantly, we gained confidence with every competition. Our season began with our usual western pilgrimage in search of sun, snow and early season competition, a trip chock-full of adventure, tough training and new friends.

After returning home to Vermont, we were graced with perfect training and an excited group of athletes. With the generous help of Nordic Campaign supporters we teamed up with Alpina Sports USA to provide 10 pairs of skate ski equipment for the school and welcomed the first ever group of Midweek skiers to campus on Wednesday afternoons to train cardio and test some balance skills on the skinny skis!

Our team’s season followed the New England Eastern Cup circuit where athletes squared up against the best in the country in sprint and distance racing alike. Highlights included a giant weekend of racing in Rumford, Maine where many Olympic hopefuls were also toeing the line, and some local sprint competition on the challenging hills of Craftsbury, a place that feels a bit like home.

nordic Update By Kate Barton, head Nordic Coach

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Winter race season ended with a bang as senior Warren Taylor qualified for the Eastern High School Championships in Chittenden, VT and raced to an impressive 7th place finish in the 5km Skate race.

When reflecting back on this winter, however, it’s easy to remember more than just the racing. There are memories of running deep into the Pioneer Mountains of Idaho to navigate a loop which took an hour (or three) longer than expected, a sun filled extra blue classic tour on Windy Ridge in West Yellowstone, Montana and the nerves of standing atop the nose on Mt. Mansfield, poised and ready to take on the infamous Stowe Derby downhill (Nordic) race. I remember beautiful winter sunsets from our soccer field with friends, teaching an alpiner to skate ski, and an adventurous double pole interval session in Danville during a seriously torrential downpour. I remember our last ski as the 2014 Nordic team: an epic klister classic tour at Bretton Woods in the shadow of Mt. Washington. All of these things are what make me smile, even as the snow begins to melt and the mud begins to thicken. It is through this reflection that I am reminded of the things we value here. The passion of sport, the outdoors, and the pursuit of something you love in a community full of people who will challenge and support you along the way. Here’s to another season in the books and the excitement we’re building for the next!

A BIG CONGRATULATIONS goes out this year to Tara Humphries ’13 for her first National Title at the Junior National Championships in Stowe, VT. And of course a shout out to our amazing Olympians Liz Stephen ’05 and Ida Sargent ’06. Liz and Ida continued their successful US Ski team careers by notching several top ten finishes this season on the world cup and Liz finished an impressive 12th in the Olympic Skiathlon. We wish these ladies and all of our alumni the best of luck in the coming season!Summer Camp: This year’s trip starts with participation

in the Summer Ski School hosted by the Solleftea Ski Gymnasium located in Solleftea, Sweden. This is a dryland camp with some of the world’s top ski coaches and Swedish National Team athletes. The middle of the camp is filled with Scandinavian adventure, before 10 final days of on-snow training at the Sognefjell glacier in Norway. What’s not to love?The FuTure: We continue to pursue high level candidates

who are dedicated to becoming stronger athletes. We continue to offer a uniquely small, flexible and focused program here at Burke where the emphasis is on the individual. We are providing athletes the opportunity to be a part of a community where they are able to grow and succeed as athletes as well as people. We have a strong tradition of Nordic skiing here at Burke and we look forward to watching the program continue to grow. n

THANK YOU: A heartfelt thank you goes out to all past, present and future Burkies and BMA supporters who contributed to the 2014 Nordic Campaign. Imagine looking out from the library in Frazier to see 5 or 6 of your classmates, Nordic and Alpine alike, out cruising the sprint loop with the sun setting over the gap. As a result of your generous gifts this is a reality, in addition to exposing our young, talented local community to the sport of Nordic. We have also funded professional development within the Nordic Program and look forward to supporting many deserving athletes in their pursuit of the sport in the future. If you would like to hear more about this campaign, or support it in any way, please contact Kate at kbarton@burkemtnacademy.org.

Midweek Nordic athletes with gear donated by Alpina Sports.

Kate Barton, Ava Jackson ’16, Tim Regan ’15, Warren Taylor ’14

With the generous help of Nordic Campaign supporters we teamed up with

Alpina Sports USA to provide 10 pairs of skate ski equipment for the school and welcomed the first ever group of

Midweek skiers to campus on Wednesday afternoons to train cardio and test some

balance skills on the skinny skis!

6 news and views athletics

BMA was proud to cheer on five Burkies at the Olympics in Sochi this winter. Mikaela Shiffrin ’13 won gold in the women’s slalom at her first

Olympics! In his second Olympics, Nolan Kasper ’08 was the top US finisher in the men’s slalom at 13th. Boston native Warren Cummings

(Trace) Smith ’10 represented his Grandmother’s home country of Estonia, where he has dual citizenship. Liz Stephen ’05 skied multiple

Nordic events in her second Olympics and was joined by her BMA teammate and first time Olympian Ida Sargent ’06. Here are their personal

reflections on the Games.

mikaela shIFFrIN ’13

w inning my first Olympic medal will be one of my most absolute favorite memories for the rest of my life, and

being able to share that with my family and friends was so important to me. When I skied through the finish and realized that I had won gold, I didn’t know how to feel. I expected a whole lake of emotions to pour out of my heart and into the finish area for the world to see, but I didn’t actually feel anything until I saw my dad and mom. I saw, in their faces, what I wanted to feel; what I had been expecting to feel for so many years, ever since I first had the dream of winning an Olympic medal. They have been there for me, through this entire journey and everything seems easier with them around. Even though I’m the only one in the start gate, and I’m the one who has to get to the finish, somehow it is easier when I know that they are watching over me.

None of it felt real until the awards ceremony the next night. It all just felt like a dream. But when I stepped on the podium, and heard the US Anthem starting to play, I was finally able to free the emotions inside me. In the span of a

sochi reFleC tIoNs

minute and a half, of trying not to mess up the words to the anthem, of trying to not to fall off the podium because my knees were so shaky, of trying not to make any movements that looked like a hand gesture or peace symbol of any kind because I might get in trouble for an “offensive act on the podium,” I was finally able to let it all in, and let it all go. And that was that.

Since then, I’ve thought about the race, receiving the medal, the whole experience. But I haven’t tried to think about it any more than accepting that for whatever reason, I drew the lucky cards that night. Everything that happened to me leading up to that final run in Sochi prepared me for it. Being born and learning to ski in Vail, the years I spent at Ford Sayre, Storrs Hill, and Whaleback in New Hampshire before finding my niche at Burke for the most important 5 years of my life. All of the opportunities, all of the lessons, all of the support, it all led me to that moment on the hill that passed so fast I almost can’t remember what happened. I wouldn’t change a thing, and I am forever grateful to everyone who has helped me along the way. It’s not just my medal, it’s your medal too. n

”All of the opportunities, all of the lessons, all of the support, it all led me to that moment on the hill that passed so fast I almost can’t remember what happened. I wouldn’t change a thing, and I am forever grateful to everyone who has helped me along the way. It’s not just my medal, it’s your medal too. “

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trace smIth ’10

l iving in the athletes’ village was amazing. Accommodations at the Olympics are unlike other world class events because at

the Olympics all athletes live in the same space, use the same dining halls, workout in the same gyms, and spend free time in the same areas. Sitting next to Peter Fill at dinner before the men’s downhill and chatting with Tina Maze after she won her second gold medal were two experiences that brought my personal Olympic spirit to life. While racing, I energized myself with that same Olympic spirit so I could achieve my best possible results in my own races. n

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ida sargeNt ’06

w alking into the opening ceremonies dressed in my American flag sweater, surrounded by my team-

mates, and under deafening applause from the crowd was everything I had dreamed about and more. My heart raced with excitement and joy and my skin tingled with goosebumps. This was just the start of an incredible experience filled with many more highs, a few lows, and everything in between. I expected the Olympics to feel like a destination, but as we rolled and flowed through the crazy and amazing weeks in Russia I quickly realized that the Olympics are part of something bigger and every moment there left me utterly inspired: by the many incredible athletic performances and goals achieved, by the support and love from the community at home, by the welcomes from all the colorful volunteers, that it was a peaceful and safe Games, by the energy and noise at the opening and closing ceremonies, by the beautiful setting where we competed, by the collective hard work from all the athletes, and inspired for more adventures like each day in Sochi presented. I feel very proud to have represented BMA at the Olympics and also very proud to have shared the time in Sochi with so many Burkies. n

nolan Kasper ’07

the Olympic experiences I had that truly made me appreciate the support of a nation and the gravity of the Games came when I was

merely a spectator, sometimes watching and cheering for my teammates who were racing. The absolute highlights of my Olympics were watching Ted and Mikaela win gold, attending USA hockey games and participating in the closing ceremonies. As with Vancouver, the opening and closing ceremonies were something I will never forget. Unity on a global level is achieved through the Games and displayed within these ceremonies and being able to share the experience with my teammates and former classmates from BMA made it that much more special. n

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Burkies in Sochi: Mikaela Shiffrin ’13, Liz Stephen ’05, Nolan Kasper ’07, Erik Schlopy ’90, Ida Sargent ’06,

Matt Whitcomb, former BMA Nordic coach.

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liz stepheN ’05

r eflecting on Sochi has taken me a long time. I have been to two Olympics now, Vancouver in 2010 being my first, and each one has been something entirely different. In Vancouver I was trying to get my feet wet, explore what this thing called the Olympics

was all about. I was there to listen to the theme song, feel the rush of goosebumps that started at the back of my neck and shivered all the way down my spine, and to ski as well as I could. But four years later, Sochi was lined with different goals. I was a member of a team that for the first time in U.S. history had multiple medal chances. Our women’s team was stronger than we had ever been. Made up of seven women, five of whom had been on the World Cup podium, we were functioning on and off the race trail like a team that was ready to win together. We were led by Kikkan Randall, who was on her way to securing her third consecutive World Cup Sprint Globe and was the gold medal favorite at the Olympics in the skate sprint. Our 4x5 kilometer relay team had been on the podium twice in the last two years, and had finished fourth at World Championships last year. At that same championships Jessie Diggins teamed up with Kikkan to win the gold medal in the Team Sprint and we had some distant yet realistic opportunities for medals in other races for both men and women. I wanted to win a medal in the 30 kilometer skate race and I believed that I could do it.

We came out of Sochi with no medals. Our best result in two and a half weeks and over the course of twelve races was a sixth. My best individual finish was twelfth. We were disappointed. We had come in wanting more because we had proven we were capable of it. We had already done it on the World Cup stage. It was not just a desire or a hope or dream, it was a tangible, proven goal. It was supported not just by prior results but by our Burke-style grit, by our belief in ourselves, and by our belief in one another. We had pushed each other over and over to get better. We had built an incredibly close team atmosphere with a coach that devoted much of his life to us, making sure that we had all that we needed to excel. And yet still, we came out of Sochi with no medals.

The last two days I have spent deep in the mountains surrounding Anchorage, Alaska, boot-packing, skinning and skiing as much terrain as my legs could handle. My season ended three days ago and I couldn’t wait to get to the top of the nearest peak to take in the view, the sun, the wind,

and the feeling of being on top of the world. And while we aren’t yet Olympic champions, we are still on top of the world because of the way we handled defeat. No task is easier than being a good winner, but I challenge all of you, to be good losers the next time a goal is missed. Learning to walk tall in defeat will be game-changing for your career. Not once since I left the Olympics have I regretted a minute of the journey that got me there, nor the effort I gave while I was there. It was the very best I had. Instead, I have been proud and inspired by the way my team handled disappointment. I have been incredibly lucky to have had such deep support behind me since way back when I entered my first race as an alpine skier in the Junior Program at Burke.

I am so thankful of the lessons I learned while I attended our small ski academy in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. It turns out life’s lessons are embedded in the process of setting goals and striving to achieve them. Coming up short is part of the process. We came up short in Sochi because we set goals that were hard to reach. The mistake is not in missing the goal, but rather in not setting out to achieve it. You can be sure that our team has picked itself up, dusted off the disappointment and have set our sights on the next challenge. n

DIANN ROffE ’85READ ONLINE @

BuRKEMTNACADEMy.ORg/ALuMNI

SOChI reFleCtIoNs

Matt Whitcomb, Liz Stephen's BMA and Olympic coach, cheers her on in Sochi.

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a s snow recedes from the mountain and spring flowers push up around campus, I am reminded of a quote from Rachel Carson that captures the cyclical nature of the seasons and life at a ski academy: “There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring

after the winter.” Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal in northern Vermont, and in addition, a season for reflection at BMA. As students craft their Term Ends, I thought it only fitting that I join them in the process of openly reflecting on my first year. I believe that reflection and time spent within our own heads, hearts, and souls is fundamentally important to a life well lived. The Term End is also a process, much like GMR, that links generations of Burkies.

As I am relatively new to this community, the common refrain that I hear from parents, members of the Board of Trustees, alumni, and more senior members of the staff is “how are things going?” I choose to interpret this question as “what have you learned about the community and how are we doing?” I have learned the members of this community are competitive, resilient, hardworking and strive to be excellent. All of these traits are necessary to be a successful student-athlete and will engender a rich life after BMA. One of the truly unique aspects of BMA is that both staff and students derive great joy in the journey towards excellence. This can be seen when students strive to shave a few seconds, or minutes, off their Timed Hike results or find the time to meet with a teacher for extra help on a challenging assignment. In many ways that journey is the foundation for the blend of academics, skiing, and community that comprise the “three legs of the stool” at BMA. From the academic perspective, our narrative-based evaluation system is driven by the belief in the limitless potential of all of our students. In that sense, BMA is countercultural: instead of setting a bar for students to reach, students aspire towards excellence and to maximize their own personal intellectual potential.

The second part of the refrain from members of the community is “how are we doing?” Over the course of this year the staff has been compiling data and writing our ten year self-study for renewal of our accreditation through the New England Association for Schools and Colleges. In many ways, the staff has been working through the same reflective process that we ask students to do in Term Ends. While we are still writing the self-study, it is clear that BMA is and will continue to be a special place for student-athletes to thrive. Feedback we have received from current students, alumni, and families has been overwhelmingly positive. A consistent theme from all those surveyed was that we should continue to search for areas of constant improvement. That is what motivates me to be at a school such as BMA. In particular, this year

the faculty has been focused on two areas: how best to use technology to support student learning and alterations to the humanities scope and sequence to ensure that all

students have the communication skills necessary to be successful after BMA. To work and live with a group of people, both students and adults, who are focused on continual growth and improvements is a true blessing. As I

continue to reflect on my first year at BMA, and experience my first GMR and graduation, I am continually inspired by the people that make BMA such a special place. n

Academicsacademic Update By Jonathan rice, academic director

NATIONAL MERIT SChOLARShIp fINALIST: ALECK SuLLIvAN ’14Aleck Sullivan has been recognized as a fINALIST in the 59th annual National Merit Scholarship program. Nearly 1.5 million juniors entered the National Merit Scholarship competition in the fall of 2012 by taking the pSAT. Only 1% (15,000) of these students qualified as finalists. Aleck is the second BMA student in recent history to achieve this selective level of recognition.

BMA would like to congratulate Aleck for his outstanding accomplishments.

2014 COLLEgE ACCEpTANCESBates college* (1)colby college* (1)dartmouth college** (2)montana state University (1)university of denver* (2/2)university of colorado* (1)University of New hampshire (2)university of vermont* (1/4)

* top Choice, Bold- matriculation as of 5/1/2014

Dear BMA Community: Exciting news! When the last update about Funding the BMA Way: A Campaign for Excellence was sent in the fall, $5.9 million had been raised toward our $7.5 million goal. Today I am proud to share with you that our progress continues and we've raised nearly $6.8 million.

Funding the BMA Way embodies everything we hold of value: a community based on trust, a dedication to providing our students with rich academics and a world class athletic program, a deep commitment to the staff, and continuous improvement of our very special community.

Through the generous support of our campaign donors, numerous projects have been made possible and we are excited about the strategic initiatives that will take shape as a result of the campaign’s success.

Although very enthusiastic about our progress, we still have a ways to go to reach (and hopefully surpass!) our goal. We thank all of you who have already made contributions to the campaign and to the Annual Fund. For those of you who have not yet done so, we hope you will consider a gift to Bma, to be a part of this school’s exciting heritage, improvement and success. With your help, we will surely be able to celebrate in June!

Thank you!

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Development

SAvE ThE DATE! SEpTEMBER 27, 2014

parents‘ Weekend and Funding the BMA Way celebration with alumni guest speaker Bonnie St. John ’82

campaign Update By Jenny Bruell Fisher ’01, director of Campaign and donor relations

Current Total: $6.8 million

Annual Support (FY10-FY14) $ 2,000,000 $ 2,031,214

Endowment $ 3,825,000 $ 2,942,550 (Financial Aid and Staff Professional Development)

Athletic Facilities and Technology $ 1,125,000 $ 685,778

Art Studio $ 150,000 $ 0

Campus Faculty Housing $ 400,000 $ 550,000

Unrestricted Gifts $ 0 $ 588,100

$ 7,500,000 $ 6,797,642

Campaign priority goal Raised to Date

Stowe UVM Carnival

Burke UVM Carnival

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alumni reCeptIoNs & reUNIoNsWinter Carnival

Class of 1993

Park City, Utah

David Kahl ’83, hillary Andross ’07, Taylor Kahl ’08, Ryan North ’89, Scott Bogan ’79, Liam Mulhern ’09, Kelsey Locke ’10 , Nick Bailey ’10, Tom and peak Temple, Kraig Sourbeer ’83, Courtney Calise Temple ’98 and Kepler, Bryna McCarty ’02, Brian Bethke ’97, C.W. Estoff ’97

Courtney Calise Temple ’98 and family

Kirk Dwyer and Warren Witherell Ryan North ’89 and familyTaylor Kahl ’08 and hillary Andross ’07

Bryna McCarty ’02, Scott Bogan ’79, Brian Bethke ’97, C.W. Estoff ’97, Rich Ashnault ’84 and Nick Bailey ’10

Christin Lathrop and Christine feehan

hig Roberts ’10, Nick Bailey ’10, Chris McKenna ’12, Liam Mulhern ’09, Matt McKenna ’09

Mardi haskell ’12 and Mike Boardman ’12

Abby fucigna ’10, Maisie Ide ’12, Lizzie Kistler ’11, Anne Strong ’12, Lisa Schroer ’12, front: Kara Shaw ’10, Katelyn Barclay ’11

Kneeling in front: Don Devendorf

L to R, front: Jess Jacobsen Tidswell,

Jessica Cioci Allen, Breck Smith Lindley,

Drew Smith, Scott Burns

L to R, Back: Chip Knight, Steve

Schaack, Alex Cranmer L to R, Back: Kristian Mulholland ’89, Mike Curtis ’91, Marjorie preus Jaques ’88, holly flanders ’77, finn and Kathy gundersen front: Lars gundersen ’02, Monika Kopp Brickson ’85

12 news and views

1970’Spaul Betz, 1972 Living and thriving on the island of Roatan. Moved here full time in 2011. Sailing , snorkeling, diving and paddle boarding keep me busy. Very active expat community helping some of the not so fortunate islanders. Any Burkies heading this way let me know and I will show you my island.

Lyndall heyer, 1974 Scott Dorwart ’73 and I are enjoying watching Elle Anderson ’06 win cyclocross races and travelled to Belgium, France and the Netherlands to watch her compete in the Worlds in February. It was quite the trip. We had a blast and Elle is loving finding a new sport to be successful in after having injuries cut short her ski career. It was tough to lose Amy D last October and Elle is very appreciative to have had Amy pave the way for her to move to Belgium next fall and sign with a Belgium cross team!! We wish that they could have competed together.

Marc Chernick, 1974 I continue teaching at Georgetown University in Washington, DC and at the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogota, Colombia. I was recently named the director of Georgetown’s Center for Latin American Studies. It all started when I went to Chile to train in the summer. From there I became fascinated with Latin American politics and ended up becoming a political scientist. Greetings to old friends from the early classes. I went skiing in Austria last Christmas after a hiatus of a few years. It was incredible, liberating even – as if I had never taken my skis off!

Toby Elliman III, 1975 Here is a picture of some of my family (seen right). Included are my Mom & Dad, Leatrice – my wife, myself, daughters Elle and Mia and son Lisle. Missing from the picture is my 22 year old son Trowbridge. I’m sending you the picture because so many Burkies spent the night in the 1970’s at my parents house in Stowe. And yes they are still kicking! The picture was taken in Scotland last summer during my daughter Elle’s graduation from St Andrews.

Jim Taylor, 1976 My consulting practice that includes business, sports, and parenting continues to go well, filled with speaking, working with individuals and organizations, and lots of writing. I have been enjoying writing on the psychology of ski racing on skiracing.com the last few years and reconnecting with friends from “back in the day.” Married for 10 years to Sarah, a non-profit professional. We have two daughters, Catie (8) and Gracie (5). We live in Mill Valley, just north of San Francisco. Our girls are on the Sugar Bowl ski team (not sure they will become ski racers as so many of my generation’s kids have become), but we love to ski as a family. All four of us medaled at the end-of-year ski team race in early April (it had a Tiki theme). I won the father’s division and had the fastest time of the day (glad to see I can still beat kids up to 13 years old!)

holly flanders, 1977 Hello Burkies! I’m still in Park City. If you ever make it out this way, I’m in the phone book, on FB, google me, get a hold of me! :)

Brian hazlehurst, 1978 The pic is of Brian Hazlehurst, ’78 and his son Fletcher (UVM ’16 XC runner). Brian and Fletcher are seated on their ’78 MG Midget that they rebuilt as an electric car. It runs completely silent and gets approximately 40 miles/charge. It took them a year to design and rebuild. I dubbed it the “MG Stealth Midget” and it is Brian’s and Fletcher’s pure technology Mona Lisa.

Scott Bogan 1979, my family and I spent a couple days with Brian (above) and his family this summer in Portland OR while we were there on vacation. It was a great visit! We hiked with them on Mt. Hood and a had a lovely dinner in the city. Burkies from the ’70s will be amazed by Brian’s striking resemblance to his father Leighton who ran the academic PG program at BMA in that era. Brian reports that his father is well and living outside Portland in Hood River; brother Tim (BMA ’76) is well in Seattle; and sister Lori (BMA ’82) is also well in FL; unfortunately mom Pat (BMA administrator in the ’70s) passed away a few years ago. Best to all at BMA.

Alumni Notes

Lyndall heyer, 1974

Toby Elliman III, 1975

Jim Taylor, 1976

Brian hazlehurst, ’78 photo taken by Scott Bogan ’79

World Championships family photo with my biggest supporters: Mom&Dad. Through my entire life as an athlete, you've supported and cheered for me unconditionally. Love you both!

Ashley Whitney met up with BMA alum Andrea Bither Malboeuf ’92 and her husband M.C. in Vail.

Steve Schaack, 1993 Celebrated our 20 year reuion up at Burke last summer. It was great to see so many people make it up. Nelson even flew in from Thailand, so not sure what the rest of the

classes excuse was who didn’t make it. I started a new position last fall with Saratoga Capital Management as the Managing Director for Western US. Saratoga is a boutique Mutual Fund and Tactical Allocation Manager.

Jessica Jacobsen Tidswell, 1993 The class of ’93 had a great 20 year reunion last summer. It was incredible to come back to the NEK and see BMA again. I just returned from the Sochi Paralympic Games where I ran into Sean Ramsden. I was serving as an International Classifier at the Games and he was coaching the US Team. I am currently working on starting my own practice in Park City, wish me luck!

Breck Smith Lindley, 1993 Back living in New England after a stint in the Mid-Atlantic. Loving CT and being on the water. Even get to see Drew and his kids more often. Life is Good.

Jessica Cioci Allen, 1993 Hello! I got married in September, 2012 to Philip Allen. We live in Jamestown RI and will be spending all summer on the water. If you’re in the area, come by and say hello!

Michelle Douglas Carroll, 1994 We are finishing our home on Lake Iroquois and staying active in all seasons with our two Labs (Certified Therapy Dogs) Harper and Ritter.

Kirsten Richardson Cohen, 1994 After 16 years of being with each other (plus a 1.5 year-old child, 12 year-old dog, co-building a cabin in remote Alaska, co-remodeling houses, co-owning a consulting company, etc., etc.) Jeremy and I finally made it official and got married! It was a very small ceremony in October, but largely celebrated in March with friends and family in Talkeetna, Alaska. Our son, Mackey Fox Cohen, will turn 2 in July. Alaska

Eiji Minagawa, 1979 We had over a foot of snow this winter, even in the metropolitan Tokyo area. Airports were closed, so I worried about those overseas travelers who had connection flights to/from there. Never mind, Jennifer Frutchy (former facutly), she had extended her stay in Hokkaido, for more POWDER! Good choice she made, instead of snow-shoe conditions in Tokyo.

1980’SKevin Kaneda, 1981 My wife, Colleen, and I welcomed a second son, Nolan, in March. He joins big brother Colin who is 3.

Nichola Biddle Elsbree, 1982 Happy in Sun Valley. Come stay in Clayton’s Cabin. It’s a little slice of heaven.

Bonnie St. John, 1982 Got married December 28th in Allentown, PA to Allen Haines.

Terri healey Brogan, 1983 Busy in Boston – have a 14 year old daughter at Newton Country Day School. Would love to connect with any alumni traveling through Boston.

Ian and Coralie Witter, 1984 Lena Katherine Witter was born on Dec. 8, 2013. She is a happy kid but much more mellow than her big brother Wyatt (age 4.5). Thankfully :-)

Stephen porino, 1984 Just married. I managed to find a Vermonter in Oregon. Life could not be better. I’ve recently added cycling to my announcing season and have somehow ended up in the peloton on the back of a motorcycle. That’ll be my seat for the Tour de France.

Cedriane De Boucaud, 1987 While the photo is a bit impressionsitic, we had a lovely reunion at home in London with Kathy and Finn Gundersen this summer with three from the class of ’87: Richie Graham, Vania Grandi, Cedriane de Boucaud. Interestingly – no one has really changed.

Martha Law, 1987 Hello Burkies, I’ve seen one of you on my slopes. To the rest of you, if you don’t know what’s in Vegas...you haven’t been here.

Devin O’Neill, 1987 I have 3 children, daughter Brooke is 15, sons Sean 13 and Shay 9.

phil Astrachan, 1987 Living in San Francisco with my two sons, Jett & Lucas (6&7). Enjoyed our first full winter of skiing together in Tahoe. Working in the medical device industry for an Israeli start up, helping paralyzed patients walk again.

pat Brown, 1989 I am still living in Boulder Colorado . After retiring from being a professional triathlete, I started my own real estate business. It still amazes me how my years at Burke still impact my life to this day.

1990’S

Andi Bither Malboeuf, 1992 This summer BMA Junior program coaches Todd and

Bonnie St. John

Andi Bither Malboeuf, 1992

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Cedriane De Boucaud, 1987

14 news and views ALuMNI NOTES

continues to treat us well, largely because we love to ski (both Nordic and alpine).

Katie hoepp-Boyce, 1995 My husband, Robert, and I are happily raising our two daughters in “Big Sky Country"! I have been teaching EMT courses for 13 years, and enjoying the powder skiing with my 3 year old!

Marie-Michel Tasse, 1995 Justin Yarmark and I (along with our 2 daughters ages 2&5) are living in the Bay Area. We had a chance to see Kirk Dwyer out here in San Francisco and were excited to hear about the vision for BMA as well as hearing about the current successes of the community. Burke holds a special place in my heart and am happy to hear the community is still going on strong!

Cara hardy Rich, 1995 I am living in the Washington, DC area and working for a PR agency, Ketchum. My husband and I recently welcomed our second child, a daughter, Sloane in October. She joins big brother Reece who is 2 and ready for ski season!

gary Sheehan, 1996 My son Sean turned 5 in December – life on Cape Cod is wonderful. Lot of friends down here go to Burke in the winter with families, we need to get back up there ourselves!

Jenni Wolk, 1997 Son, Noah, age 4 – skied his little heart out this past winter. We have another Wolk thrill seeker in the house! I love being a mom. The entire Wolk clan is doing well. Glad I can give a little something back to the school that gave me so much.

Marie-helene Thibeault, 1997 Life is great in the Canadian Rockies! Thomas will be 6 in June and Zoe will be 3 in September. Almost met up with Gard Sem (BMA coach in the mid ’90s) but he was too busy hitting the powder in Revelstoke during a snowmobile adventure!

Sean gonzalez, 1997 Finally threw away my ski boots from senior year :( Still have my old slalom poles though!

Liz Skibiski healey, 1997 Corey and I are eagerly preparing for our first born. Addison Lacey Healey, will be introduced to family and friends this August! We are thouroughly enjoying life on the West Coast. Anybody finding themselves in Southern California, be sure to look us up! Heath and happiness to you all, near and far.

fritz Brumder, 1997 We are still loving Oregon with our two kids Ike and Solari. We ski and play a lot. Next year, we hope to make it to the Alumni Winter Carnival!

Max Manikian, 1998 still skiing Burke just about every weekend. Although these days it’s mostly on the lower mountain with my 3 and 1 year olds!

Joanna Lin Conant, 1999 I graduated medical school last year and now at the end of my first year of residency in pathology at the University of Vermont/Fletcher Allen. Look forward to making it back up to Burke soon, and cheering you on at the GMR!

Evelyn Besant, 1999 My husband Gregg and I welcomed our first son, Felix Jones, on Jan 25, 2014. We are enjoying getting settled into our new home

outside of Washington DC as a new family. Of course, we are already talking about getting him on snow!

Tyler hughes, 2000 Hey BMA! The Hughes Family is doing well. Hilary and I just welcomed our son and future Burkie, Carter Oliver Hughes, into the world on March 3, 2014. We are all doing well and look forward to all the adventures ahead. Hope everyone is well in the NEK.

Jenny Bruell fisher, 2001 Jake and I welcomed Melina Belle Fisher into the world on April 3rd. We are adapting to life as parents and trying our best to do it with some smarts and fun. “Lena” is doing great and we look forward to introducing her to the BMA community. Wishing everyone a happy summer 2014!

Evelyn Besant, 1999

Tyler hughes, 2000

Jenny Bruell fisher, 2001

Kirsten Richardson Cohen, 1994

STAy CONNECTED!

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Megan hughes Trayner, 2001 We are so pleased to welcome Tessa Skye Trayner to our family and introduce her to the BMA community. She was born on April 1st 2014. We are excited to be living back in Vermont now!

Jane LeMasurier, 2001 We are happy to announce that our second child, Nora, was born on January 10th. Our son David is now 2 and has enjoyed his first season on skis!

Lesley LeMasurier fisher, 2003 I married Nate Fisher August 11, 2013 in Truckee, California. We spent the past five years in California, working for Sugar Bowl

Academy. We are now living back on the east coast in Plymouth, NH.

Stefan hughes, 2004 I am still currently living in Boulder, Colorado. Coaching FIS Men at Ski Club Vail.

Elle Anderson, 2006 I’m preparing for another awesome cyclocross season, following ever more closely in Amy D.’s footsteps. I have a picture of her at my desk at work, and think about her every day. She continues to inspire me more than ever.

gunnar Ashton, 2007 Working as a structural engineer at Ball Aerospace while also finishing up my Master’s in Mechanical Engineering at CU Boulder.

Caitlin Curran Bernstein, 2007 I am at Sugar Bowl Academy in Truckee, California working with Bryce & Kim Hubner as assistant admissions director, dorm parent and Nordic coach. I married Franz Bernstein on February 8, 2014 in a Sierra Club Hut durring a raging snowstorm.

Casey Mcgowan, 2007 Enjoy my first year at Tulane Medical missing the green mountains though.

Aaron Robertson, 2008 Moved to Jackson. Ilka Hadlock is coming too! I see Brendan Levine at Stio and Zach Kuster and I are on the same soccer team.

Lucas Milliken, 2009 I am finishing a semester as the History Apprentice at High Mountain Institute in Leadville Colorado. I am leading sea kayaking trips this summer for teens at Chewonki in Maine. Next fall I will start a teaching internship a the community school in Sun Valley ID.

Corinne prevot, 2009 Graduated from Middlebury in May and am excited to be living in Burlington and running my business, Skida, full-time.

Tania prymak, 2010 Awarded the 2013-2014 Overall FIS North American Ski Cross 1st Place Title.

Tara humphries, 2013 We had a little nordic reunion breakfast at Bates with Jane McLarney ’12, Jenna Hill ’12, Emilie Muller ’12, and myself.

Megan hughes Trayner, 2001

Jane LeMasurier, 2001

Lesley LeMasurier fisher 2003

Elle Anderson, 2006

Tania prymak, 2010

Tara humphries, 2013

fACuLTy/STAffSara Miles married Dan Gates on October 13th, 2013 on the Kirby Ridge in Vermont

w w w. b u r k e m t n a c a d e m y. o r g

60 Alpine Lane East Burke, Vermont 05832

CommunityBike swapBMA sophomores hosted the second annual Burke Bike Swap on Saturday, May 3 at Mid Burke Lodge. The success of last year’s inaugural event was evident as the number of sellers, buyers and proceeds increased significantly this year. The students accepted consignment items friday evening and along with village Sport Shop sold all types of bikes and bicycle accessories on Saturday. The students were industrious, professional, and helpful as they set up merchandise, assisted customers, and performed clerk and accounting responsibilities. The event raised $1,150 for Kingdom Kids, a local non-profit that works to provide outdoor recreational opportunities to Northeast Kingdom children who would not otherwise have the chance to bike, ski and snowboard.

green up day On May 3, Burkies participated in vermont’s “green up” day. people all over the state walk the streets and roads picking up trash in an effort to make our state greener. We were tasked with Mountain Road from Rt. 114 to Mid Burke Lodge, as well as Alpine Lane from school around the condo loop to the Sherburne Baselodge. We spent the morning collecting trash and recycling. The students couldn’t believe how much trash there was on the sides of the roads. Each student had two large, heavy-duty trash bags with them and they were all able to fill them! The most interesting finds were: two pocket knives, a dollar, a full set of keys, a sneaker, a diaper, a dog bed, a muffler, an old Mid Burke Lodge sign, and a very old pepsi can made of tin with a pull tab.

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