Mark Hilgendorf
Mark Hilgendorf History and Social Sciences Department Member of the Faculty, 1982–2016 Of Mark Hilgendorf, one history department colleague said, “He is a master at inviting our connection with each other around the table,” of encouraging “a radical sense of shared humanity.” I’ll begin there, as perhaps there’s no higher praise for a career educator. For Mark, though, such connection was, from the beginning, the goal. He arrived at Milton 34 years ago, in 1982, with his wife, Cindy, and their two, very young children in...
read moreErica Banderob
Erica Banderob Math Department and Robbins House Head Member of the Faculty, 1978–2016 Ricky came to work at Milton in 1978. John Banderob was working here already, and as former faculty member Donald Duncan recalls, “Ricky got the job, and it didn’t take very long before John realized that a treasure was teaching across the street.” However, Ricky is much more than the other half of the indomitable Banderob team. She stands up for what is just and fair, often looking at a situation from the student perspective. In fact, it is...
read moreDoug Fricke
Doug Fricke English Department Member of the Faculty, 1987–2016 Stroll. Amble. Meander. Stride. When we think of Doug, he is always walking with steady purpose—never haste—seeking out two things: good company and new experiences. Young and old alike marvel at his 500-mile walks across Spain’s Camino de Santiago, but with postal regularity Doug takes to the hallways between classes, always popping in to his colleagues’ rooms, a story, a recipe, a follow-up comment on the tip of his tongue. Just the other day, he walked to Cambridge to...
read moreJohn Banderob
John Banderob Math Department and Robbins House Head Member of the Faculty, 1974–2016 Dare to be true, nothing can need a lie; A fault which needs it most, grows two thereby. John Banderob embodies our institutional memory, and we’ve relied on his honesty and stories in our daily work. I’ve been privileged to witness John empowering students to be truthful in Discipline Committee meetings. John teaches students respect by being respectful, and to listen by listening. In and out of the DC, students and adults pay attention when he...
read moreFran McInnis
Fran McInnis Student Activities Office, 1980–2016 For 36 years, Fran McInnis has played a critical role at Milton. She has managed more information, essential to the functioning of the Upper School, than one can measure. From budgets and the all-School calendar, to student mailboxes and the quarter-filled graduation sock, nothing was too broad—or too narrow—a focus for Fran. She has been situated in two buildings and four different offices, always at the epicenter of student activity. She has seen three heads of school—and an interim;...
read moreDavid Smith, English Department
David Smith, English Department Member of the Faculty, 1981–2015 “Teaching is play, and anyone, at whatever level, who forgets this axiom will probably have a grim time of it,” writes David Smith, in his new book, Be a Teacher: A Memoir in Ten Ideas. After all, he reminds us, “[We are] but sharing a few precious hours with grumpy, cheerful, feisty, querulous, randy, reflective, impulsive, generous, and spirited teenagers, who deserve a full initiation into the human comedy before they go to college, let alone law school.” As far as I...
read moreMaria Gerrity, English Department
Maria Gerrity, English Department Member of the Faculty, 1998–2015 Young teachers hope to launch a career with curiosity and authenticity; mid-career teachers yearn to balance work and family; and veterans earn gravitas. We are here to celebrate Maria Gerrity, who has played every melodious note on just such an ascending scale of a school career. Her 20-year arc at Milton has been backlit by her natural, easy way with her students and colleagues, an ease that has always invited us to learn and laugh genuinely. Before she set foot on...
read moreVirginia Needham, Admission Office Staff, 1990–2015
Virginia Needham, Admission Office Staff, 1990–2015 Capturing all that Virginia has meant to Milton during her 25 years here is challenging. Virginia has been a welcoming, kind, supportive presence in the admission office. The admission office is often a family’s first point of contact with Milton Academy. Understandably, families may be anxious, but Virginia’s calming influence quickly puts them at ease. She brings grace and care to each interaction and signals to families that they are in good hands. Virginia’s thoughtful approach...
read moreBarbara Kennard, Middle School English
Barbara Kennard, Middle School English Member of the Faculty, 2008–2015 In The Tempest, one of Barbara’s five-star productions with the sixth grade, Prospero says, “Our revels now are ended. These our actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits and are melted into air, into thin air: And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, the cloud-capp’d towers, the gorgeous palaces, the solemn temples, the great globe itself, Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve.” I disagree with Shakespeare. None of Barbara’s work at Milton Academy...
read moreJuan Ramos, Mathematics Department
Juan Ramos, Mathematics Department Member of the Faculty, 1998–2015 Imagining Milton Academy, Wolcott House and the math department without Juan Ramos is difficult. Always flexible and happy to teach what the department needed, Juan taught courses across the math curriculum. Students found his straightforward approach reassuring and his explanations clear, even when they were trying to master the most difficult ideas. More recently, Juan centered his work in the Skills Center, helping budding mathematicians at every level. There too,...
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