NewsViewsFallWinter2015-FINAL

A publication for Alumni, Family, and Friends of
Fall/Winter 2015
BURKE MOUNTAIN ACADEMY
News&Views
Celeste Graham ’19 and Megan Whipple ’18
IN THIS ISSUE…
1 Transitions
6 Where in the World?
passion for skiing. learning for life.
12 Annual Giving
2 news and views
I
Kirk with BMA parents
that he once coached.
Ashley Sargent, Lowrey
Sullivan and Jeff Kirwood
message from the headmaster
I
write from our Colorado on-snow camp the first week of November.
Our athletes are working hard at what they love – skiing and ski racing.
Burke Mountain Academy is a school for kids with passion for skiing
and those younger students who believe they may have this motivation.
This will be my final BMA training camp and as such I’m appreciating every
day. It’s exciting to work with kids who aspire to be the best they can be, and
this inspiration unifies our current students with those who preceded them.
People often state that kids are different nowadays. Certainly the external
environment changes, but it is human nature to aspire to be more than we
are – the desire to transcend. While for most the commitment to being the
best at something is relatively brief; the value of finding a love for a sport,
art, or an involvement that inspires teenagers to have such aspirations is
priceless. When most Burkies retire from competition and continue as
lifelong skiers, they transfer the life lessons gained from the commitment to
this pursuit to other areas of their lives. They know how to work very hard,
how to work through challenges and short-term failures, to be part of a larger
team, and to be part of a community where trust is valued as represented by
the BMA Honor Code. In this vein, our current students are no different than
those who attended BMA in the decades since our founding.
In the fall of 2000, when I began at Burke, we reaffirmed our vision to be
the best ski academy in the United States with a differentiation based on our
emphasis on character values. Through the unified efforts of our students,
staff, parents, alumni, board, and supporters we realized our vision in a
vastly changed environment with many quality options among other great
academies, clubs, and training opportunities. While we take great pride in
this success, we need to keep looking to the future and challenging ourselves
to become better.
Every year we begin anew with the ability to shape our future while taking
pride in the history and tradition we inherit from previous years. BMA needs
to be relentless in aspiring to be the best we can be as this is the basis by
which our students are motivated themselves.
The time is right for a transition in leadership at BMA. I am imbued with
optimism Burke will continue to strive to be the best and be true to its
enduring core principles and values.
With Appreciation,
Kirk Dwyer, Headmaster
n June, Kirk Dwyer expressed
his intent to end his tenure as
Headmaster at the end of the 201516 academic year to assume the role of
Executive Director of Ski and Snowboard
Club Vail. Kirk is departing BMA with a
great legacy and has positioned our school
at an ideal point to transition after 15
years of stable leadership.
ransitions
burke mountain academy 3
T
his coming year Kirk will continue guiding BMA’s strategic
initiatives to expand our alpine training venue and drive
significant campus improvements. Kirk recently wrapped
up the school’s highly successful capital campaign,
“Funding the BMA Way,” which saw BMA’s endowment increase
tenfold to over $5 million and paved the way for the current
initiatives.
Taking the reins as Headmaster of Burke Mountain Academy in
June of 2000, Kirk developed upon BMA’s reputation as the first
ski racing academy and home of future Olympians. Under his
leadership BMA enjoyed unprecedented financial strength and
BMA students achieved great academic and athletic success. 2013
alumna Mikaela Shiffrin won two world champion titles and an
Olympic gold medal and during Kirk’s administration over twothirds of BMA students have been accepted to leading selective
colleges and universities with almost a quarter accepted by the
most highly selective institutions in the United States as defined
by U.S. News and World Report.
highlights of Kirk’s accomplishments as headmaster:
– Successfully restructuring and resizing the school in 2000 which
enabled 15 years of growing financial security and paved the way
for strategic investments in staff and programming that has ensured
BMA’s continued excellence and leadership.
– The aforementioned capital campaign and growth of the BMA
endowment from several hundred thousand to over $5M.
– The acquisition, stabilization, and successful sale of Burke Mountain,
ensuring a strong financial future for the mountain and culminating
most recently in groundbreaking for a new hotel complex and related
development expected to exceed $100 million dollars of investment.
– The successful formalization of perpetual “ski rights” for Burke
Mountain Academy at one of the country’s best alpine training venues.
– Selection as one of the first programs in the country to receive USSA
Gold Certified Club status in 2014, confirming BMA’s status as a leader
and innovator in alpine ski racing.
On behalf of the entire Burke community I thank Kirk for his
pursuit of excellence. Kirk is deeply committed to supporting the
orderly transition of leadership over the next year to assure that
BMA enjoys continued success. As an alumnus, I will always feel
indebted to Kirk for securing our school’s future and for his many
years of passionate leadership. We all wish him the very best in
his new role in Colorado.
I’m equally thrilled to announce the appointment of Jory
Macomber as the next Head of School at BMA. Jory is a BMA
alumnus class of 1980, alumni parent, former Board member and
Chair. He is a dedicated Burkie with a deep understanding and
appreciation of our community and our relentless commitment to
being the very best ski academy in the world.
Jory will join us from USSA where he currently serves as Head
of the USSA TEAM Academy and Vice President of Athlete Career
and Education based in Park City. Jory will take over on a full
time basis after graduation this June, but will have a significant
presence on campus to work closely with Kirk and the BMA Staff
on transition planning. He and his wife Martha just celebrated
their 25th anniversary and are extremely excited to join the BMA
highlights of Jory’s experiences and
accomplishments:
– Strong relationships with the US Ski Team/USSA leadership,
including the resounding endorsement of Tiger Shaw,
President and CEO of USSA.
– 20 years at the Holderness School where he served as a
teacher, ski coach, Director of Snow Sports, and rose to the
position of Assistant Head and one year as Acting Head of
School.
– Expanding the Holderness Snow Sport program to include
over 70 students, coaching future Olympians, US Ski Team
members, national champions, and NCAA All-Americans.
Under his leadership half a dozen Holderness athletes
qualified to race at Topolino or the Whistler Cup.
– Competing at a very high level in ski racing as an AllAmerican at Dartmouth and team captain.
– In addition to his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth,
Jory holds advanced degrees in Education from both
Columbia and Brown.
community. Please join me in a warm advance welcome
for them!
We began the 2015-16 academic year with two notable
new hires in Tomas Karlsson, formerly the Head Men’s
Coach of the Swedish World Cup Team returning to BMA
as Program Director and Jeff Fergus, former US Ski Team
World Cup coach now working with our FIS men. Jory will
undoubtedly bring his own energy to an already dynamic
community, and is uniquely qualified to continue the
tremendous success that BMA has seen under Kirk Dwyer
and throughout its history. Burke is in a great position with
a lot of momentum.
I would like to thank BMA students and staff who
have participated in the process culminating in the
recommendation and ultimate approval of Jory’s candidacy
by the Board of Trustees. I would also like to thank Ken
Graham and the entire Search Committee for their
leadership efforts, all the highly qualified candidates who
participated in this process, and our alumni who have
demonstrated their care and passion for BMA through their
extensive efforts.
Best regards,
Willy Booker ’96, BMA Board Chair
FIS women in Colorado:
Alumna Nicole Anderson ’13,
Bridget Currier ’15 PG, Tess Coutu ’17,
Lexi Hanus ’16, Emma Beckman PG ’16,
Steph Profit ’17, Bay Ross ’16,
Marta Pariasek ’17,
McKenna Wilson ’17
4 news and views
Athletics
alpine Update By Tomas Karlsson, Alpine Program Director
Tomas Karlsson
and Jeff Fergus
W
e had another great fall in the Northeast Kingdom and at Burke Mountain
Academy. There was lots of energy and hard work from our studentathletes in both academics and athletics. They also put a lot of energy and
time into their community life. The weather has been great this fall, and
we have had some superb workouts in the early mornings as well as the afternoons.
Weekends are filled with catching up on schoolwork, or participating in different
projects like mountain climbing, pie baking, mountain bike racing or just adding some
conditioning workouts.
Now we are getting ready to leave for Colorado to end this year’s preparation period.
For some of the older athletes, we even start racing in November. Some of our U16
athletes have been invited to a project that ends with time trials for qualification
to race in Europe later in the season. On the men’s side, USSA created a National
Performance Series (NPS) for U19 athletes. The series are designed to aggregate the
best young skiers in the country more regularly than in past. There will be head to
head training and racing to provide a learning environment that promotes growth
and raises the level of expectation on a broader scale. We begin with slalom in Vail,
November 18-21 with two days of training and two days of racing. Giant slalom will be
in Stowe January 4-7 and Super G in Mt. Bachelor April 10-12.
We as a program have offered 28-33 camp days in the preparation period, excluding
travel days. By adding 14-23 days in Colorado, we end up with 42-55 camp days for
the athletes attending all camps. Most of our athletes will have had 45-50 camp days
or have skied 30-40 days by Thanksgiving. From December to spring break we have
Some U16’s and FIS Women in Colorado: Back row: Lizzy Williams ’17, Andrew Hanus ’18, Steph Profit ’17, Ian
Lynch ’18, Olivia Gerrard ’16, Abby Sullivan ’16, Cole Palchak ’19, Tess Coutu ’17, Gray Flanagan ’20, Lili Flachbart
’19 Front Row: Connor Marschke ’18, Jack Lorenze ’18, Chris Regan ’18, Xavier Cornella ’19, Ella Pariasek ’19
130 days and will ski 60-80 days. So we are talking about 90-120 days of skiing per year.
Between camps in the summer, the returning students have had weekly conditioning
programs. Most athletes have had two four-week blocks of conditioning at school, with
a one-week break in between.
We believe that good racer management is preparing the athletes with proper
training and then racing at the levels where they can perform. Every athlete has a
plan A containing training, racing and resting. We also have plans if they progress
faster or slower, and during the season we will review and adjust as necessary. We also
try to plan the races and training schedules considering what event to prioritize. By
being well prepared and skiing well, they can create some momentum/confidence
and bring that into their next events.
We are trying to have more discussions and share more experience amongst coaches
to improve our program. Coaches are sharing their good “examples” and working more
together as teams regarding planning and racing/training management. The coaches
have different areas to focus on and are bringing in ideas for how we can improve the
things we are doing. Areas that we have worked with this fall are nutrition, recruiting,
sports psychology, equipment and video. Whenever we feel we need some input from
outside, we will bring in knowledge to help us improve.
The race calendar for 2016 is ready, and we will be hosting nine races at Burke this
winter. We are happy to host the U16 Boys States again. We will continue trying to
get more and bigger events to Burke in the future. We believe that hosting races is
an advantage for our athletes and also creates recruiting opportunities when other
athletes see where we train during the winter.
With the span in age groups, our athletes all have different race targets during the
season. In general, the younger groups target for one peak period, and the older
groups have a couple of peak periods. All our athletes are still developing and still
have a long way to go before they know how good they can be, especially on the men’s
side where the average age on the top 30 World Cup ranking last year was 29-31 years.
With that in mind, we need to do a good job building a solid base during athletes years
at Burke. When that base is solid, and they know how to set goals and work hard, they
are prepared for success in whatever they decide to do in the future. n
BMA HOSTED ALPINE RACES
Burke mountain academy 5
January 2
VT Cup SL
January 10
NVC U14 GS
January 31
NVC U10 Skills Day
February 3
NJR FIS M GS
February 4
NJR FIS M GS
February 27
U16 States M SL
February 28
U16 States M GS
February 29
U16 States M SG
March 6
U12 Team Race
U16’s in Chile: Chris Regan,
Cole Palchak, Gray Flanagan
and Raph Lessard
6 news and views athletics
Where
in the
World?
Landgraaf, Holland – October 3-10, FIS Women
We skied indoors in Holland at a ski area called “Snowworld.” It was all of our first time skiing indoors,
and it was pretty weird. It was colder indoors than any of us expected, I think! The snow was pretty good
though, and the lap time was quick. Because the entire camp was indoors, I loved walking from my
room to the hill in my Birkenstocks and then walking through the doors into the -4˚C icebox ski hill. The
camp was during an academic block so when we were not skiing we were napping or doing homework.
The food was great. The ski area is in a pretty industrial city, so the sightseeing wasn’t the best, but it
made the whole camp feel really focused.” – Parker Biele, ’17, Woodstock, VT
Burkies truly traveled the globe this
summer and fall to find great training
conditions. At one point in August, we had
athletes on four different continents!
Here, some current students provide
overviews of the camps they attended.
Les Deux Alpes, France – June 11-21, FIS Men
“The food was awesome in Les Deux Alpes. The training was very good, and
the surface was phenomenal. We did a big volume of slalom which was
nice early in the summer. We had our camp before the ski area was open
to the public for the season, so it was pretty empty and we didn’t have any
lift lines. We stayed really close to the base of the gondola, so the mornings
were relaxed. We could ski until almost one, which was a lot of time on snow.
The mountain biking, hiking, and volleyball were fun, and we used the golf
course for ultimate Frisbee and rugby in the afternoons. The town was sweet,
and there were lots of shops and good restaurants for walking around and
enjoying after skiing. Everything was cheaper there!”
– Will Beney, ’17, Rye, NY
Corralco, Chile – August 6-22, FIS and U16 Men
“Corralco was amazing. When we first landed in Chile we were the
only non-Spanish speakers so it was an adventure getting on the road.
We had a long drive to our cabinas, which were just as you would
picture them (small cabins, full of stuff once we unpacked). The drive
up to the mountain was interesting because the road curved a lot and
the views were amazing. There were lots of araucaria trees, which
are unique to the area. I’ve never seen anything like them. They look
like Dr. Seuss trees. The skiing was fun; there were no trees on the
mountain, so you could ski anywhere. We trained Slalom and GS, and
some people trained a bit of Super G. The snow was kind of soft but
that’s what happens sometimes in ski races and you have to learn to
deal with it!” – Liam McKim ’17, East Haven, VT
Les Deux Alpes, France – June 15-30, U16 Men and Women, U14s
“Les Deux Alpes was really cool. Skiing in Europe was really different than
skiing in the US because the lift lines were a lot more aggressive! We had
a lane, but we also got to ski all over the mountain and there was a ton
available for free skiing. There were always good skiers around to watch,
and lots of European teams were training there. We stayed in a small
hotel that provided breakfast, lunch and dinner, so we had to really plan
our days so that we had enough snacks in the afternoon because all the
stores were closed when we got down from the hill. On snow, the skiing
was so good: there was tons of space for training, the surface was perfect,
and the turnaround was super fast so we got a ton of runs. We did a lot of
different stuff in the afternoon: paintball, alpine slide, hiking, swimming,
volleyball, rugby, tennis. A couple of people rented mountain bikes, and
Les Deux Alpes had tons of downhill trails. “
– Reed Wilson ’19 and Cole Palchak ’19
Reed is from Bristol, NH and Cole is from Bakersfield, VT
Burke mountain academy 7
Juvass, Norway – June 2-16, FIS Women
“Training at Juvass was optimal, because of the
fast speed poma (like the one at BMA, but even
faster, and longer!) and the terrain was a good
mix. We skied on flats and more moderate terrain,
so we got to work on different things on different
pitches. The snow was awesome every day. On
our way home, we spent a day in Oslo, which felt
like New York but smaller, so we kept running
into familiar faces. I went to the Holmenkollen
Ski Jump on the outskirts of Oslo with Fredrik
Maurstad ’14 and Josefine Selvaag ’17 who are
both Norwegian and live in Oslo. Seeing all the old
skis and the history of skiing was amazing.”
– Olivia Gerrard ’16, Westport, CT
Saas Fee, Switzerland – October 4-16, FIS Men
“We had great exposure up on the glacier, especially
to the Swiss and Canadian World Cup tech teams
as they prepped for Sölden. Seeing how they prep
for the first races of the year was incredible. The
training was a little tough because the snow was soft
following a big storm, but the turnaround was great
so the camp felt productive. Off the hill, the hiking
in the valley was beautiful, and we played a lot of
soccer, volleyball and badminton in the afternoons.
We had a good time exploring an authentic Swiss
alpine village, too. “
– Kalle Wagner ’15 PG, Fresno, CA
Saas Fee, Switzerland – August 5-20, U16 Women, U14s
“Saas Fee was really fun. We were only able to ski seven of the
eleven days that we planned to because of the weather, which
was kind of sad. But, the days that we were on the mountain
were incredible because we had great snow in the morning
and it was beautiful. In the afternoon it got a little soft but we
had really good training. I really liked the area. It was a small
valley, but we were able to go around on some cool hikes. We
did a scavenger hunt on one of our off days, where we got to
see a lot of the town and talk to a lot of local people. One of the
highlights when we weren’t on snow was a hike called “Erlebnis
Weg” which was a really exciting and really scary hike with
bridges that went up and down cliffs and across rivers. “
– Ella Pariasek ’19, Vienna, Austria
Roundhill, New Zealand – July 26-August 11, FIS Women
“We skied at Roundhill, New Zealand. The terrain was limited but
challenging, and made for really good training. It was beautiful
there. The mountains and the lakes were fun to explore. We had the
opportunity to ski next to some of the US women’s team, including
Mikaela Shiffrin ’13 and Lindsey Vonn, and watching them ski and
observing their routines made me think about how I approach
every day. Roundhill is famous for having a really, really long rope
tow that is really steep at the top. You have to wear a harness and
attach yourself to the rope to ride it. After it snowed a lot we all tried
to get to the top of the rope tow but I don’t think any of us were able
to make it. That was pretty humbling, and hilarious.”
– Anna Bruce ’17, La Conner, WA
8 news and views
Athletics
Fall Nordic Alumni Camp with Burkies past, present and possibly future.
nordic Update By Kate Barton, Head Nordic Coach
F
all is our absolute favorite here at Burke. As the date for timed hike slides by we know
that our departure for November camp is drawing near, and winter is just around the next
corner. We have welcomed two new members to our Nordic team, one as a crossover from
the alpine side and one as a postgraduate addition. We are excited to be moving forward,
together, pushing limits and learning from every experience. BMA is unique in that we delegate
a significant amount of responsibility onto the students. Training is not simply a prescription
from coach to athlete, but instead a collaborative process of trial and error. This team has taken
great ownership of their training and, as a result, they are growing stronger with each and every
effort. There is a lot to learn when you aspire to be the best at something you love, and these
athletes are well on their way to understanding how to pursue their dreams at the next level.
Highlights thus far include several mountain adventures, rock-climbing at Wheeler Mountain,
roller skiing and dips in Lake Willoughby, trail work at the Dashney Center and our Fall Alumni
training camp. We brought back Gully Work, trained alongside outstanding alumni mentors and
shared our amazing community with fifteen new Nordic athletes during this weekend camp. The
camp was a jam-packed event left us all played-out and yet excited as ever for what the future
holds.
Next up is our November training camp, and we couldn’t be more excited to hop on the plane
and get settled into life in Sun Valley, Idaho. We will spend two weeks training primarily dryland
with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation and their dynamic group of athletes and coaches
before relocating to West Yellowstone, Montana for an on snow training block and opening races
of the season. We will finish with a week of homestays with the Sun Valley team and one final
Supertour race series before returning to East Burke and our winter routine.
Orly Schwartz PG ’16
,
Olympian Ida Sarg Alumna and
ent ’06
race schedule 2015-2016
Summer Training at Burke
Mountain Academy, August 3-7
This past summer I got the
opportunity to spend a week training
at and around Burke. The days were
filled with a morning workout session
and then an afternoon session.
The highlights were definitely the
technique session at Lake Willoughby
where we got to jump of devils rock
post workout, and getting to see the
amazing views from atop Mount
Lafayette after running up it. This
camp was extremely beneficial for
me, and I felt like I made noticeable
gains in the short period of time I was
there because I could really focus on
my weaknesses.
– Danya Golfman ’18, Marlow, NH
The Nordic Team takes a break from ridge running in the Presidential Range.
We are proud to announce that Corinne
Prevot ’09, Middlebury College graduate
and Skida Founder extraordinaire, has
joined the Board of Trustees as a Nordic
alumni representative. In addition, we have
established a Nordic Committee comprised
of current staff, parents and alumni who
are working together to push our program
forward. Our training environment is one of
the best, and I strongly believe we provide
one of the most individualized and intentional
junior programs in the country. We seek
athletes who are determined to be better and,
as a result, we have created a strong training
environment. Student athletes recognize the
value of our team size and are capitalizing
on the opportunities it presents. In working
to optimize the athlete transition from BMA
to an individual’s next level of racing, the
goal continues to remain preparation for life
within and far beyond the world of ski racing.
I hope you will follow as we move forward
into the race season: it is going to be an
exciting one! n
Danya Golfman ’18 and Chris O’Brien ’17
burke mountain academy 9
November 28
Supertour, Yellowstone,
Montana
November 29
Supertour, Yellowstone,
Montana
December 5
Supertour SV, Idaho
December 6
Supertour SV, Idaho
December 19-20
Eastern Cup, Craftsbury,
Vermont
January 1-3
Development Camp, BMA
January 16-17
Eastern Cup,
Rumford, Maine
January 30-31
Eastern Cup, Lake Placid,
New York
February 6-7
Eastern Cup, Stowe,
Vermont
10 news and views
Academics
academic Update By Jonathan Rice, Academic Director
3.55 seconds
I
n the spring of 1996, the varsity eight that I rowed in lost
to the superb Williams College eight by 3.55 seconds in the
Grand Final of the New England Rowing Championship.
In the world of rowing, 3.55 seconds is considered a sizable
victory, constituting a few seats of open water between the
victors and vanquished. While the separation between our
second place finish and the remainder of the field was greater,
being the first to lose was crushing for our predominately senior
crew. After handing our betting shirts over to the deserving
Williams oarsmen, the other sophomore in the boat and I both
promised each other that we would learn from this failure and
work as hard as possible over the next twelve months to ensure
a different outcome.
Those moments after defeat were truly transformative for me
as an individual. Tying our boat to the trailer, I reflected on the
hundreds of hours of practice on the water, on the erg, and in
the weight room that had gone into preparing for 6:08.75 of the
Grand Final. In the end, I concluded that I had not used those
hundreds of hours to my fullest ability and that I needed to be
more purposeful in my daily habits. Moving forward, I decided
that I would focus on the daily process of improvement and the
search for excellence. The search was elusive at times, however
with the support of my coach, my teammates, and my family,
the boats that I was part of in the future ended up collecting
betting shirts from Williams over the next two years. However,
in retrospect the true value of those 3.55 seconds was how my
approach to my athletic goals impacted my daily habits of mind
as a student and a person.
The types of people attracted to Burke have stories like mine.
We all share a common bond of the love of racing, mostly on
As our students prepare to write their first
Term Ends of the year over the coming
weeks, I now ask you to send a brief note
about how you learned from failure during
your time at Burke and what lasting impact
that it had on your life. Much like the Term
End, it is my hope that we can share these
stories with our present students in some
form in the coming months. Please send
your stories to stories@burkemtnacademy.
org. I look forward to hearing from you.
the snow, but also in other forms. All of the student-athletes,
coaches, and teachers who have been drawn to Burke since
1970 believe, or come to believe, that there is always something
to learn from an obstacle. Whether that obstacle is getting out
of bed on a cold and rainy fall morning for field circuits, poor
athletic performance, or failing to meet our personal standards
on our individual academic journeys. Just this fall during
Parents’ Weekend, Willy Booker shared with our present parents
some of his experiences at Burke and how he grew as a person
based on his personal challenges. He shared how a critical
academic narrative early in his career from a beloved math
teacher fueled his desire to improve and embrace his fullest
potential as a student-athlete. In his talk, he shared with our
parent community that:
“Burke is structured in such a way that students are given
space, room, and empowerment. I wasn’t micromanaged
through classes to ensure that I stayed on track. I was given
enough rope to get myself good and tangled up. It was clear that
I earned those words, and it was up to me if I wanted to change
the outcome the next time around.”
What was so deeply moving about Willy’s talk was how he so
clearly remembered the narrative and the impact that it had
on him to this day. For me, as someone relatively new to the
Burke community, it was a powerful reminder of both what a
special place this is and the importance of stories that connect
all Burkies to a shared mission of maintaining our special school
culture.
In the vein of Willy’s willingness to share his story with our
present parents, I now ask all alumni and alumni parents to
share their stories with the present Burke community. n
Burke mountain academy 11
student reflection By Tatum Coutu ’18
W
As part of our annual Whole School
Read, our community read Swimming
to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance
Swimmer by Lynne Cox. Each student
was asked to read the autobiography
over the summer and then write
a personal reflection based on the
following prompt: “Select a major
theme from the book; such as goal
setting, teamwork, perseverance in
the face of challenges, role of mentors
in achievement or another theme that
resonated with you and write on how
Lynne Cox’s life experiences can help
us be better athletes, students, and
community members during our own
personal journey at BMA.”
Here is an example of one of the
responses by sophomore Tatum Coutu.
hile reading Swimming to Antarctica, Tales of a Long Distance Swimmer by
Lynne Cox, I noticed a couple of major themes. However, the one that
I think that we do well at Burke and that can help us be better athletes,
students, and community members is support and teamwork.
Cox talks a lot about how much her support system helps her along in her swims,
and how she couldn’t do it without them. During the Cook Straight swim, Cox
learns a very important lesson. “More than anything I now understand that no one
achieves great goals alone” (Cox 145). Later, she repeats “I told him that I would
always remember them, that no one ever achieves goal alone” (Cox 202). She learns
that by herself alone, she couldn’t have achieved her dreams. Cox needed her crew
for safety, support, motivation, and so many other things.
“We were doing this together. Sure I was out there in the water, but I had so many
people I carried along with me in this dream and who carried me as well. It was
absolutely fantastic” (Cox 285). This is a great example of what it is really like to
have a great support system. It is a superb example of what BMA is striving for. Sure
we are the ones actually out there skiing but along with us we carry our parents,
teachers, coaches, trainers, friends, and so many others. They were the ones who
carried us through all the preparation and time leading up to the big moments,
and during those big moments we are carried by our support system, and that is
absolutely fantastic.
During many of her swims Cox discusses how when she thinks about quitting or
feels discouraged she would look to the crew and she everyone cheering, clapping
and willing her on, and how much it helps her and keeps her swimming. “I rode
their wave of energy took it all in, let it carry me” (Cox 293). This is the same way
at Burke. During physical testing when you can’t move your legs any more to jump
up onto the box one more time, the whole community is piled in the GTC screaming
and cheering you on no matter who it is. It is true: you ride the wave of energy
to push yourself to the absolute limit. I can’t think of a better example to describe
Burke.
As both students and athletes we can learn from Cox’s life experiences. As
students we learn that it is OK to ask questions and ask for help. When Cox was
swimming in the Nile River she had gotten very sick and couldn’t finish the race.
She knew when she had enough and knew when to ask for help. It’s the same when
writing a paper or solving a math equation; you can only get so far by yourself
before you need to ask for help.
As athletes we learn how important it is to have a strong team dynamic and have a
good support system. However, at the end of the book Cox teaches us another very
important lesson. Just as she was finishing her mile swim in the Arctic, the lead
boat began swerving off course trying find a place for Cox to land on shore. As the
boat was going one way, Cox began to feel a current growing stronger the further
the boat traveled. Cox knew that if she continued to follow the boat, she would not
have enough strength to swim through the current to shore. So she decided to take
matters into her own hands, ignore the boat and swim through the current to shore.
Throughout the book Cox has taught us about support and teamwork but also to
trust yourself and your instincts. Only you know when you have had enough, and
when to push harder.
Burke is very good at supporting each other and working together as a team. Even
though skiing is an individual sport it never really feels that way, especially at BMA.
And that is one of the things that makes this sport and our community so special.
12 news and views
Make your gift today to
Development
BMA
by using the enclosed envelope or visiting
BurkeMtnAcademy.org
annual fund giving
alumni
Class Of 1972
18% Participation
David Betz
Deborah Jacobs
Class Of 1973
15% Participation
Scott Dorwart #
John Macomber #
Class Of 1974
35% Participation
Becky Dorsey
Christie Baldwin Hallowell ◊
Lyndall Heyer #
Dia Elliman Jenks
Pam Noyes Twaddel
Viki Fleckenstein Woodworth ◊
Class Of 1975
24% Participation
Mermer Blakeslee *
Mary Seaton Brush *
Toby Elliman
Bruce Hill
Eric Wilson *
Class Of 1976
19% Participation
Kristin Hodgkins Macomber #
Chris Mikell *
Roger Prevot ◊
Jim Taylor
Class Of 1977
18% Participation
Steve Graham ◊
Jim Healy *
Peter Murphy ◊
Class Of 1978
19% Participation
Phil Erlanger
Meg Singer Huffman
John Oliver
Class Of 1979
35% Participation
Scott Bogan
Gayle Voelker Brown
Mari Andrie Harris
Brendan Lenihan
Eiji Minagawa #
Debby Miller Porcarelli *
Kim Reynolds
Anni Dupre Santry #
Class Of 1980
29% Participation
Angela Gougeon *
Mark Harvey
Brenda Buglione Kirwood +
Jory Macomber ◊
John Pier #
Class Of 1981
59% Participation
Jill Allen Baker +
Pete Davis
Gillian Esson
Bruce Genereaux ◊
Ken Graham #
Jennifer O'Brien Gross
Tim Hill +
Cindy Klinker Jenkins *
Kevin Kaneda *
Bruce Lingelbach +
James Lyon *
Class of 2016
Penny MacDonald Sirjane *
Cliff Whiteley *
Class Of 1982
41% Participation
Anonymous
Cristina Rodriguez Calcagni *
Nichola Biddle Elsbree
Colin Hall *
Jennifer Lyons-Campbell
Kristi Oliver St. Clair #
Bonnie St. John
Sandy Williams #
Heidi Witherell
Class Of 1983
18% Participation
Gretl Dupre Galgon ◊
David Kahl +
Kraig Sourbeer *
Juli-Anne Warll
Class Of 1984
21% Participation
Rich Ashnault *
Tom Goddard
Sigrid Katzenberger Hodges
Charlie Kaplan #
Stephen Porino
Jen Babin Powers
Ernie Sink
Class Of 1985
18% Participation
Jennifer Kahl Grumhaus ◊
Wendy Lloyd
Logan Kulwin O'Connor
Faith Sedlin
Class Of 1986
27% Participation
Class Of 1992
9% Participation
Tom Healey #
Chris Kretz
Jeff Wilson
Andi Bither Malboeuf *
Eric Spenlinhauer
Class Of 1987
19% Participation
Morgan Burns *
Vania Grandi
Tricia Hubbard *
Martha Law
Dana Query
Laura Wilson Todd +
Class Of 1988
15% Participation
Jason Heinrich
Fabio Igel
Kelley Knowles Lewis
Briggs Phillips *
Class Of 1989
16% Participation
Bridge Hunter *
Taylor King
Ryan North
Class Of 1990
14% Participation
Chrissie Heinrich
Katy Talyancich Kunkel
Heidi Bishop Miller
Erik Schlopy
Class Of 1991
7% Participation
Happy Hazelton Daily
Jesse James McTigue
Class Of 1993
29% Participation
Jessica Cioci Allen *
Scott Burns +
Don Devendorf
Laura Turner Hayden *
Chip Knight
Steve Schaack *
Hans Smith
Drew Smith +
Class Of 1994
23% Participation
John Cavanaugh
Michael Dewey *
Michele Steinrotter DiMarzo
John Kline *
Joshua Mankoff
Tad Pace
John Pennypacker
Class Of 1995
17% Participation
Sybil Carrade Beck *
Ryan McCullough
Cara Hardy Rich
Christoph Schadinger *
Class Of 1996
9% Participation
Willy Booker
Percy Stith *
Gusty Swift *
burke mountain academy 13
Class Of 2003
15% Participation
Adam Cota
Tara Martin
Kevin Sheehan *
Class Of 2004
33% Participation
Marshall Ambros
Colin DeVore
Graham Flinn
Stefan Hughes *
Kelly Kirkpatrick *
Class Of 2005
31% Participation
Class Agents
Alumni support of the Annual Fund has steadily
increased over the years from roughly 20%
participation five years ago to over 33% participation
today. We’d like to thank all of the alumni class
agents who rally their classmates to participate in
this important initiative year after year. Our goal for
alumni participation is 35% in 2016.
1974 Viki Woodworth
1975Eric Wilson
1976 Chris Mikell
1981 Bruce Lingelbach
1990 Chrissie Heinrich
1993 Jessica Cioci
1996 Gusty Swift
Willy Booker
1997 CW Estoff
2000Tyler Hughes
2001 Jenny Bruell Fisher
2002 Katie Lucas
2004 Colin DeVore
2005 Liz Stephen
2006Rei Aiba
2007Trevor Leafe
2008Alex Leopold
2009Saiyo Aiba
Franny Robertson
Matt McKenna
2010Trace Smith
2011Mitch Prevot
2012Mike Boardman
2013Trevor Kahl
Class Of 1997
34% Participation
Class Of 2000
20% Participation
Brian Bethke *
Tyler Conrad
C.W. Estoff *
Robb Gushiken *
Liz Skibiski Healey
Craig Kosko
Sarah Dayem Orobona
M&H Thibeault *
Brad Wall
Jenni Wolk
Tyler Hughes #
Ryan Markham
Molly Russell Underwood
Class Of 1998
6% Participation
Jennifer Dahl Cross
Max Manikian
Class Of 1999
18% Participation
Dan Groesbeck
Kim Hartsen
Andrea Ferri Hekemian *
Adrienne Kepner Laraby +
Class Of 2001
18% Participation
Jenny Bruell Fisher +
Siri Ashton Hoffman
Megan Hughes Trayner #
Class Of 2002
32% Participation
Dru Prescott Cote
Alex Felix
Andrew Foukal *
Katie Lucas Geant *
Bryna McCarty
Stephanie Breakstone
Romaneiro
Ben Roy *
Anna Bengtson +
Dana Breakstone
Silas Gill
Liz Stephen +
Class Of 2006
56% Participation
Elle Anderson
Lindsay Cone *
August Felix
Zachary Kuster
Kelsey Levine *
Lauren McGrath
Alice Nelson
Annie Raser
Ida Sargent
Class Of 2007
67% Participation
Anonymous
Gunnar Ashton *
Natalie Biedermann
Sabrina Chiasson
Caitlin Curran Bernstein
Kirsten Gill
Teo Jackson *
Nolan Kasper *
Danielle Keogh
Trevor Leafe *
Elise Moody-Roberts
Brian Morgan *
Paul Smith *
Jamie Taloumis *
Class Of 2008
64% Participation
Anonymous
George Coughlin
Danny Govan
Taylor Kahl
Katy Kirkpatrick
Ryan Leek
Alex Leopold *
Aaron Robertson *
Catherine Sheils
Class Of 2009
94% Participation
Saiyo Aiba
Zach Breakstone
Ilka Hadlock
Ari Jackson
Jenna Kantor
Ian Macomber *
Jane McClelland
Matt McKenna *
Lucas Milliken
Liam Mulhern *
Maddy Packard
Corinne Prevot *
Franny Robertson
George Rolfs *
Sam Tarling *
Class Of 2010
79% Participation
Nick Bailey
Kieffer Christianson
Rob Cone
Abby Fucigna
Dom Garand
Kerstin Graham
Patrick Joslin
Cate Kistler
Kelsey Locke *
Tania Prymak
Hig Roberts
Kara Shaw
Cam Smith
Trace Smith *
Brittney Ziebell *
Class Of 2011
59% Participation
Anonymous
Katelyn Barclay
Livia Biedermann
Makenzie Brown
Kaitlin Fink *
Lizzie Kistler
Adrienne Morann Palmer
Mitch Prevot *
Taylor Shiffrin
Myles Trainer
Class Of 2012
90% Participation
Ronnie Berlack
Charlie Bloomfield
Michael Boardman
Mardi Haskell
Sten Hulleberg
Maisie Ide
Sam Macomber
Chris McKenna
Jane McLarney
Maggy Mulhern
Emilie Muller
Nick Prevot
Tom Rabon
Murphy Roberts
Nicole Roos
Lisa Schroer
Anne Strong
Jocelyn Volk
Mariah Zanca
Class Of 2013
47% Participation
Jack Auty
Lexi Calcagni
Charlie Harrison
Trevor Kahl
Eliza Rolfs
Charlie Sheils
Mikaela Shiffrin
Class Of 2014
50% Participation
Anonymous
Peter Neal
Aleck Sullivan
Henry Tomlinson
Drew West
Moriah Wilson
Class Of 2015
71% Participation
Dannica Ashnault
Bridget Currier
Ryan Donohue
Jonny Hutchison
Cole Janco
Sam Matel
Corey McConville
Max McVey
Timmy Regan
Paul Sheils
Kalle Wagner
Jordan Watts
ALUMNI PARENTS
Janet Abdow
Lisa & Isao Aiba +
Theo & Andrea Ambros
Lee & Verena Anderson
Bob & Tina Ashton
Chris & Alex Auty
Skip & Lola Baldwin +
Paul & Christine Bengtson +
Steve & Cindy Berlack +
Marty & Peggy Besant
Bill & Cathy Bethke ◊
David Betz
◊ 20 or more years | # 15 to 19 years | + 10 to 14 years | * 5 to 9 years
14 news and views development
Annual Fund Gifts
Level
Amount
Received
Warren’s Way
$20,000 +
7
Dippers $10,000-$19,9994
Willoughby$5,000-$9,999 7
Sugarwoods$2,500-$4,999 8
Carriage Road
$1,000-$2,499
34
East Bowl
$500-$999
37
Doug’s Drop
$250-$499
31
Fox’s Folly
$100-$249
119
Powderhorn
Up to $99
181
Ron Biedermann & Lucinda Bain
Leeli & Jim Bonney *
Gayle & Paul Brown
Kathy & Robo Brumder
Cristina & Tom Calcagni *
Peter & Debbie Carter +
Barron Clancy ◊
George & Kathy Cone
Jack Dator
Daniel & MJ Davis
Bob DeVore & Dorothy Ritchie Valhouli #
Ed Dombroski
Scott Dorwart & Lyndall Heyer #
John & Heddi Felix #
Peter & Elisabeth Foukal *
Rich & Carmella Glover
Don & Ingrid Graham ◊
Steve Graham ◊
Pamela Grich & Louis Fink *
John & Denise Groesbeck *
Phil & Kate Harrison *
Dermot & Mary Ellen Healey +
William & Lisanne Hegman
Roger & Charlotte Hewson +
Bruce & Vicki Hill
Robert & Wendy Hill
Chuck & Betty Hughes #
Arthur & Lisa Ide
Woodward & Florence Johnson +
Allen & Monica Joslin
David & Heather Kahl +
Donald & Judith Kahl #
Michael & Rebecca Karnedy +
Jonathan Katz & Barbara Ito
Stephen Kistler & Cassie Belden
Dick & Nancy Kline #
Bonnie Knight
Grady & Cheryl Kromer
Chiswell & Barbara Langhorne
Frank & Denise Leafe +
John & Pamela Leek +
Bob Levine +
Tim & Maureen Levine +
Diana Lin
Philip & Crea Lintilhac +
Kelly & Colleen Locke
Joe & Nancy Lucas
Jory & Martha Macomber ◊
Kris & John Macomber #
Mark & Mel Manikian
Mark & Ruth Mankoff
Nancy McGrath
Richard & Martha McLarney
Bruce & Susan McLaughry +
Hugh & Kay McVey
Tim Moore
Tim & Susan Mulhern +
Steve Murphy
Blane & Cindi Nasveschuk
Lyn H. Newell *
Benjamin & Anne Niles
Eric Overing & Christina Taylor *
Wes & Lita Pace
Dan & Paula Packard
John & Alice Pepper #
Charlie & Elizabeth Poole
Araxi Prevot
Roger & Margie Prevot ◊
Mark & Jean Rabon
Ian & Irene Reed
Tom & Mary Rolfs +
Greg & Sheila Schroer *
Jeffrey & Eileen Shiffrin *
Renny Smith *
John & Sandy Taloumis *
James & Kristina Tomlinson
Nub & Jan Turner
Tad & Connie Webster
Terry & Deborah Wetherell *
Jake & Cathie Wheeler ◊
Charley & Pam Witherell +
Rosvita Wolk
Viki & Richie Woodworth ◊
Tory & Lisa Ziebell *
Current Parents
Rich & Karen Ashnault *
Tom & Vicki Beney
Jon & Kimbel Biele
Paul Blanchard
Chris & Becky Coutu
Judy Currier *
Graeme & Fiona Dennis
Kirk & Robin Dwyer +
Suzanne Flachbart
Jodi & Daniel Flanagan *
David Gerrard & Tara Brownlee
Misha Golfman & Lynne Boudreau
Ken & Nicki Graham #
Richard & Laura Grondin
Michael & Susan Hanus
Guy & Kim Hough
Seth & Mitra Janco
Jaime Kenney & Steve Flanigan
Stephanie Lash
Wendy Lloyd
Mark & Nancy Lorenze
Alex Lynch & Liza Actis-Lynch
Brett & Rima Marschke
Shawn & Beverly McConville
Corey & Christine McKim
David & Elizabeth Pavlik
Mark & Lisa Price
Deb Quimby
Mike & Anne-Marie Regan
Fred & Denise Schneider
Philip & Lucy Sheils +
David Sherman & Melissa Garand
Lowrey & Karin Sullivan
Angus Thompson & Cathy Sugerman
Melanie Trudeau
Justin & Gwen Van Dine
Dag von Appen Burose & Isabel
Piedrabuena Keymer
Matthew Wagner & Kerry Hernandez
Kelly Watts
Sean & Christine Whipple
Sandy & Courtney Williams #
Eric & Karen Wilson *
Rob & Erica Wilson
Grandparents, Faculty,
Friends, Foundations &
Others
Tory Amorello & Sam Damon *
Anonymous
Tom & Nancy Barrett
Kate Barton
Steve Berlack +
Marcia Berry *
Christine Booker
Vivian Buckley *
Christopher Capel
David & Rachel Chamberlain
Ben Clarke
Kevin & Elizabeth Conklin
Baba Davenport
Francesca DeLorme
John Dwyer & Christin Lathrop *
Kirk & Robin Dwyer +
Jodi & Dan Flanagan *
Joan Garand
Rolf Gidlow
Don & Ingrid Graham ◊
Nicholas Grant, in honor of Finn
Gundersen “Headmaster Emeritus” *
Darrell & Lisa Gray
Stuart Guy *
David Iverson *
Rob Johnson
Patricia Kenney
Frederic H. Kruse, Jr.
Brendan Levine
Rebekah Levine
Suzan LeVine
Mr. & Mrs. John Lorenze
David May *
Brandon Mazur
burke mountain academy 15
Amber McHugh *
Bob McKee #
Matt McKenna *
Jayne Mullen-Sampson *
Gretchen & Bob O’Hagan
Daniel F. O’Neill, M.D. *
Adam & Alex Perreault
Cindy Pierce & Bruce Lingelbach
Susan Regan
Jen Anson & Jon Rice
Guy & Judith Roberts
Nick & Ashley Sargent
Jeffrey & Penny Sirjane
Kraig & Jamie Sourbeer *
Lauren Struck *
Jim & Marianne Tobin
Lindley van der Linde
Margaret Vlasaty
Holly von Estorff
Fritz & Marti Walther
Louise West
Alan & Virginia Wing
Alpine Systems Inc.
Amherst and Janeth Turner Foundation *
CME Medical Consulting LLC
Elevation 8 Marketing LLC
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund *
G.J. Associates, Inc.
IBM Corporation
Implant & General Dentistry of Vermont
Lin and Associates, Inc.
Lintilhac Foundation, Inc. +
Morgan Stanley Matching Gifts Program
Professional Real Estate
SCHWAB Charitable Fund *
Staritch Foundation, Inc. *
STS Foundation *
SunTrust Foundation Matching Gift
Program
TEAMSHIFFRIN, LLC
The Jennifer and David Grumhaus Jr.
Foundation
The Saint Paul Foundation *
Thomas J. Rolfs Foundation +
Vanguard Charitable Endowment
Program *
OTHER GIVING
RESTRICTED, scholarships
and Campaign
Brian Bethke
Jon & Kimbel Biele
Fritz Brumder
Peter & Debbie Carter
Adam Cota
Richard & Joyce Cowern
Jack Dator
Dan & MJ Davis
Bob DeVore &
Dorothy Ritchie Valhouli
Kirk & Robin Dwyer
C.W. Estoff
Sean Gonzalez
Ken & Nicki Graham
Steve Graham
Jennifer & David Grumhaus
Doug and Paige Hamilton
Tom & Monica Healey
Dan & Lisa Healy
David Iverson
Charles Kaplan
Danielle Keogh
Kelly Kirkpatrick
Jeff & Brenda Kirwood
Martha Law
John & Pamela Leek
Andy & Nancy Lord
Alex Lynch & Liza Actis-Lynch
Sam Macomber
Erik & Mary Maurer
Lucas Milliken
Tim & Susan Mulhern
John & Alice Pepper
Roger & Margie Prevot
Tom & Mary Rolfs
look for
David & Lindy Sargent
alumni notes in the
Steve Schaack
Jeff & Jillian Seaton
spring edition!
Phil & Lucy Sheils
Send your news
Drew Smith
and photos to mmckenna@
Renny Smith
burkemtnacademy.org
Sean & Christine Whipple
Sandy & Courtney Williams
Nadene Yarmon
Stay connected!
Viki & Richie Woodworth
There are lots of
SKIDA
ways you can
Brinckerhoff Family Foundation
stay connected
Burke Mountain Academy Junior Program Families
to BMA.
The Mayer and Morris Kaplan Family
GIFTS IN KIND
Alex Lynch & Liza Actis-Lynch
David & Heather Kahl
Fritz and Marti Walther
Goodrich Maple
Maple Grove Farms of Vermont
Stuart Guy
Jeffrey & Penny Sirjane
Consecutive year contributions are based on our best data and we apologize for any
errors or omissions. Every effort has been made to ensure that this report is accurate and
complete. Please accept our apologies for any inadvertent errors or omissions. We ask
that you report any errors to the Development Office at 802-626-5607 *1506.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Jonathan Biele, Current Parent
Willy Booker, Alumnus 1996, Chair
Kimberly N. Butler, Friend
Charles Christianson, Honorary Alumnus
William Curtis, Alumnus 1989
Jack Dator, Alumni Parent
Kirk Dwyer, Headmaster, Current Parent
Ken Graham, Alumnus 1981,
Current Parent, Vice-Chair
Jonathan Katz, Alumni Parent
Jayne Mullen-Sampson, Former Faculty
Corinne Prevot, Alumna 2009
Anne-Marie Regan, Current Parent
Thomas Rolfs, Alumni Parent
Warren (Renny) Smith, Alumni Parent
Warren (Trace) Smith, Alumnus 2010
Alexander (Sandy) Williams,
Alumnus 1982, Current Parent
◊ 20 or more years | # 15 to 19 years | + 10 to 14 years | * 5 to 9 years
w w w. b u rkem t n ac a d e my. o rg
60 Alpine Lane
East Burke, Vermont 05832
Back row: Kalle Wagner ’15 PG, Matt Price’18, Yale Flanagan ’16, Ian Lynch ’18, Jack Beney ’18
Front row: Reed Wilson ’19, Viv Buckley, Liam McKim ’17, Jack Lorenze ’18
Sophie Sherman ’16 and Liam McKim ’17
Jack Beney ’18, Ian Lynch ’18 and Yale Flanagan ’16
Jack Blanchard ’16 and Chris O’Brien ’17
Circumburke 2015