With only a handful of days until graduation and spring sports teams wrapping up the regular season, the reality that college is only a few short months away is beginning to set in for the Class of 2015. For many seniors, their final moments of their athletic careers are upon them. For those seniors playing at the next level, however, this new chapter represents a continual dedication to maximizing their potential and through the encouragement of coaches and teammates.
Over the past sixty years, Proctor has evolved tremendously. Our physical plant has grown along with our student body, but our core belief that each student has a unique learning style has remained unchanged since Jerry Lester graduated in 1954. Lester’s journey through his years at Proctor unlocked a passion for learning that would serve him well following his graduation. His story is unique, but represents the best of what Proctor has to offer each of its students.
Henry Vaughan '74 first pulled into Andover, New Hampshire in the fall of 1969 for an interview at Proctor Academy. As a prospective ninth grader, the Beverly, Massachusetts native already had his mind set on going into the forest services or municipal fire fighting. From promotional materials, he knew Proctor offered both forestry classes and had a small, albeit very active, on-campus fire department. As his family drove toward the intersection of Routes 11 and 4 on his way into town, he witnessed Proctor’s fire department in action as they pulled up to a small fire along the side of the road in their antique fire truck. At that moment, Vaughan thought to himself, ‘I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. This place is unbelievable!’
Proctor’s ski programs have a storied past, inextricably linked to the Andover Outing Club and the Proctor Ski Area. For decades, Proctor has worked hand in hand with the local Andover Outing Club to support the endeavors of its athletes.
As a school, it is our hope every alum leaves Proctor with a passion, pursues that passion with unbridled ambition, and then eventually shares that passion with others. Nick Fairall ‘07 left Proctor with a passion for ski jumping. He pursued this avocation until it became his vocation at the international level. After making a name for himself on the international jumping circuit, he won the US qualifier and made the US Ski Jumping team for the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
The theme that runs throughout the term on Mountain Classroom is borders: physical borders, emotional borders, cultural borders, ethical borders. Proctor's Mountain Classroom program enters its third week of the term after a recent trip to the Akwesasne Reservation in northern New York state bordering Canada.
