As we brave the bitter sub-zero temperatures of January in New Hampshire, many of us have found ourselves wishing for warmer climates and sunny beaches. George Kaknes ‘71 spent thirty years of his life living in some of the most beautiful places on earth as he helped families fulfill their travel dreams with an international tour agency. After a lifetime of worldwide adventure, he has found his way back home to New England and reconnected with Proctor. In this Alumni Profile, George reflects on the lessons he learned as a student.

In the fall of 1968, Dick Bellefeuille arrived on campus with his wife, Helen, and his young family. Along with serving as the dorm parent in Mary Lowell Stone, Mr. Bellefeuille (as he was always known by students) taught Spanish and coached reserve football, skating club, and lacrosse. Over the next thirty-two years (1968-1999), he would expand his teaching role to the science and math departments and become Proctor’s first athletic trainer in the 1980s. Through these varied roles, his career impacted thousands of students’ lives and left an indelible mark on the Proctor community. On December 28, Dick passed away at home in Concord, New Hampshire under the care of hospice.

Last December, we announced a new resource on Proctor's website called Buy Proctor where we highlight the work of our alumni in various industries. As we enter the busyness of the holiday season, we checked in with Kelcey Loomer '96 whose jewelry business, Seed and Sky, is featured on the Buy Proctor page. Kelcey's artistic journey eventually wound its way to a home studio in Asheville, NC where she and her husband, Alex, have dedicated their life to sharing the beauty of the natural world through art. Check out what Kelcey has to say about running her own business and her relationship with Proctor. 

On November 11, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson declared a national celebration of Armistice Day, a day Calvin Coolidge would describe in 1926 as, "A day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace." President Eisenhower would later change the name Armistice Day to Veterans Day in 1954 recognizing all those who had served in the US Armed Forces. For the 99th year, we will observe Veterans Day as a country tomorrow, but like many federal holidays, Proctor does not cancel classes, and business continues as usual. In the midst of our busyness, we want to pause and recognize those who have served our country. 

With over thirty afternoon activities and athletic teams available to Proctor students, it is hard to provide equal coverage to every team on campus. For a group of soccer diehards (some completely new to the sport) whose daily home on Emmons Field naturally keeps them out of the spotlight, we thought it was time to give Proctor’s JV2 Soccer team the attention it deserves.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Proctor Academy relies on the support of generous donors each year in order to offer the breadth of programs that distinguish Proctor as a leader in experiential learning, integrated academic support, and transformative off-campus programs. Underlying each of these programmatic differentiators is a community of faculty and staff dedicated to the individual growth of each of Proctor's 370 students. We believe our educational model is the best there is, but it requires on-going support of generous donors. 

Proctor Academy's Reilly Walsh '17 (Andover, NH) was drafted Saturday by the New Jersey Devils with the 81st pick in the 3rd round of the 2017 NHL Draft. Walsh will attend Harvard University in the fall, and played for the Chicago Steel (USHL) this past fall and spring book ending a tremendous season for the Hornets in which he became the first defensemen in more than 30 years to lead all of prep hockey in scoring with 69 points (30 goals). 

Each year, the Proctor community bids farewell to retiring faculty and staff. On June 30, Susan Currier will answer her final phone calls and emails from those of us needing technology or database assistance, while Brenda Godwin, Laurie Zimmerman, and Phil Goodnow each taught their final classes, coached their final games, and said a final goodbye to their advisees in May. Combined, these four individuals have given Proctor 112 years of service to Proctor’s students. While the 2017 edition of the Proctor Magazine (published in September) will have a full feature highlighting the impact of Susan, Brenda, Laurie, and Phil’s time at Proctor, here are few highlights from their respective careers.