In celebration of Women’s History Month, Trinity-Pawling School will share stories on our social media platforms about some of the wonderful women who have impacted our community.
We need your help! Is there a teacher, classmate, dorm parent, mom of a friend, or staff member who went above and beyond for you as a student at T-P? We want to know! Click here to share your story. Your submission may be featured on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter this March so make sure to like or follow our pages!
To kick-off the celebration today, we are spotlighting the first lady of Trinity-Pawling: Jennifer Taylor.
When Jennifer and Bill returned to campus this summer, they returned to a home 27 years in the making.
Jennifer first arrived at Trinity-Pawling in the summer of 1988. She and Bill moved into the Barracks and welcomed their son Wilson. They relocated to East Dorm the following summer and served as freshman dorm parents there for the next seven years.
Jennifer taught in the language program until 1991, taking a year off from work to be at home with their son and new daughter, Allyson. In the summer of 1993, Jennifer returned to work, serving as the Editor of the Trinity-Pawling magazine, a position she held until 2001. During that time, Jennifer also assumed the role as Director of Alumni and Parent Relations. She worked with alumni from all over the country, including many who had been her former students and residents.
Wearing many hats during her first tenure at Trinity-Pawling School, Jennifer developed meaningful relationships with alumni, parents, and fellow faculty members that endure today. We want to thank our dedicated first lady for all that she has contributed to this community and for the many lives she continues to impact. Jennifer, you make the PRIDE stronger.
Headmaster Bill Taylor has been impressively on the move during his first term at Trinity-Pawling. On a mission to meet and share ideas with Trinity-Pawling alumni, families, and friends, Bill and Jennifer Taylor have visited numerous US cities. Their most recent excursion took them eastward, where they were able to connect with our Trinity-Pawling community in Asia.
Aside from the opportunity to see a new part of the world, navigate a different culture, and try exotic new foods, Bill enjoyed his time getting to know our parents in Asia, and learning of their aspirations for their sons and for the School’s future. It was no surprise to find that, as parents, the goals and aspirations for our children are universal. Whether from the United States or Asia, parents want to know that their sons are being cared for – learning, growing, and being challenged at Trinity-Pawling.
“What left me profoundly humbled by this experience is the depth of faith and trust in the School that these families extend to us,” Taylor reflected. “Of course, all of our families extend this trust to the School when they choose Trinity-Pawling for their son. With our families in Asia, however, they are sending their sons halfway around the world knowing that they will be unable to see them personally for months at a time.” Taylor continued, “With many of our families in China, moreover, their son is their only child. Accordingly, I was pleased that I was able to express to each family with whom I met just how honored I am by that trust. This is an honor that I extend, on behalf of the faculty, to all of our Trinity-Pawling families.”
The students who travel across the globe to attend Trinity-Pawling School are modeling the advantages of healthy risk taking. It takes tremendous courage to leave the familiarity of family, language, and culture to pursue the benefits of international education. “While I would like to believe that I would have elected to take such a risk, I am not sure that I would have had the courage to do the same thing when I was in high school. I also think that there is much that we can learn from students who come from different cultures,” said Taylor.
Trinity-Pawling’s Director of International Student Education, Mark Corliss takes great care in building and maintaining strong relationships with our international students and families. “Having someone with as much passion for this work as Mark Corliss is a distinct advantage,” said Taylor. Corliss has coordinated a special meal of traditional Asian food and festivities to celebrate the Lunar New Year, which will be enjoyed by all during the week before spring vacation. “One discovery that I made in Asia was the prominent role that food and meals play in the culture,” said Taylor.
Ms. Michele Carlin also offers an invaluable service to Trinity-Pawling as the dedicated teacher who manages the international travel plans for our students.
Referring to Scott Page’s book, The Difference, which presents a compelling case for the power of diversity and its relationship to productivity, Taylor noted, “When there are a diversity of experiences and perspectives engaged in any activity, the result is more dynamic and richer.” Taylor continued, “I believe this is true in schools as well as in the workplace. Our students will be impacted more than we by the increased globalization of our world. Being able to learn and live with people from different cultures is a benefit to all our students.”
“In the future, many of our students will find themselves in work environments that will depend upon collaborative work spanning various networks, including cross-cultural networks.” Taylor concluded. “Building relationships with students from different cultures during the formative years of adolescence is a distinct preparatory advantage for all Trinity-Pawling students.”
“Hedge funds are sometimes called ‘The Big Humiliator,’ said Roman Zurutuza ’91. “Since it’s all about probability, there’s a lot of guesswork and finger crossing. No matter how good you are as an investor, at least 45% of your decisions are wrong. A doctor or lawyer couldn’t afford a failure rate like that.”
For the past 13 years, Roman Zurutuza ’91 has managed $2 billion at Gruss Capital, a European hedge fund based in London. Zurutuza developed an interest in business while at Trinity-Pawling. “The librarian, Eva Von Ancken, took me under her wing and showed me the economics section. I spent all my free time reading about business. Reading fueled my curiosity and sharpened my interests.”
“My two years at T-P influenced my life,” Zurutuza reflected. “I went from a medium-size Spanish city living with my parents to an American boarding school in the countryside. I became responsible and resourceful and learned how to solve my own problems. T-P also taught me to speak and write proper English. I could never have achieved my current life without these invaluable skills.”
After T-P, Zurutuza earned his degree in finance from a Spanish university, returned to the U.S. to work at IBM in Westchester, then went back for his MBA in France. Three years of investment banking at Salomon Brothers in London followed before he landed at Gruss. In 2003, he married a childhood friend, Raquel, and now the couple has four children, ages 12, 8, 7, and 5.
At Gruss Capital, Zurutuza oversees the bulk of European investments. “In the finance world, most firms have a single focus. Here we have a broad spectrum, a diverse range of options. We invest in 20 major European countries. That can mean 20 different languages and cultures.”
He credits the School for nurturing his curiosity. “I was surrounded by faculty and resources that enabled me to explore new ideas. I developed the discipline to learn and the curiosity to branch out. Learning became an incentive, not a duty.”
“When I went back to campus in May 2015 to see Arch Smith before he retired, I was blown away by how the School has evolved in two decades. And even as faculty have come and gone, there’s still a strong sense of continuity and tradition. Over the past 25 years, I have met so many people who either went to T-P or had a friend or relative attend. There’s an immediate sense of belonging, of shared experiences, as we get talking about chapel, sit-down meals, Stepping Up. I am so proud to be part of this community and look forward to reconnecting with my classmates at our 25th reunion this fall!”
September 30 – October 1, 2016
Mark your calendar now for a weekend to reunite!
- Reconnect with old friends and new
- Athletic Hall of Fame and campus tours
- Homecoming football game
- Reunion class celebrations
And more!
REUNION CLASSES IN 2016
2011- 5th reunion
2006 – It’s your 10th reunion!
2001- 15th reunion
1996 – 20th reunion
1991- It’s your 25th reunion!
1986 – 30th reunion
1981- 35th reunion
1976 – It’s your 40th reunion!
1971- 45th reunion
1966 – It’s your 50th reunion!
1926 to 1964- Honor Guard Reunion
Visit www.trinitypawling.org/reunion for more information or contact
Beth Bryant at 845-855-4833 or bbryant@trinitypawling.org
If you would like to volunteer for your reunion, please contact Colleen Dealy at
845-855-4831 or cdealy@trinitypawling.org
This winter while captaining a successful wrestling team, Jeff Thompson ‘17 decided to parlay the team’s success on the mats to success in the fight against cancer. He devised a plan.
“Wrestling is both an individual and team sport,” Thompson explains. “I decided to take advantage of our parents’ understandable pride in our team’s success as well as our individual success. I came up with a plan. I asked each parent to donate ten cents to Relay for Life for each point our team scores in our three end of year tournaments. I then invited them to donate an additional $1 for every point their son scores.” The team participates in a regional, New England and National tournaments.
“We did really well at our regional tournament almost scoring 200 points which translated into almost $650 pledged to Relay for Life. We then did pretty well at the New England’s scoring over 100 points generating another $300. Hoping to score some more at the nationals!”
Thompson and four others reached the finals of the regional tournament with four emerging as champions. “I feel sorry for the Conlan family. They agreed to this fund raiser and both Zach and Jake won,” Jeff says with a laugh. “We have a great group of guys as well as parents. Thanks Conlans!” Senior Khaleed Exum-Strong won and senior Patrick Marks came in second. The team came in second overall with 192 team points.
The team then headed off to the New England tournament putting four grapplers in the finals and picking up one championship. “It’s great to know that all our hard work on the mats actually will help a worthy cause,” Jeff says. “I challenge all the spring teams to do something similar and help us all fight cancer.”
The five wrestlers who went to the nationals scored 16 team points highlighted by Khaleed becoming an All-American. “The wrestling at the nationals was pretty intense,” Thompson commented. “I wish we could have won some more matches to help Relay, but we did the best we could.”
On the stage, on the ice, or behind a DJ booth is where you’re most likely to find Joey Teresi ’16, of Montreal, Canada in his “zone.” As a Trinity-Pawling senior, Teresi has discovered a knack for acting in Patrick Hitschler’s two theater productions – Drop Dead and most recently, Spamalot. Teresi’s first thespian experience was in a preschool Christmas pageant, then again in a middle school play – fast forward six years and Teresi is stealing the spotlight with his acting versatility, playing four different roles in Spamalot. “Being on stage just feels good,” says Teresi. “It’s like a team game when we all work together, and you just know everyone is with you.” Teresi credits his stage success on Hitschler’s ability to perfectly cast the roles. “Mr. Hitschler directs a play like he coaches – he brings us together and builds a trust – that inspired me,” says Teresi.
This year Teresi discovered just how close-knit the T-P brotherhood can be on the varsity hockey team, and attributes this to the coaching style of Robert Ferraris – “he’s second to none!” says Teresi. After a family loss when Teresi was just eight, he found that the one place he could truly be himself was on the ice, so it meant a great deal to find family-like connections and camaraderie with Coach Ferraris and his teammates, playing hockey with the Pride. “There is no one who would not be there for you,” Teresi says.
Teresi’s focus and hard work is evident in the classroom and beyond. For the past three years Teresi has put his passion for music and entrepreneurial ambition to work as a professional DJ. After spending two years to fine-tune his mixing skills on a starter DJ table and learn business skills with a summer internship, Teresi started up his own entertainment company with his best friend, and they now perform at about 100 events a year. Teresi (aka DJ Gazzu) will be performing at the Trinity-Pawling Rock Concert in May.
“From the minute you walk on this campus, you’re welcomed,” says Teresi. “My experience here has been memorable, and the benefits will be seen for years to come, I’m sure.”
Charlie Cook ’08 always wanted to serve in the military and applied to Officer Candidate School while a junior at Rollins College. However, a severe concussion sustained during a lacrosse game knocked him out of contention. Cook was devastated but his determination to serve his country never waned.
Post-graduation, he spent a year and a half with a logistics firm in Chicago, which he ultimately decided was not his passion. He left that job and volunteered with a children’s hospital and trauma center in south Chicago. Assisting the injured patients, he began to realize his calling.
“I networked like crazy,” Cook said, “and someone put me in touch with the Bob Woodruff Foundation.” In 2006, Woodruff had just been named co-anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight. On assignment in Iraq, he was hit by a roadside bomb nearly killing him. Though unconscious for 36 days, the anchorman credits his survival to the excellent military medical care he received.
“The foundation invests in non profit organizations that support post-9/11 wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families, and the communities, caregivers, and care providers who support them” Cook explained. “Not surprisingly, they wanted someone with a military connection or experience working with veterans, but I illustrated the benefit of having an outside perspective.” Cook landed the job and moved to New York in January 2015.
“The past 14 months have been a whirlwind of travel and insane hours but I have never met so many inspirational people. I have the opportunity to meet severely wounded service members and veterans, and I’m continually amazed at their humility and resolve. Even after complex and horrific experiences, they continue to push forward. This personal contact allows me to see how our foundation can change and improve their lives.”
Cook serves as the Charitable Investments Program Officer, helping decide which veteran service organizations will receive investments. “We specifically support programs that focus on education and employment; quality of life; and rehabilitation and recovery.”
Cook believes that Trinity-Pawling taught him about loyalty and giving back. “The faculty stuck with me even when I pushed against the rules, and the camaraderie on teams and across campus helped me to focus less on myself and more on others.”
Cook continued, “The brotherhood doesn’t stop at graduation. Now it’s my turn to give back to the School.” Cook plans on volunteering his time with Coach Nic Bell’s lacrosse team this spring and he hopes to mentor some students.
Sounds like Charlie Cook has found ways to serve after all.
Share your T-P story with your brothers, family, and friends using #tpshoutout
Here’s how:
- Follow Trinity-Pawling School on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
- Take a picture at home, with a classmate, on the field, or during a trip around the states or abroad.
- Upload to your personal page and tag your photo #tpshoutout
- Include a message to your Trinity-Pawling friends, old roommates, teammates, favorite teacher or any other member of the Pride!
When you give, you help deliver all the things that change boys’ lives: small classes, devoted teachers, expert coaching, close-knit dormitories, a culture of effort and integrity, and above all, a life-changing brotherhood.
You make great things possible.
There’s still time. If you haven’t supported Trinity-Pawling this year, the fund closes on June 30, 2016. Click here to give now.
Thank you! Roll Pride!
‘Race in Sports’, the term-long course co-taught by Jim McDougal and Grayson Bryant, has given students the opportunity to discuss issues of race in today’s society. “Sometimes students are uncomfortable talking about race, but if you present them with racial issues in the context of sport, they are willing to talk about those issues and then can apply their newfound understanding to present day society,” McDougal explains.
The syllabus covers a variety of topics and sports in which issues surrounding race have arisen. Subject matters range from historic sporting events that took place during the Civil Rights Movement, such as Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier’s ‘Fight of the Century’, to an in depth discussion regarding the media’s representation of Cam Newton in Super Bowl 50. “Our working thesis is that sport often reflects society’s prevailing attitudes,” says co-teacher Grayson Bryant. “Our best classes transcend the classroom and provide the boys the opportunity to deeply consider issues of difference across a variety of different scenarios.”
“It is my hope that students take away a better understanding of who they are and to be aware of the different racial issues of the world in which they live,” McDougal says. “We try to look at issues through an historic approach to understand where we were and how we’ve gotten to where we are.” Bryant concurs, “At the end of the course, we hope that the boys understand that they have a role to play in the world’s future; sports provides us a common language to discuss tough issues—but it’s what we do with our newfound perspective that will help us to make a difference in society.”
Jay Kellogg has been at Trinity-Pawling for 21 years. Kellogg has had two sons graduate from the School, and has taught over two decades of students. He attributes the longevity of his time here to the people; the relationships he’s made as well as the School’s mission. Kellogg explains, “Being able to guide and teach young men and being a part of their life in general is the biggest piece for me. Not just as a teacher, but influencing a very formative time in their lives.”
Kellogg, who teaches both Middle School and Upper School science, describes that his approach in teaching boys is to implement project-based learning as much as possible. This hands-on learning approach, which is introduced in the Middle School, plays a large part in preparing students for the Upper School and beyond. “It’s how they will be asked to learn in High School and College. At T-P, there’s a lot more learning that takes place with projects than in a traditional setting where students are listening to lectures, taking notes, and memorizing. The vast majority of their learning here comes from the construction of their projects,” says Kellogg. “Boys love to explore and work jointly and cooperatively with their peers.”
The collaboration that occurs in the classroom has recently been implemented outside of the classroom as well, in the form of a large-scale community service project conceived by Kellogg and his fellow class advisors. “MayDay”, as it has been named, will take place May 1 and will be an all-day fundraiser for The Ryan McElroy Children’s Cancer Foundation, as well as the Pawling Resource Center. The Ryan McElroy Children’s Cancer Foundation is a local organization that raises funds to support the children and their families in this community that are afflicted with cancer and other life threatening diseases. Kellogg explains, “It is a really interesting foundation that has helped hundreds of kids. It is all locally based in the Hudson Valley. They’ve literally never said ‘no’ to helping a family.” The Resource Center is another local organization that does great things to help local people as well. The MayDay effort for them will be a food drive to help them replenish a depleted food pantry.
Trinity-Pawling, along with the Pawling Public Schools and Mizzentop Day School are pooling resources to provide a fun-filled family day for the local community in aimed at raising awareness and funds for the two organizations. “We are trying to bridge the three schools in town and all work together on this event. We want our students to experience working together for a common goal and to see the value in giving back to the local community” Kellogg says.
There will be a food drive, a 5k extreme cross country race, a walk, a kids’ race, games, food and more – all happening here on campus. With 300+ volunteers on deck, MayDay has great promise to be a very profitable day that will undoubtedly raise both awareness and funds for The Ryan McElroy Children’s Cancer Foundation and make a difference for local families throughout Dutchess County.
Roll up the mats, cover the ice, and take down the hoops because it’s time to move into the spring sports season. That’s right! Dress warmly; the boys are now heading to the newly thawed fields across Route 22.
To conclude the winter season, the wrestling team made their way to the Western New England Tournament, where nine Pride athletes placed and the team finished 2nd out of 16 teams. Four wrestlers walked away with the gold, including freshman brothers Zack and Jake Conlan, junior Jeff Thompson and PG Khaleed Exum-Strong.
The following weekend at the New England Championships, four Pride boys made the finals and the team placed 5th out of 45 total teams. Freshman Dave Bancroft and Zack Conlan along with Jeff Thompson walked away with the silver medal, while Khaleed Exum-Strong remained undefeated on the season with an 8-1 decision in the finals to claim the top spot on the podium.
The four New England finalists along with senior Pat Marks all qualified to wrestle at the National Preps this past weekend at Lehigh University. All five wrestled tough, but Exum-Strong highlighted the tournament with a 6th place finish, becoming the first Trinity Pawling All-American wrestler since 2013.
The wrestling team finished 16-3 this year, easily won the Founder’s League Championship, and will only lose three seniors off of this year’s team. The future looks bright for T-P wrestling.
Varsity Hockey finished 10-13-1, winning five of their last seven games. In the final game of the season, the consolation game of the Empire Cup, the Pride pulled together and defeated Millbrook 6-3 in exciting fashion.
T-P took an early lead in the contest when Chris Taylor ’17 scored less than two minutes after the opening whistle. Before the first period was over, the Pride had increased the lead to 3-0 off goals from seniors Jon Litscher and Casey Winn.
Millbrook scored twice in the early minutes of the 2nd period; however, on a 4-on-3 power play, Jordi Jefferson ’17 would score the game-winning goal off a pass from freshman Joey Musa. Coach Ferraris, in reference to the goal said, “We have never found ourselves in a 4-on-3 situation, so I called the kids over and sketched out a play they had never seen before. They went out there, executed it perfectly and fifteen seconds later the puck was in the back of Millbrook’s net. The whole team and myself just started laughing.” Jordi Jefferson would add another goal in the third period along with the sixth and final goal by senior Tyler Gwyn.
JV Hockey finished 5-8-2 with an exciting 6-2 romp over Canterbury in early February. 3rd’s Hockey finished 7-5 with a 4-2 win over Taft to conclude the season.
Varsity Skiing ended on a high note when freshman Tommy Poulin became the first T-P athlete to ever win the NEPSAC Class B Championships in the Giant Slalom. Poulin was in fourth place after the first run at Crotched Mountain, but in the second and final run of the day, Tommy beat every other competitor by two seconds to take home the gold medal. Eighth grader, Cannon Barnaby finished 16th in the event and Ben Verdesi ’18 ended in 30th place. The entire team is underclassman and will return next season.
Varsity Squash had a rebuilding year after losing seven starters from last year’s team. The Pride finished 4-11 on the season with two exciting victories over Canterbury and a solid performance at the Interscholastic Class B Tournament at Choate this past weekend.
Seniors Nick Sweet, Zev Sonkin and Brad Kim competed hard all year and will be missed in the future by the team and the coaches.
JV Squash finished 4-9 on the season led by co-captains Nate Tanner ’18 and Hitoshi Matsukage.
Varsity Basketball finished strong with five wins out of their last six games, highlighted by a 74-71 victory over Canterbury in mid-February.
With the scored tied in the final seconds, when overtime looked inevitable, captain Stephen O’Hanlon ’16 hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to seal the game for the Pride. O’Hanlon finished with 17 points in the game, Jordan Harnum ’16 added 19 points, and Jonathan Girard ’17 led the team with 20 points of his own.
JV Basketball finished 12-5 on the season including a six-game winning streak to end the season. Ricky Norris ’17 led the team with an average of over 15 points per game, while senior Tanner Baldin and freshman Will Rickert consistently scored in the double digits. Finally, 3rd’s Basketball ended 12-2 with dominating wins over almost any team they faced.
For on-going Pride news, visit T-P Athletics here. Roll Pride!
Trinity-Pawling is on the move!
Headmaster Bill Taylor and Jennifer Taylor have enjoyed meeting many of you at receptions during the first half of the year.
This month Bill and Jennifer will be in San Francisco on Wednesday, March 9. The reception will be held at the St. Francis Yacht Club, On the Marina at 6:00 PM.
On March 23, Bill and Jennifer will be hosted by Mimi and Hernando Caicedo ’64, P ’00 at their home in Aventura, FL at 5:30 PM.
Come celebrate our momentum and share Trinity-Pawling’s vision for the future. Roll Pride!
RSVP to Beth Bryant: bbryant@trinitypawling.org or 845-855-4833
To view other upcoming events, visit our website here.